I'm Doing All the Work. Is This Typical with a Real Estate Agent?

[April L.]

I've been working with a lovely agent for about 4 months now to buy my first STR property in the North Georgia mountains, but it feels like I'm doing all the work. She has me on an email drip but the criteria stinks and I can't even search for things, so I basically find homes on my own (Zillow or Realtor.com) and she makes appointments. It's exhausting because I have a full time job.

Recently, I found out that she does NOT pay for the MLS to have access to Blue Ridge, GA, a big area of interest for me.

My agent says that she can contact agents and still book appointments for properties I send her, but I think I'm missing out on opportunities. I have two properties I really want to see, and after 5 days, she has not heard from the selling agent.

Would she have more success booking appointments if she had access to the Blue Ridge MLS?

Should she have a more active role in helping me finding vacation investment property?

Am I being too impatient?

In 4 months, I have made one back-up offer and one offer that got out-bid.

[Mason Hickman]

@April L. An agent without MLS access seems problematic from the get-go. A few questions I would be addressing:

Is she a full time agent? 

Have you given her a list of changes to your search parameters?

Are you already pre-approved? Have the offers you've been making been in line with market expectations?

Regarding the 5 days without a response, every now and again, I will have a listing agent that is completely unresponsive to calls, texts, emails. It always makes me wonder why but I think it would be unlikely for this to happen simultaneously on two properties if she is actively reaching out.