Agents battle sellers over listing price

A growing number of brokers and agents say their clients are disputing their recommended listing price, and that sellers usually get their way in setting the asking price, according to a quarterly survey by home valuation and listings site HomeGain.

HomeGain's survey of 1,084 brokers and agents, conducted Aug. 11-17, also showed Realtors are slightly more pessimistic than they were three months ago that home prices will bottom soon, and that their support for President Barack Obama has dramatically declined.

The survey showed 31 percent expecting home values in their market to decrease in the next six months, up from 29 percent in May. While 23 percent expected home values to increase, 46 percent expected they would stay the same.

A survey conducted by Zillow in July found homeowners are even more optimistic, with only 19 percent expecting their own property value to decline in the next six months (see story). About one in three surveyed by Zillow (34 percent) expected their home value to increase, and 47 percent said they expected it to hold its own for the next six months.

The surveys suggest a growing disparity between consumers and Realtors on home valuations.

Nearly three out of four agents and brokers surveyed by HomeGain in August (74 percent) said that on average, sellers think their home is worth more than the listing price they recommend, up from 71 percent in May. ...CONTINUED

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