Via
James Downing - REALTORĀ®,GRI, ABR - DC Real Estate (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage):
Real Estate can be a bit "cut-throat'. Even your 'BEST BUD' is your competition. Every lead you get you are competing with every other agent in
your office, neighborhood or city. It can be a bit ugly.
Well I have always refused to play that game. So I am always shocked when I am confronted with other agents who are like this. Last year I had a well-known agent tell me "NO-WAY" - she had procuring cause and would not give me a cent of commission; when my client wandered into her listing one day (he lived on the next floor of the building and was curious). Sure I could have fought it - but my client was so turned off by her behavior he didn't buy the place after all (and it SAT on the market for over 200 days before it did finally sell).
One thing I like about my office is we all play "nice". Well most of us anyway - and those who don't play nice; find my brokers foot on their butt pushing them out the door to some other company.
So this week, a new agent who just joined our office was frantic - she had clients who needed to see some property and she had to go out of town. My broker asked me if myself or my assistant had time to show these folks 2 or 3 homes? Of COURSE, I said.
This agent asked; "What do you want for it?".
Now I know many agents who would want a % of the commission or some big flat fee. Me - I have a good business; I don't need (or do I want to), feed off someone elses clients.
"Owe me one", I said. Hey - I like time off like the next person. Having a great agent in my office who "owe's me one" - is much more valuable than a few dollars!
So for 2 hours out of my day - I met some lovely folks, showed them 3 homes and now I have a very skilled agent who "Owes me one". One day I will need to be in places at once and I have a trusted collegue who I know I can count on. Isn't this a better way of doing business?