Seattle real estate - Geez Louis!

I drove 350-something miles since Friday showing houses to four different Seattle real estate area buyers.  I showed houses all morning, all day, and until the clock on the key boxes wouldn't let me open any more doors.  I had to coordinate tours, keep time, answer questions left and right, and generally be "on" the entire time.  I have a headache:)  I did manage to write up a couple offers out of all that so I will see where it all goes, but the two things that were made even more glaringly clear to me than before are these:

1.  If you are a real estate agent and you want to sell houses, you need to actually work on the weekends, show up on time, and return your phone calls.  I ran into several agents who did not answer their phones at all.  I understand being tied up, but at least call me back when I clearly have an interested buyer.  One agent got a call form me at 9AM on a Sunday  - I asked him if he was going to be having an open house that day because I saw his seller required 24 hours notice (don't even get me started) - I knew I could not show the house based on the 24 hour notice requirement so I figured I would squeeze in a showing via an open house.  He called me back this morning (Monday) at 10:30 to tell me that he did have an open house.  It must have been too busy for him to check messages?

2.  If you are a seller, you need to let people see your house. It is hard enough to have to coordinate appointments perfectly to show up on time and make sure that the tour progresses properly plus be professional and even be courteous and take my shoes off in your home.  There should be no need for me to have to convince you that my buyer actually can buy a house.  Believe me, I am sorry that you don't feel like cleaning your house and making it available for me to show it on the weekends, but I assure you that I would not be asking if I didn't think my buyer had a serious interest and was actually able to buy.  I just don't waste my time like that and thought you wanted to sell your house. I actually ran into some great sellers and thankfully the majority of Seattle sellers understand how to be accommodating.  There are those few, though, that I felt like submitting a resume of qualifications for both me and the buyer might have been more helpful than just trying to schedule an appointment.  I literally got the third degree in some cases. Weird.

To me, these are two major issues of selling houses in today's real estate market.  There are buyers out there, believe me, but you have to be available in the evenings and on the weekends whether you are a Seattle real estate agent or a Seattle seller!

Courtney Cooper, Seattle Realtor & Designated Broker for Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services, Seattle Washington real estate courtney@cooperjacobs.com