Properties rotting on the shelf are generally overpriced. Sometimes it is a bad agent, sometimes its an unrealistic seller and sometimes its both. It’s amazing that homes sit on the market and once they are reduced they eventually sell…EVERY TIME! There is a buyer for every home as long as the price is right.
A fast sale is not a bad thing its a good thing. Unfortunately most dont understand that. This is a very active market and there are lots of people looking for the right house at the right price. Price it right, which is the price thats fair for the buyer and the seller and they sell quickly. If you price it too low, you’ll get a stack of offers and it will be obvious. I just wrote an offer on an underpriced property in Carmel Valley at $1.2M. There were several offers within 3 days while other overpriced listings as sitting.
As for connecting buyer’s and seller’s being easy, you are simplifying things. Try selling your furniture at a yard sale and see what you get….pennies on the dollar. Think the Internet is the solution? Better yet, put it on ebay or craigslist…..may be 25 to 50 cents on the dollar.
Every one wants the MLS to be free but no one understands how expensive it is to maintain, monitor and police such a system. It is not cheap and the liabilities as to making representaions are huge. Could it be done on a national level. Sure, it probably will someday but that day is not close. Real Estate transactions are very complex. Lawsuits abound and if most of understood all of the legal issues we deal with on a daily basis you would know why we exist.