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5 Reasons for Firing A Client

you're fired In challenging markets...like the one we currently face...it's difficult to find new clients.

Why would you even consider firing a client?

Purely and simply, even the best client relationships can turn bad...and when they do, it's time to end them by firing the client.

Most of us are too busy to allow deteriorating client relationships to drain time and energy from attracting new clients and serving existing clients. With that in mind, here are 5 reasons for firing a client.

1. Perfection Obsession

These are the buyers who are obsessed with finding a perfect home, in a perfect location and at a perfect purchase price.

Or they are sellers who insist on selling their homes terms and conditions that they consider perfect.

Perfection rarely exists in our world, and besides, your responsibility is to give clients the best possible service, helping them find the best possible deal...not the perfect one.

2. Lack of Trust

This can cut both ways.

For whatever reason, you no longer trust your client or vice versa.

Since trust is a key element of all client relationships, once the trust is gone for either party, the relationship is essentially over.

3. Miscommunication

Sometimes miscommunication is inadvertent or accidental.

Others times it is deliberate.

In either case, when miscommunication becomes a common element it represents a problem to be addressed.

If the problem of miscommunication itself cannot be resolved, it's time to end the relationship.

4. Conflicting Advice

We all have advisors who offer opinions and suggestions on our decisions.

Some of these people are professionally trained, qualified and well informed. Others are well intentioned but otherwise poorly informed and mis-directed friends relatives and acquaintances.

It is the second group of advice-givers that have the most potential for causing problems in client relationships.

When clients start to be guided more by this group than by your professional advice, it's best to reserve your time, energy and expertise for clients who value it.

If clients do not value what you offer them...fire them.

5. Indecision

Certainly changed circumstances result in changes in clients needs and wants.

However, when clients continually change their minds for no obvious reason, it's hard to be sure of what they really want.

If they don't know what they really want...how can you help them?

Is it not better to devote your resources to helping clients achieve what they know they want?

What other reasons might there be for firing clients?

What stories do have abut firing clients?

Posted by Larry Easto on 07/30/2009 07:12 AM

Comments (175)

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175 Comments on 5 Reasons for Firing A Client

JUL

2009

1. They need to be looking at new construction. A resale is a resale is a resale.

2. If the buyer doesn't trust me, I'm wasting my time and I don't waste my time.

3. Agents who are accessible don't have this problem. Buyers who are not accessible need to find another agent.

4. As long as my license is on the line, if the buyer is not cooperating, they are history.

5. Focus them in the beginning, but if things change and they still don't buy, we're wasting our time.

Some good thoughts you have posted. Thanks!

Larry ,your list is right on ! If they don't have clear vision/motivation you can often wind up as an unpaid tour guide !

I think the most empowering thing I ever did when I started real estate was fire a client. Too many agents are focused on the end result and never realize that with some clients they will never get there.

I used to be afraid of losing any clients, but I'm learning fast that my time is WAY to important. If someone is monkeying around, I don't have time for them!

I would just add that an agent has to be secure in their business before they get the courage to fire a client. You have to have other business or it will be a hard thing to do.

Great read. I think we have all at one time or another worked with a client when we know better! Thanks for the post!

if a seller wants to hire you and control the pricing incluidng commission reductions in order to get the price reductions, it is a sure thing he does not respect any Realtor. Your fired!

The way I have always looked at it is there are enough people to do business my way to nat have to do business with the ones that wont.

Great post. I worked for a company several years ago that had a client that said he had x amount of money at x bank. When they went to underwrite the loan, x money wasn't in an account but a safety deposit box. That miscommunication (along with the fact that it was actually half of x amount) cost them the loan.

Not being pre approved for a mortgage is a big NO NO for me.

If a client is disrespectful of you, it's time for them to go! A seller refused to mow his lawn, it was 4 feet high. The HOA called me about it because my sign was in the yard. The seller had moved out of town and hadn't arranged for anyone to cut his grass. My husband went and cut the grass, just to help me to sell the house. He didn't even get a thank you from the seller. I told the seller my husband cut the lawn this time, but he would need to arrange to have it cut the next time. Weeks later, I called him about getting the lawn cut again and he rudely asked, Well, didn't your husband do it??? That was the end of that.

