I haven’t sold, but a big part of your agent’s job is to facilitate the transaction. They need to be fully available during business hours to protential buyers in a way you as a person with a full time job can’t be.
They also should provide some good guidance on pricing, although ultimately the price is set by you the seller. I’ve been to enough open houses where once the person showing the home has figured out you’re not remotely interested they become pretty open about the fact the price is too high and will likely be dropping soon.
I do agree that sometimes traits that I find personally grating in social contacts actually make someone better at sales. I like associating with people who are laid back and mellow, but for a realtor you want a shark, someone who is hungry and eager to close the sale, and not afraid to get a little pushy and beligerant if paperwork isn’t being processed quickly enough.
By the second open house that’s a pretty strong sign the price is too high, at least in this market. As buyers if a house had been on the market for more than ~21 days we kind of just assumed a price drop was on the way.
There are clearly some houses that are tricky to sell for fair market value. Some homes are very unique. Saw one once that was a beautiful home at a great price… and everything had been customized for the previous owner who was below five feet tall. This meant all the kitchens and bathrooms were too small, especially for tall guys like me.
Anyways, it does sound like you went with a discount agent and got what you paid for. If you want to sell quick you do have to compromise on cost/price.
