Yesterday, I received e-mail from a gentleman who said that, although he was not going to be ready to buy a home until the spring of 2007, since he was going to be in town on the 28th, would I please arrange a tour of a town in Maryland where he will be working?
The mail was friendly enough and we could probably have arranged a tour for him IF HE HAD INCLUDED A PHONE NUMBER IN HIS E-MAIL. No phone number, no place where he was going to be staying, no time about flight, etc. Just could I please arrange a tour of 5-6 homes for him?
Let's Take A Tour Of Homes For Sale
I have four agents in the area of his search. One is sick with a flu bug. One is booked. One needs two days to arrange baby sitting and the fourth has a settlement. So, no one available.
I e-mailed him that news, which apparently he never got before hitting the road heading for Maryland. I just got an e-mail from him with his hotel room # and phone # for the agent to contact up to 9:00 p.m. this evening or tomorrow early.
Now, I have some very good agents ready to give a tour on short notice. We love to tour buyers relocating to the area because they WILL buy a home. We've been very successful selling to relocating buyers and a tour of homes is a great way for them to bond with an agent. The agent can then stay in touch until the buyer is close to making the move and be fully prepared when they arrive to buy.
But, Geez. Two days notice is not reasonable. Further, it was unreasonable to ask for a tour and not send a phone number. I never, never, never refer a buyer to one of our agents until I have a phone number. Now, here we are the evening before the guy wants a tour of homes and I just got a phone number. Still don't have a price range which is one of the reasons we needed the phone number in the first place.
So, no phone number, no agent, no tour. Opportunity lost?? Or, making policy and sticking to it??
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, http://www.homefinders.com/
Serving home buyers in Maryland and Virginia
Comments(6)