I Had a Client Ask... Why Are All These Realtors Calling Me?

Not long ago a client of mine chose to take their house of the market. Rather than selling the home they decided to rent it to a family member. We had marketed the house for almost 90 days and even though there was a lot of traffic and three offers, none were quite satisfactory to this client. 

After a discussion with the sellers they stated that if a buyer would pay $X they'd still sell but it had to be before a certain date. After that date the family member would be guaranteed the house. So they took the house of the market and were ready to rent it. The very next day their phones were blowing up with calls from Realtors.

The sellers called me fairly upset asking how everyone got their number and why were they calling. The why was simple and they knew it, their house came off the market.  The how was simple for me to answer too. As an agent I'm contacted regularly by companies that offer expired/cancelled listing and FSBO data along with dialer services to call the leads they give you. 

These services range in price from $100 - $500 per month and many agents find the bulk of their listing business from calling on expired, cancelled and FSBO listings. Some of the pricier companies that provide this data dig real deep. I've heard agents talk about how one in particular will give every cell number registered to that address. There are cases where agents are leaving voicemails with the preteen daughter of the home seller. Worse yet, sometimes the numbers being called were associated with the house many years ago.  

So that's how they get your info, there are data mining services out there that make a pretty penny selling info to agents who want it. Of course they also indicate what numbers are on the do not call list, but it's up to the agent whether they want to adhere to those wishes. I can tell you I find the services to be of little use since 95% of the numbers are on the do not call list. I know I hate unsolicited calls, so why would I call people that have taken time to register on the do not call list?

Competition in the world of Real Estate is fierce. And these services don't limit the number of agents who can subscribe to get info. In Kansas City there are over 9,000 dues paying members at the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors. While not all 9,000 are residential real estate agents, the vast majority are. Depending on where your property is located and it's price range, there could be hundreds of agents calling you. 

This particular seller was completely taken aback that agents from my same office were calling and sending letters. Don't be bothered by this, many of the offices are quite large and the agents have never met. On the flip side some may be calling because they know your previous agent and feel they can do a better job. 

The biggest thing that aggravated my clients was the dishonesty by some of the agents calling. There were several that mentioned having buyers for the property. The sellers explained that they would still sell before "X" date for "X" price.  They referred several agents to me because the agent calling agreed that their buyer would meet the terms. Then when I try and schedule an appointment the offending agent confessed they were just trying to get in the door and get it listed before the sellers were able to rent it. 

If your house has been listed for sale and it's coming off the market prepare for the calls and letters from agents who want you to choose them to sell your house. Some will get aggressive and track you down on Facebook or other social media and send direct messages. Take solace in the fact it should be short lived and keep you ear open for some of the common themes that may indicate you're dealing with someone less than ethical. 

You can Google "Expired Scripts for Realtors" and find about 261,000 results. If you start reading the scripts you'll find that many start by bashing the previous agent regardless of what they may or may not have done. The more unscrupulous agents will indicate things like having a potential buyer for the property.  

Not all of these agents are bad, in fact some are quite successful. I would however suggest doing your own research and finding an agent who knows how to sell houses and can be a pleasure to work with. This will not be the same agent for each seller. Since you're here, maybe visit my selling page and see if I'm the right agent for you!