As the Sarasota and Manatee real estate market comes to a soft landing from the dizzying heights of 2005, there appears to be an interesting phenomenon occurring. Specifically, large numbers of real estate agents are afraid to take listings.

In the recent past, a good listing was the near certain ticket to a commission check in a short period of time. Yet more and more, we are hearing about real estate agents who are afraid to sign listing agreements.

Why are many Sarasota and Bradenton realtors afraid to take listings?

1. The potential commission is no longer a sure thing and requires an enormous commitment of time and capital.
2. Sophisticated consumers continue to become more educated and are asking tough questions and demand specifics.
3. Discussions have shifted from how much commission will be charged to how much money the agent will spend to market the home.
4. Many agents and brokerages do not have the financial wherewithal to commit to the industry benchmark of 13 to 25 percent of the total commission on marketing.

In the next few months many home sellers who signed six or twelve month listing agreements in mid to late 2005 will be seeking new agents who are equipped to get the job done. I encourage sellers to keep asking tough questions and demand specifics. They will find qualified agents who have the time and financial resources to successfully market and sell the property. In exchange, sellers must be prepared to pay top dollar for the services performed and set a realistic asking price based on recent comparable sales.