The real estate agent's experience, marketing skills, and international resources are critical. However, having just worked with a few HIGHLY qualified and cash-ready buyers ready to pull the trigger at Murano Grande, Icon South Beach, Portofino Tower, and Murano at Portofino, there is another criteria which I must now mention: basic competence and responsibility.
I noticed a complete lack of professionalism (negligence is a better description) on the part of a large number of listing Agents and/or Brokerage firms. Disconnected phone lines, incomplete and inaccurate information on Multiple Listing for the condos that are on the market, voicemessages saying that the agent is out of the country / unavailable and NOT to leave messages, no voicemail pickup at all in three cases, no response to multiple voicemessages and emails, and sometimes a response days later that a showing can be arranged perhaps once per week and to contact the building front desk. I experienced agents not showing up for appointments or having to pick up keys at the management office, and finding that the door would not open! Once inside a few specific waterfront condos that are aggressively priced in the $1,000,000 range, we discovered an unkempt, and abandoned, dirty condos complete with foul stench, A/C turned off, and fallen down drapery! I was left wondering if the individual condominium owners realize how poorly they are being represented in this BUYERS market?!? Even the front desk staff, again specifically at Murano Grande, Icon South Beach, and The Portofino Tower, are grumbling about the laziness and irresponsiblity of these listing agents!
Only a very limited number of these waterfront condos are priced to sell, and those that are priced aggressively for some unknown reason seem to have negligent agents representing these REAL sellers. The vast majority of the 100+ initial condos that come up in a Multiple Listing property search are often times overpriced, nowhere near the market / appraised value. In each of the above referenced buildings- there are only a few condos that are truly worthwhile and that a buyer would give serious consideration to making a reasonable offer based on recent closed sales comparables.
If you're a seller of real estate in this BUYERS market- I urge you to check up on your listing agent. Call his/her phone number, look up your listed condo or home on the multiple listing service (easy these days via the web), see the pictures that are posted online, and if you are local BY ALL MEANS do check up on the listing. Better yet- have a friend call or email your listing agent (or a cooperating broker) and ask to schedule a showing. SEE FOR YOURSELF how the showing process is handled, and how your property is being presented to potential QUALIFIED buyers. You may be in for a shock.
