i see the average joe thinking agents are lazy and out to charge more and do less.... just an observation.

People outside of the industry are really the only ones worth listening to!  As Alexandra said, it is the bespoke listening presentation that has value as homeowners do not want to feel like a number !  I bring zero marketing materials with me and focus only on the Sellers and their concerns.

We did focus groups in the 90's and learned a lot. They wanted to feel like the agent was all about them and totally on their side.

Tony,

Interesting question, focus groups are not necessarily a source of good information as the entertainment industry has discovered.  However, we have a roster of clients who believe in list to last and do extremely well in that aspect.  

If I would characterize them all it would be that all of them have a genuine streak that is unmistakable to anyone who meets them.  They are all compassionate and caring people.  They also have "listening presentations", not listing presentation.  That is a big difference instead of the usual slick approach.  They understand the bespoke approach.   A

I haven't done focus groups but am frequently asked to recommend agents and I always ask "What are you looking for in an agent, what's important to you" and 99% of the time the answer that comes back is "Trust, can I trust them or am I going to get screwed?" They are also lazy ... they want someone to give them an agent they can "plug in" without them doing a lot of investigative work (or thinking about it). I never give less than two and frequently give 3 telling them ... all of these are professional, knowledgeable and will do well for you ... you need to meet with them and decide what is the best "fit" for you and your needs ... only you can do that.

I've never done this in a focus group. I always ask prospective sellers who are not repeat clieants what is most important to them and the answers vary as much as the prospective sellers. That's why it's important to ask--the answers are always unique to the individual situation and it's dangerous to make assumptions.

Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers that's the question I ask the prospective sellers - and their answer usually is - honesty!

I ask why people chose me and how they found me...that is what is important to me.

1. Right place right time

2. word of mouth

3. family, friends & referals

I have never done this. If you use a focus group, you should blog about your experience.

Typically around here they go for friends, relatives or the recommendations of friends or relatives.

I have never asked.  I do ask how they find me.  It's usually word of mouth/referral or online. 

Never tried it, but it does sound interesting!

No, have you?  I don't meet with people not wanting to list or sell.

Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers This is very good question.

No, I have not.  Hard to get a focus group to respond and they are not always a valid source.

I have never done this. It sounds like a great idea, but you would have a difficult time getting the ranchers and mountain people to sit down for a focus group in my market. 

I conduct focus groups on a regular basis.

The reality is, I can get a focus group to reach any conclusion I want. However USEFUL information only comes from well constructed experiences.

One such focus group campaign was to determine the influence of volumes of images and a variety of 'home tour' packages. I KNEW NAR was lying or at best parroting some marketers 'big data' conclusion.  The conclusion is the industry has found a large pool of suckers.

Another focus group, (very recent) purposed to evaluate the emerging sharing economy and how those dynamics will influence how they made selections.  The responses you have received so fare align perfectly with old school agent thinking...exactly the same thing we've been hearing for 20 years.

"What did they say?" Things HAVE changed. They don't care what OUR expectation is, they want their expectation met BEFORE they meet the agent. And there are three markers they are tuned to hear. 

Yes, although we did not consider them as anything formal.

They wanted agent who were great at communication
they also want an agent who can get top dollar for them in the shortest time frame>

No, I rely on the research that is available to all of us on these frequently asked question.