I came across a popular post on Active Rain today that rang very true.  Sometimes it’s better for a Realtor to turn down a listing.  Don’t be insulted if we do because it’s just business.

Lizette Fitzpatrick said some of the factors that affected a recent decision she made to turn down the referral for the listing included,

Too far away (in another county I’m not famular with…never sold a property there).

The property backed up to a landfill (the tenant said the smell in the winter was pretty strong, not too many people would buy a farm next to a landfill).

My car would not make it up the steep gravel driveway (we drove up in a front-wheel drive truck and it had trouble getting up the hill).

I recently turned down a $700,000 listing because – frankly – it was only worth about $350,000, maybe $400,000.  The seller had contacted me well over a year ago and wanted to list it for $1,200,000 because that’s what he’d put into it.  But all his decisions were wrong.  This would-be magnificent house was at the end of a street lined with trailers, trash, some nice homes, and junky looking cedar trees.  There was less than an acre of land, so we couldn’t even fal back on the price per acre as an incentive to pay that much.  Knowing that the home wouldn’t sell, I could not justify paying to market the home.   So far the home has been on the market for 264 days by three different Realtors.

Other reasons a Realtor might not take your listing:

1. Not motivated to sell … you just want to throw it out there to "see" if it will sell.
2. Home is a hot mess.  It needs too many repairs, it’s dirty, it smells bad.  No thanks.
3. Want it sold at an unreasonable price.  Price is so important these days and if you miss it right out of the starting gate, the agent faces months and months and months of holding costs to market the property.
4. Seller is mean.  I just don’t like to work with people who are snide, cruel, and act like donkeys.
5. Home is in a dangerous area.  When I’m working with a buyer, I can’t legally say "this is a bad area" because of fair housing laws.  However, when it comes to listing a home I don’t have to take the listing if there’s a real possibility that I could be shot.
6. Short sale.  Some agents embrace them, others do not.  They can be very difficult to deal with and take months and months even when a contract is received.

There are a variety of other reasons a real estate agent will pass on a listing.  Have you heard of any?