I terminated a listing last week. Hit 4 of the 5 reasons.

Ha ! The listing I fired last week also hit 4 of the 5.

We must respect the clients time - as they must respect ours!

Ha ! The listing I fired last week also hit 4 of the 5.

We must respect the clients time - as they must respect ours!

I agree with Barb Szabo above. An agent has to be secure with their business enough to fire clients. Good post and best of luck to you.

Right on... I am about to meet katherine who each of the last 2 appointments I swore I would fire if she didn't make an offer. With youir advice, today is the day. Thanks

If you can't make the sale because of the issues above, you are wasting your time and especially your money.

Enough agents are already non-profits.

You can certainly tell when some one really needs to sell. Good points in determining this.

Ginger

I had 2 listings this summer that I knew I should not have taken. But it is slow and they were in nice neighborhoods, so I thought I could "change" them. Very poor housekeeping on both parts and 2 large dogs with one. I could not schedule a showing for 2 weeks on either, making me look foolish and turning the page onto me, as I can't stand a home in the MLS that can't be shown. Talk about eating crow! I picked up my signs at both, and they both said, what's wrong!?

Very interesting blog, we should all remember the five points when we decide if we want to work with a buyer or seller. It is our time, energy and money.

Good post - we had to fire a bunch of people 'listings' back in 2007/2008. They were overpriced and sellers were unrealistic. It all worked out for the best at the time - now - when these folks are ready to sell they'll be back -because they know we'll tell them the truth. If not - well - on to the next.

Your list is good - and add to it the ready, willing and able part - qualified!

Larry- While your points are all good, for me personally, the primary reason I have had to fire clients and/or referral partners (mostly Realtors) is disrespect. When someone I am working with continually disrespects me time and time again (I occasionally cut them some slack), then the relationship is over.

Just last week, I had one of my "Come to Jesus" talks with a Realtor who occasionally refers me business. This woman can be so rude, obnoxious and disrespectful at times and I had finally reached my point. After our latest confrontation (not the first), I told her that she needed to find another lender to work with and refer her clients to (many of her clients are just like her).

The next day, she apologized (also not the first) but I am still not going to work with her again. We currently have an escrow pending but after this one closes, that's it, I'm done with her and her clients.

Thank-you for the checklist - FIRED is part of life! Whether you're fired UP, firing someone or being fired!!!!!

If they ever lie! That's been the case only 3 times in ninteen years but it was cause for an immeadiate stop in our relationship!

Depends on how drastic these issues are - Most buyers have tendencies of the points you make, but that doesn't warrant firing them over it.

I've fired buyer clients and walked from listing opportunities. Let's admit it we can all pretty much sense time wasters. I appreciate Lenn's comment; "I don't waste my time". I also don't get paid a salary whether I perform or not. So I keep the mantra from Glengary Glen Ross in my head "Always Be Closing" and that helps me in those critical decisions.

If the buyer will not heed my professional advice there is a risk of something coming back to bite me. I am not a door opener. If I am your buyers agent you should respect my counsel and experience. If the buyer thinks they know more than I do they should go get their license.

Same with sellers. I simply will not waste my time or my brokers advertising dollars beating a dead horse. A grossly over priced house or unreasonable seller makes for hard times and ill feelings.

Focusing on the "Quality" rather than the "Quantity" of clients makes you more productive.

Let's see, there was the drunken 9:30 evening phone calls, and the one who I showed a ton of properties to and then he approached a seller and offered to buy it without Realtors, the Seller who wanted me to list their unique property for $100K more than I recommended.....

Hmmm.... seems like I am working with a few of these.

How about when they flat out lie to you -- that is a good reason .

Great points....I have a client that needs to be fired!

