One of the things about online marketing is it may cause confusion among some home buyers and sellers. It's often hard to immediately pinpoint who the listing agent is for some of the homes you see for sale. Sometimes agents can't figure it out, either.
An agent called me earlier this week to inquire about a short sale Sacramento listing on Robertson Way in Land Park. I tried to explain that I do not have a listing on Robertson in Land Park. I have 18 listings -- 16 of which are Sacramento short sales -- but none is on Robertson. She refused to believe me. "Your photo is on this listing," she said, and continued to insist that Robertson was my listing, regardless of what I had to say about it. Finally, she turned to her buyer and asked where the buyer found the listing. "On the internet," the buyer responded.
The agent hung up before I could find out exactly which website the had buyer pulled that listing from as I market on a number of sites.
Then yesterday another person called me to say somebody had broken into a listing on Pomegranate. He wanted me to know the front door was kicked in and thugs were stripping the foreclosure home. "You should call the police," I said.
The caller said the police don't care and won't do anything about vandalism or the stripping of foreclosured homes. Why did he call me? Pomegranate isn't my listing. I asked whose name was on the sign in the yard? There was no sign in the yard. The caller had picked up my name online. Fine, I'll call the listing agent myself. I looked up the listing in MLS and called the listing agent's assistant to let them know their foreclosure listing may be getting stripped. They called the police.
I don't know if internet marketing is a blessing or a curse. But if you're looking for a Sacramento short sale agent or to sell a short sale in Land Park, rest assured that I'm your agent. Call me. I answer my phone.
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout Sacramento. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available in bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
Elizabeth: The internet can bring buyers on co-op listings using the IDX and unfortunately we get these call too.. I get this from time to time as well. :)
Elizabeth, it seems these people are calling you as Short Sale Central. Good thing that you are viewed as knowing everything but I can see where it can be too much as well.
I guess being viewed as the resident expert has its pluses and its minuses. In the long run, you are probably in the best position.
Elizabeth, You must have quite a presence in your market area and beyond! The best to you
Well your name is getting out there for sure, and you have obtained quite the presence then!!
People do insist it is my listing and I should know all about it only to find out it is from one of our blogs that we mentioned the property. It is a great vehicle for promotion but I have had a few strange calls also.
I got an email today about a lake home on 47 acres. WHAT? Turns out that when another agent entered my listing she left out the 0. in the 0.47 acres. I emailed them back with the correct information and told them I would have purchased it already if it was 47 acres on the lake for that price.
Elizabeth - It sounds like you are a "victim" of your own very successful marketing strategy!
Well, I'm not alone, Myrl, it seems. And I do try to help callers, even if it's to call the police to protect the home next to them. I get so many calls during the day, that it's hard sometimes to figure out what in the heck the callers are talking about. :)
Elizabeth
They found the listing through retroprocity means?