The Art of Giving Feedback -- 2022 Edition

Richard Boas, III, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices HomeSale Realty • March 24, 2022

He's just not that into you. Sure, he like your remodeled kitchen, your heated in-ground pool and the oversized bidet you have in the master bathroom that plays Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" when you flush it. But your location is kind of a deal breaker for him. He just doesn't do long distance relationships. This isn't going to work.


Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. Don't mind me. I was just giving feedback for a showing that I had three days ago. The listing agent wouldn't stop hounding me for it. I told him I'd get it to him when I get it to him, but he just couldn't wait. So annoying.


Does this sound familiar to you? Of course it does. Nothing is more annoying than waiting days for a buyer's agent to provide feedback on a showing. OK, so maybe there are more annoying things out there, but waiting for feedback is definitely up there. It's certainly a pet peeve of mine. And it's not just waiting for feedback that can be annoying, but also the feedback itself . . . or rather the lack thereof. What good is giving feedback days after a showing if all you're going to say is 'not interested'? How is that helpful in any way? Answer:  it's not.


The good thing about ShowingTime -- you, know, that app that lets you set up and schedule showings -- is that all of the heavy lifting is already done for you in regard to submitting feedback, assuming of course the listing agent has it set up to do so for their listing. So there's really no excuse to delay in submitting feedback as the app will prompt you to submit feedback after your showing with a standard template that it uses. You know the one:


Is your client interested in the listing?

Rate your overall experience (excellent - bad)

Opinion on price:

Rate the listing (1-5)

Additional comments:


It's a simple template that takes very little time to complete. Sure there are other templates out there as many of us use our own, but I think it's safe to say that this is the one that is most commonly used among agents. So why are so many responses blank? Laziness. Agents just don't want to be bothered filling out a questionnaire, especially if their buyers aren't interested. But as insignificant as you think your feedback may be, it can be invaluable to a seller. So saying your buyers aren't interested and then leaving everything else blank just doesn't cut it. Why aren't they interested? Is it price? Is it the shag carpet in the basement? Or is it because the next door neighbor likes to sit on the front porch drinking wine coolers in his Speedo? Sellers need to know. Be honest and specific. Sometimes our buyers don't let on what they like and don't like about a home. So ask. Personally, I like to ask my buyers at the end of every showing what I should give to the listing agent for feedback.


And if you don't like filling out those questions -- and let's be honest, those questions could be better -- then text, email or even call the listing agent with your buyer's feedback. At least it's something. Typically agents with interested buyers will tend to give feedback rather quickly. It's safe to assume if an agent takes a day or more to get feedback to you that their buyer probably isn't interested. But however you decide to provide feedback, and no matter how interested your buyers may be in the property, make sure to provide feedback in a reasonable amount of time.


So what is a reasonable amount of time you ask? Well, a safe bet would be to provide it the same day as your showing, but certainly within 24 hours. Anything beyond that and you're entering unprofessional territory. Agents should not have to track you down and beg you for feedback. But what if you never received a prompt to provide feedback in the first place?


I've heard comments from several agents over the past few months expressing frustration about the lack of feedback on their listings. I've experienced it, too. But I've also heard comments from agents who have claimed to have never received a prompt to provide feedback in the first place. Upon further investigation it appears in several of these instances that it was an issue with the settings. Sometimes when an app or program updates, it can cause the settings to change or reset. I know I have personally had an instance where I was not being properly notified of showing requests after a recent update, so I had to go back into my settings and re-enable them. So after any kind of update, double check your settings to make sure that you're able to receive notifications. If it's your listing, make sure your settings are properly set so that the feedback template is being sent out to showing agents.


Look, I get it. You're busy. I'm busy, too. And with the market the way it is right now with homes selling as soon as the sign hits the yard, it's easy to think that feedback isn't important. But no matter how busy you are, or how crazy the market is, there is always time to submit feedback. It takes a lot of work to get a home presentable for a showing. The least we can do is let the sellers know, tactfully of course, what our buyers like or don't like about their home. While filling out showing questionnaires can feel like you're just going through the motions, it is an important aspect of our business and one that sellers rely on when trying to sell their home.


Facts, opinions and information expressed in the Blog represent the work of the author and are believed to be accurate, but are not guaranteed. The Lancaster County Association of Realtors is not liable for any potential errors, omissions or outdated information. If errors are noted within a post, please notify the Association. Posts represent the author's opinion and are not necessarily the opinion of the Association.

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