My biggest problem is being taken seriously. Though I am in my early 30s some people think I'm in my early 20s, which makes it difficult for people to take me seriously. I sometimes feel that I have to work harder than the older guy just to prove myself-even though I am more honest, more hardworking, more organized, more caring...etc...you got my drift. Many people suggest that I dress older, put make up on differently, and/or wear different accessories. I say "No". The way I dress and look = ME, pretending to be someone else to make a few bucks is not. However, I like the challenge in winning them over eventually.

My thoughts . . . read my "Members Only" blog: "We Just Want You to Unlock the Doors."

Hmmmm . . . FIRED!!

I fired a homeowner before I even got into the listing appointment. After reviewing the comps and knowing what he insisted on listing his home for, I decided this was a waste of my time. Those have been the easiest to fire. The toughest are those who you've invested a lot of time in (buyers). But, once they lie or seem to not trust me, yes, you're fired.

AMEN!!!

I agree not being pre-approved for a loan is not the way to go.

Patricia Aulson

JUL

2009

Larry,

Lenn nailed it. Get as much information up front, make sure you're on the SAME page and go. I offer a communication and performance guarantee and I expect the same back. We can both cancel if we feel we aren't a fit for each other.

You can't fire me....I QUIT

I like this post. Let me add one more. LOL for me sometimes it is a quality of life issue, I choose not to spend my time with people that suck all of my energy, are an effort to be with, have no sense of humor or some combination of the three. ick!

Life is too short to live it in frustration. I believe in firing clients who are wasting my time.

Agreed with all 5 points, and i will add one more thing, to fire those clients who take all family with them to purchase a house, with many different opinions you will never find the right home for them... It is my bad experience.

Great post, and now I am so fired up that I am about to go fire two of my sellers that have been wasting my time by not taking care of their own real estate investment, and causing embarrassment for me by having it on the market. Thank you so much.

What a great post. In today's market many agents may be afraid to fire clients. It is something that has to be done from time to time and is never an easy choice.

I fired my niece! I worried that my sister would be mad but after explaining that her daughter was listening to everyone but her agent and refused to lower her price when after comp after comp said to lower it not mention agents I just let the listing expire and walked away liberated!

Great post. This is true on the mortgage side also. This is an absolute must have option with your business especially if you have a super high maintenance client who is unable to make a decision and still continues to speak with other companies soliciting offers from them as well. At the end of the day, you could have wasted a lot of time and energy on one client, passed on other business and either not close this client or close them with neglecting the "P" word. Profit.

I'll compare this to a car shopper walking into a dealership and looking to test drive a hatchback, a minivan and an SUV, then there plans are to go to another dealer and do the same thing. Where is the selection, the relationship and the commitment?

My comment assumes that the rep involved in these situations is honest, looks out for their clients and makes a fair deal.

Great blog post. thank you!

I used to fire clients like those. Now, I just don't accept them. I can find better ways to waste my time. The wisdom comes in being able to identify them early.

Since we are running a business, it's definately the way to go. There are folks you can work with and some you can't. I know I am a lot happier as a Realtor to have clients I can work with.

Excellent post. It doesn't have to be a total loss. You can always refer them to someone else who feels like wasting their time! :-)

I agree, when the relationship goes bad it is time to severe the relationship.

I'm about ready to fire a client that has an accepted offer on a property because they are doing 4 of those 5 things thingsSince the offer has been accepted, I' being shouted at because the inspection went bad (but everything is correctable at a reasonable price), they are turning all the words I said & emailed upside down, the proprety management has been non responsive and blaming me for 'selling them' this defective home and more. They aren't taking me seriously, because I'm in my mid 20s but look 16, though I know a ton of stuff & I even had my manager call them. If they don't go through with this property, I don't want to work with them anymore.

Great post. There are some folks who are such an energy drain, that is just doesn't pay to do business with them. Better to let them go and reserve your time and efforts on those buyers and sellers who have their goal in focus.

This was an excellent blog post. I guess if I had to add one point that would be a good one would be "Follow your gut". You know that strange feeling you get when you meet a client for the first time? Well, this is a red flag. If that gut feeling remains to the end of your first meeting, I would caution further engagement into the project. But, to be fair, you should at least allow a second meeting. If the feeling is still there, chances are it is a red flag that you should definitely listen to. All too often, we are eager for the business and feel that we can adjust or just raise our margin to cover the additional sweat equity that will be required to work through the process with that person. But, often what is added does not compensate fully. Further, you may be dealing with a client now who enjoys and flourishes in a situation like this and also enjoys lawsuits. In the end, will is all be worth it? Probably not.

