Expert: Jessica Bryan - 7/9/2006

Question
i had my house listed with an agent for 6 months. they put it on the mls and then sat back. no open houses, no showings from their office etc.in total i had about 10 showings.. one offer -about 2 months ago that never came to an agreement. that potential buyer is still trying to sell their home 1st. my 6 month agreement expired at midnight. im considering getting a new agent. -including the one who brought in the 1st offer.  can i do this? is it legal. could they then go back to the potential buyer and possibly represent us both at a discount?  or could i represent myself to that buyers agrent. funny.. how my orig listing agent is suddenly all interested in my house -and of course trying to get me to resign for 6 months again.   thanks. dave.

Answer
Dear Dave;
Once your listing agreement expires you are free to list with whomever you choose.  My suggestion is to interview several agents and find out what they are willing to do for you.  Just because your agent didn't do any open houses or have showings from their office doesn't mean they weren't working on the listing though.  Open houses are highly over rated.  I have stopped doing them in my area becasue they are a safety risk, a security risk, and produce very low results.  I also know that I work very hard to get my listings sold but that doesn't mean I get showings from my own office.  What it does mean is I go out and market the home to other offices.  Networking with other REALTORS is often the key.  Ask you agent for a report on what he or she has done to market the home.  Give this person a chance to tell you what they have done (or not done). If you still feel like changing agents then look for certain traits that will make this agent the right one for you: The most important thing is to get feedback, follow up, quick attention when you have a question or leave a message. An agent who is responsive and pro-active is usually a go-getter and will do everything they can to get a home sold.  Look for that in your next agent and don't just sign a listing with someone because they showed the home once!  
Good luck and best wishes.
~Jessica Bryan
Managing Broker
House to Home Realty Services