| Admittedly, neither the role of Buyers Agent role nor | | | | gathering period. He or she will call the repair |
| the role of Listing Agent can be considered easy. | | | | companies, set up appointments to meet them, then |
| Both have their challenges; both have their positive | | | | go to meet them, and collect the professional |
| aspects. That said, I've been working both sides of | | | | opinions and estimates to present to the Seller, along |
| the transaction for more than a decade now, and it's | | | | with his or her recommendations on the best course |
| clear to me that the Listing Agent has the more | | | | to follow. All this takes time. Once the Seller has |
| difficult time. Here's why: | | | | agreed to have work done, if the workmen require |
| Buyers Agents find issues; Listing Agents have to | | | | access to the house, the Listing Agent may be called |
| solve them. | | | | upon again to open the house to allow the repair |
| Buyers Agents want their buyers to have all the | | | | people access. When a utility company is involved, |
| information about the house they are about to | | | | this can require hours of waiting just for them to |
| purchase. All the problems and defects need to be on | | | | turn up. |
| the table, fully disclosed. For the Buyers Agent, the | | | | Once the work is done, the Listing Agent contacts |
| big questions are | | | | the Buyers Agent, so the Buyer can come by to |
| 1) What's wrong with this house; and | | | | check that the work has been properly done. Usually |
| 2) What will the Seller agree to fix? Those two | | | | it's fine, because the service providers on the Listing |
| questions have to be answered before the Buyer | | | | Agent's list are dependable. Sometimes something |
| can make an informed decision. The Buyers Agent | | | | gets overlooked, and then the Listing Agent has to |
| brings in the home inspector and the termite | | | | scramble. |
| inspector -- and if they find anything suspicious, more | | | | I remember a listing that I had a few years ago. The |
| inspections ensue. | | | | FHA appraiser didn't come to do the appraisal until a |
| The list of problems and issues generated by the | | | | week before closing, and he told the seller that |
| various inspections is put together in the form of a | | | | peeling paint on the soffits had to be scraped and |
| Repair Request by the Buyers Agent, and it typically | | | | repainted. He took the Seller around the house and |
| ends up in the Listing Agent's lap. You might think | | | | showed him two areas that needed to be done. This |
| that the list goes to the Seller, since the Seller has to | | | | was an FHA requirement, not an item on the Buyer's |
| respond to it. Usually not. Usually the Seller looks | | | | Repair Request List. |
| helplessly at the Listing Agent. "What do I have to | | | | There was no time to waste, of course. I got my |
| do?" he or she asks in confusion. The buck is passed. | | | | painter to leave the job he was on, to come back |
| Sellers are not necessarily unwilling to do repairs, but | | | | and take care of our soffits. Then ONE DAY before |
| they want the job done without spending any more | | | | closing, the FHA appraiser came back to check that |
| money than they have to. That's understandable. At | | | | the work had been done. "You missed a spot," he |
| the same time, the Listing Agent knows that the job | | | | told the Seller. "There were three areas to be fixed; |
| needs to be done correctly. If the completed work is | | | | you only did two." |
| not satisfactory to the Buyer, bad things will happen. | | | | My Seller was sure that only two places had been |
| You've probably heard the saying, "You can have it | | | | mentioned originally, and I believe him. He knew this |
| done quickly, cheaply, or correctly -- pick any two." | | | | issue would stop the closing and he was very, very |
| There's a lot of truth to that saying, and doing the | | | | focused on what the appraiser was saying that day. |
| repairs for a sale is not the time to choose "cheaply." | | | | But, no point in arguing, I had to throw myself on the |
| The work needs to be done on time (i.e., before | | | | painter's mercy yet again, and beg him, "Please, you |
| closing) and it needs to be done correctly (or the | | | | have to come TODAY!" And, God Bless him, he |
| Buyer may walk). Nevertheless, the Seller still wants | | | | came. |
| to spend as little as possible. So it falls to the Listing | | | | This is an example of how the Listing Agent's |
| Agent to produce one or more professionals who will | | | | relationship with his or her service providers makes a |
| do the repairs quickly and correctly, while still giving | | | | big difference. A Seller may hire a painter once every |
| the Seller a good price. | | | | five or ten years, but a Listing Agent needs a painter |
| Over time, agents collect the names of service | | | | many times a year. That gives the agent leverage |
| providers they can trust -- contractors, plumbers, | | | | when needed. |
| structural engineers, landscapers, chimney sweeps, | | | | What is the Buyers Agent doing while the Listing |
| painters, maid services, radon testing labs, concrete | | | | Agent is dealing with contractors, gathering |
| driveway repair companies, and so on.. and on.. and | | | | estimates, and micromanaging repairs? None of this |
| on. Access to the list, and the agent's relationship | | | | burden falls on the Buyers Agent. He or she found |
| with the people on the list, comprise an important | | | | the problems -- the Listing Agent has to get them |
| aspect of the Listing Agent's value to the Seller. | | | | fixed. The Buyers Agent can spend the weeks |
| But having the list is usually not enough. Typically, the | | | | between contract and closing on vacation in Hawaii!, |
| Seller is at work all day, and can't easily be home to | | | | or out getting three more Buyers under contract. |
| meet with repair people. It falls to the Listing Agent | | | | Which role is harder? I'm pretty sure it's the one you |
| to stand in for the Seller during the information | | | | can't do from Hawaii. |