Thanks, Larry! Thought-provoking.

Amy Good, Lancaster County Timber Frames (www.lancotf.com)

I'd add Nibblers to the list. I have a client who just nibbles and nibbles, wanting me to do just one more thing that is not covered in our leasing agreement. It's been impossible for me to say no to that one more thing, but I finally realized my hourly rate has become laughable. I've put up with it for too long.

FIRED!

Cheers,

Robin

I know what I know and if they...buyer or seller doesn't know what they don't know and doesn't respect what I know...it's Ciao Baby !

Sometimes it better to cut our losses and move on to the next client.

Great post. I would add two more reasons. I have fired clients for these two reasons and regretted not firing them in other cases:

1. An antisocial (antagonistic, apathetic, or cynical, sneaky or plain evil) personality. There are various ways to spot these:

(a) If I get sick, come down with a cold, pull my back, etc. (which is very unusual in my life so I suspect one of these personalities in my environment immediately)
(b) I notice I hate calling, writing to the client because I know every time I am in contact with them, I feel worse afterwards, my mood worsens, etc.
(c) I am doing an incredible job for the client as usual, and he/she accuses me of messing up and threatens to sue me, the title agent, the mortgage broker, the seller. Common denominator: these type of people always claim to have some big shot attorney and they all seem to claim they know everything about real estate when in fact they are clueless.

2. Somebody who is a magnet for trouble. The way to recognize these:

They just got robbed, then the house burnt down, then the husband beat her up, then she got into a car crash, lost her cell phone for the third time in a month, then slipped on a banana, all in the last month.
I have helped such people early on. Working with people like this becomes a full time job, not leaving you any time for any other client, and in the end they don't close on the property despite all your efforts, because they loose their job in the last second, or buy a $40K car or boat the day before closing, or they end up in a hospital, or change their mind in the last minute for no good reason.

Good post, good comments

These are all spot-on causes for big problems in a customer relationship... but I don't drop someone the first time I notice one of these things happening.

There are usually causes for each of the customer's issues, and if I can talk to the customer openly about the issue I can often help them work through it and decide on a direction that is best for them.

If we can't get them past their issue then I can't help them, but I always try to help them get past their issue first.

For example - I have noticed that when a customer is indecisive (changes what they want after I find the perfect match for them) they are having issues with buying a house. Either they are having marriage problems, work problems, financial problems, etc. etc. They are not being honest with me, and they are probably not being honest with themselves either.

More than once I have talked to the customer about their indecision and they decided to wait until their personal problems resolved, but in a year or two when they were ready to look for a house again guess who they called?

I had become someone who cared about THEM, not just the sale, I became a trusted advisor and often a friend.

Maybe even fired before they become clients. Like the seller with unrealistic expectations or the buyer who says "oh yes, I'm working with several Realtors".Bye Bye

I fired a client this week for all of the above reasons and a few more. The total loss in commissions was $18K - but at least I have my life back!

I agree with Amy Good- when you suspect or find out that your buyer is "shopping around" with other agents, give them one more chance and have the talk with them one more time. (assuming you've already attempted to explain to them why they should work with ONE agent). Tell them the next time you show them any homes they'll need to sign a buyer broker agreement. It sifts out the ones who don't respect your time and expertise. Remember, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck...you know the rest!

If everytime you see their number on caller ID you feel sick, it's time for them to go!

Unfortunately, this is a lesson we each have to learn the hard way, through experience. It's tough to fire that difficult client when you only have a small number that are 'active'. Eventually, though, your position becomes more secure, you read good advice like this, and something clicks.

