Today I had to give two fellow realtors some harsh feedback on their listings. After the Orangevale Realtors meeting on Tuesday, we toured 10 homes, after which some of the listing agents requested feedback. Most of the homes were very nice and well staged so that they showed very nicely. Unfortunately there were a couple of homes that looked nice inside, but I won't be showing either of them to any of my buyers.

One was obviously the home of smokers. And it didn't just smell bad -- it was the strongest smelling home I had ever been in. It made my eyes water and I could only stay inside for a short time before I had to get some air. The listing agent says she has warned her sellers about it, but they apparently still smoke inside, so they might not be all that motivated to sell.

The other home looked lovely inside, but it was clear looking around the exterior that there are some structural issues that someone had made a half-hearted effort to address, but some of what they had done just called attention to the problems. I wouldn't show this home unless a whole-house inspection indicated that the problems were only cosmetic or if they were professionally corrected.

I like it better when I can give glowing feedback, but honesty is what the listing agents want and need, so that is what a try to give. I wish sellers could understand how important it is to make their house irresistible to buyers instead of thinking they can force buyers to accept their house with all its defects without taking them into consideration in the pricing. A defective or unattractive home simply will not sell unless it is practically given away. And that seller is often the one who will blame their agent when it isn't sold right away. Sigh!