Aah.. The expired listing. It has to be very frustrating for a seller who has had their home on the market for six months or more, and with only a few showings to speak of, to all of a sudden get a barrage of calls from agents who want to sell their home. So where were all these agents when your home was on the market?
Well, there are a few things going on here. Your home did not sell (Click here for the single biggest reason why) It comes up on what we call a "Hot Sheet" so real estate agents know that your home is no longer on the market. A "Hot Sheet" is a compilation of all the listing changes in a town that also includes all status changes. For example, the hot sheet will let us know that there is a new listing on the market, that a price has been reduced, that a property has gone under deposit, and also if the property has gone off the market, which is what has just happened to you. That's when the calls start.
Some agents are a little slick about going after these types of listings, and will tell you just about anything to get in the door, and promise the world if you list with them. They do their best to make a living out of preying on homeowners whose listings expired. And guess what? It will expire again with that type of agent, who just wants your signature on an agreement and will fall off the face of the earth after that. I'd definitely steer clear of those types.
If you are still interested in selling your home, you just have to weed those types out. They make themselves quite apparent, I am sure. The important thing is to meet with an agent, or a few agents who you really feel that you can see eye-to-eye with based upon your initial conversation, and that you have a "good feeling" about.
Whenever I call upon an expired listing, and I do on occasion- by the way, the home has to meet certain criteria, and that is for me to even bother to make a phone call. Number one- I will call if I have a client that may be interested in the property. Number two, I will call if I am enamored with the home, and am confident that I can sell it.
My 26+ years of experience has taught me more than one very valuable lesson when it comes to selling a home. Be truthful with your descriptions, be as complete as you can with information provided, and make sure that the listing is presented at its best, and as visible as it can be in all of the right places. You would be surprised at how many agents do not follow this very basic rule of home marketing.
If your home has expired from the marketplace, and you still wish to sell it, get on the phone right away and get it re-listed. One thing for sure, your home will NOT sell if it is not "in the market".
If you think that all of the conditions were right and your home still did not sell, call me or contact me. I will give you an honest evaluation- and just get it out of your head that it is all about the market. It's a lot about the marketing, too.