I find that a lot with rental clients. I had one that would only sign a one week agreement. I saw this coming-once he said he would only sign a one week agreement. We showed up at a listing that the listing agent had to accompany and he knew her. (I am guessing he was out with her the prior week). I kept in touch with him, then he disappeared, so I left a few messages asking him to "let me know if you find anything, so I can stop searching". Finally he called to say that he did in fact find something and thanked me for my time (about 20 hrs work of Charity work as I like to call it). I learned from that experience. Sometimes you just have to let people go, clients that are not loyal are going to let you go, so if you feel it is not going to work out why not cut to the chase? With every client that doesn't work out there are two or three more that do. Good luck everyone! Let's get out there and meet more realistic clients! :)

MAY I suggest DON'T FIRE THEM...REFER THEM !! Yes the result is like firing, but you could get paid too. How nice is that? Get paid for not being able to work with someone. We are all different. Try to match them with an agent you know or give them back to your broker. Let the broker assign them a new agent. After all, they are really the Broker's customer, RIGHT?

Great post...I'm actually firing a client this morning so your post was very timely! While I always try my best to work out any issue that comes up, there are times when it's really best for everyone to just go their separate ways. In this particular instance I have a seller whom I'm firing, although I've fired buyers as well. This particular seller has earned the distinction of being "fired" simply due to not following directions, not listening, and basically not going along with the plan we've determined is the best course of action. Even though we've repeatedly made adjustments to listing price and our marketing plan for his property he simply is not accepting that I do not have several buyers waiting around to buy his land.

Even though we have agreed on weekly updates, he calls three or four times a day. Even though he was aware I was going to be unavailable yesterday due to my being on a plane most of the day, when I landed I had 17 voicemails from him...the list goes on and on. After yesterday my patience with this seller has run out and this morning I'm meeting with him to release his listing.

Some of the best luck I've had comes from clients I've "lost" (purposely in these cases) - I learned early on with a couple who put in two successful offers on homes and then turned around and backed out of both while they were still conditional that a bad client can and is often worse for your business than no client. That same couple, many years later, is still renting - and if they ever buy, it won't be through me!

I'm learning and learning...it is so important to identify these customers beforehand and if not, as early as possible in the relationship and deal with it. I have found that fear of confrontation can be the biggest problem. However after confronting "problematic" customers, for a variety of reasons, more often then not, they become the best customers. It's so important to let them know how you do business which may not be how they think or want you to do business. Get this on the table early, earn their respect or head for the door!

What an excellent, concise article on the importance of saying "no" to some people. We do this as a living, not a hobby. The more you are bale to pick and choose your clients, the more likely you are using your time in a productive manner-and have the opportunity to make money, which is what we are supposed to do.

Excellent post! Thank you! I'd love to share this with prospective clients.

6. Not the decision maker. i.e spouse whose spouse vetoes their choices or a child looking for an elderly parent who ain't going nowhere . . . or a buyer for another with no POA

Barb Mihalik (Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty, Wilmington, NC)

The great thing about having your own business is deciding who you will and will not work with. That is not a luxury you have unless you're self employed. I learned that during my many years in sales in corporate America. I'm learning quickly about clients who are indecisive, evasive and have unrealistic expectations of their agent. All I have to sell really is my time and expertise. If a client wants what I'm offering, great. If not, we can part company.

Well said.....and it is quite empowering. When you reach this point in your real estate business, you will re-charge your business.

I love this article. Although I know in this market any client is better than no client but sometimes I ask myself is it worth it. My sanity is at stake.

Thanks for writing this gives me some good advice

Great subject & post! An important subject, since there are more people than ever armed with unrealistic expectations for the last couple years.

How about some exchange of stories about methods of firing a client. Do some of you manage the break-up in such a way as the client thought they were leaving you for another down the road? Or, would you rather they hear the reasoning straight up like delivered by The Donald on TV?

Pretty much everyone posting has the social skills to know there is no reward in leaving with sour grapes or inflicting damaged feelings. What are your best tricks for a graceful exit strategy?

Rgher Watland (River City Mortgage & Financial)

Great article and resources. I fired a client because they had major trust issues and emotional problems from a divorce. I can not work with people that I don't trust. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, that's me. I very nicely direct them to someone else.

