Who Should the Listing Agent Meet Personally?
Test your knowledge of modern residential real estate practice, and answer the following multiple choice question:
Q: Who should the listing agent (representing the Seller) meet at the home?
A. The Appraiser working for the Buyer’s lender;
B. The home inspector doing the city Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing (“TISH”) inspection;
C. The photographer;
D. The Buyer’s home inspector.
Correct answer(s): “A.” and “C.”
Here are the explanations:
A. Especially if the home sold in multiples above ask, it’s imperative that the listing agent support the sales price for the subsequent appraisal.
The Realtor does that by documenting the existence of multiples; explaining why Buyers found the “subject” home so attractive; and sharing any relevant details about nearby Comp’s, Pending’s, and Active’s.
B. These folks have their own smart key to access listed homes, and don’t need help from the listing agent. City inspectors do have some discretion, but in general their scope is limited and well-defined.
C. Like chicken soup: “can’t hurt, might help.” That’s especially the case when the listing agent has particular shots or even specific angles in mind (like for virtual staging).
D. That would be the Buyer agent’s job — and yup, they absolutely should be there, to see first-hand any inspection issues that the Buyer intends to raise with the Seller.
See also, “Realtor Job Description.”
