I Have had many houses, when the market was good the houses sold themself.. but with a down market i need a go getter,the problem is what more should a realtor be doing now ? the only advertising is on there website,mls,realtor.com etc. but is the internet enough?...realtor says print ads are dead in todays times...listing expieres next month..Need Advice.........

Print ads are not like they use to be with all the technology we have today.  Statistics show that the majority of potential buyers go online to search.

Find a good Realtor in your area that is visable and does marketing to get noticed.  Interview two or three with their business plans to market your home, and go with whom you feel the most comfortable with.

Good Luck

Where are the houses you want to sell - City and State please? 

I work in the Charleston, SC area.

The way to find a top notch Realtor is:

1. Interview 3 agents with 3 of the top companies in your area.

2. Ask the following questions-A. How many houses have you sold in the last year? B. What are you going to do to sell my home? C. Can you provide references?  Evaluate their responses and compare.

3. Look for the agent who is honest and direct, not the one who gives you the highest list price. Know that anyone can list your house. Only four things sell a home. First-Price, Second-Condition, Third-Marketing, and Fourth-Incentives/Financing. Only houses that are priced right sell. The others stay on the market for long periods of time. Houses that are in good condition and priced correctly sell quickly. Forget about what you would like to get for your house, or what you paid for it because those things are not important. What is important is the selling prices of comparable houses which have SOLD in your neighborhood, not current list prices. List prices are just the sellers dream. SOLD is the reality.

4. Now that you know what sells a home, choose the agent that is realistic in price, has the tools to expose your home, and shows expertise in helping you put your home in top showing condition to sell. Just as you detail used cars...detail your house to sell. If you price it too high, the homes below yours will sell and you will be chasing the market down. Be realistic.

In summary, you can sell a home next to a toxic waste dump if it is priced right. Follow your realtors advice.  

Thank You John...i signed a 9 month listing agreement that expires  this june.....we have had about 2-3 showings a month,but no offers,we had listed the house back in 07,and had 2 offers,both 600k..we were listed for 699.9 ,and thought the offers were two low....i would love to have those offers now!! currently we are listed for 629.  i am going to drop it to 599 ....this is what we get on feedback.floor plan was not right,but the house shows well,very neat and clean,prof. landscaped yard. other feedback alot of upkeep...oter houses are not as nice in the area....we have 3.2 acres that are flat very rare in the mountains,also we are unique ,theres nothing else like this to comp to...the realtor says we need a specific buyer which makes it a hard sell??also she says its a tough time to sell... should i be looking for a new realtor....thanks steve

The first thing to find out is the price and number of properties sold that is comparable to your property.  (In your neighborhood).

Secondly in this kind of a market, I would find from the listing agent, if he works with buyers and how many of his listings has he sold himself. This question may be redundant, if all his  listings have been sold.

Buyers are becoming more and more savvy and they are aware of the market conditions!!!

Jacob

Financial Landscaping

Steve,

I don't think you should fire your agent based on the information you supplied above.  If you have the nicest house in the neighborhood and are asking for more than what homes typically sell for there, than I can see what he/she means about needing to find the right buyer.  Everybody is looking for the deal of the century because of all the media coverage on foreclosures/short sales so a lot of people in your situation have had to list for a longer time period. 

But it doesn't hurt to talk with some other agents and see if they have different methods or mentality about how they market homes.  If you like what someone else has to offer than don't feel bad about switching up.

Good luck.