Just as I don't want everyone I come across to be my friend, I don't necessarily want everyone to be my client either.

1) Putting in offers $40,000 below list price because they "know that someone will accept this offer".

2) Putting in offers $40,000 below list price on 4 different homes and then demanding too keep seeing homes for more offers, every few days. Oh, and then backing out of these 4 offers all at one time, days after placing them.

3) Never understand that the one offer that was accepted, was accepted by the seller, not the lender - since it was the only offer received and the home was destined for foreclosure.

4) Never listening to advice about the comps and what is an appropriate price for the home, but just knowing "that someone will accept this offer"

3 weeks, 4 offers - Bye-Bye

Well said. All to often other "advisors" get involved, most with good intentions but not enough experience or expertise.

Matt

Hi Larry,

Have never really thought about firing clients once I have them, although I have chosen not to work with several because the "chemistry" wasn't what I was looking for.

We have 2 clients who are combining "perfection obsession" and "indecision" in their purchase.

Maybe it's time to......

Mark Donovan

Vancouver, BC

The first time I fired a client they had committed all 5 of these excellent points- and I had only talked to her on the phone!! Thank heavens I hadn't wasted anymore time driving her all over the state looking for that perfect house.

Firing her was a very empowering move, and my business has only gone up since I learned not to waste my time on people who were a waste of time!

What a great post! It took me a long time to learn that I was hurting my business not helping it by not giving up on a client I knew I needed to let loose. I thought it was a failure on my part by not getting the sale. I've learned that there are folks who completely understand and respect the hard work we do and their are folks who have no clue and no respect for our time and knowledge.

The first client I had ever fired was someone I had worked with for months and months, had actually written a contract for a great deal on a waterfront home, he was getting it for 1/2 of the "appraised" value! Found out the roof would need replaced in 3-5 years in the home inspection and he backed out. I then found out he was working with several other Realtors and asked him to sign a buyers agency agreement which he said he would only sign for the specific adress I was showing him that day, I took my buyers agency agreement back from him and told him to call someone else to show him houses! Wow that felt so great!!

It does take time and experience to learn some "valuable" lessons in Real Estate like everything else in life, but when that light bulb finally goes off, it's a great feeling!

I am greatful for all the truly "great" clients I do have who understand and respect what I do and I focus all my time and energy on them!

Have a great weekend everyone!

I especially agree with one of the comments about shopping around with different agents. That is a sure way for me to fire you! I explain to the buyers that you wouldn't have 4 painters come with paint to your home and expect only one (after painting) to get paid. Same thing in our business. Simply talking it out seems to help most of the time. I think that most buyers get frustrated when they can't find the exact home they want and think maybe another agent might have some different inventory. Once you explain that we are all working from the MLS that certainly helps.

Larry, Oh my god, is there only 5 reasons. It seems I've experienced much, much more :)

You are sooo right !!! I had client that every time we found that "perfect home" she changed her mind and wanted to start looking again, until I end the struggle and fired her.

I do not take listings from those not motivated and expect to receive what the neighbor sold for 2 years ago. Someone will take the listing and months later they come back to the one that was honest. Sadly, that has been at an even lower price. A customer can get a pre-approval in an hour so there is no reason to take them 'looking' until they produce the letter.

Morning Larry, I've only fired a few ( I'm easy to get along with or abuse ) but it seems like it takes a more confident agent to reach that decision !

Perfect timing for your blog. I have never fired a client before but, just today, have been contemplating taking this action. Because of a lack of communication with my client, I am sensing that the client is not serious about selling the property, but rather using me, for his own purpose. Your blog, along with all of the supporting comments you received, made me feel like I wasn't crazy to be contemplating taking this action. Thank you for writing this.

All you need is faith and confidence that when you double pad lock that door another 5 will open.

I have been 26 years in my own business and have recently joined with a true friend in his real estate firm. This is a new career to me and I find your rules to be similar to best practices in all business. Thank you for taking the time to share.

Thanks so much for your post. Dropping a client is a difficult decision. Sometimes we allow them to drain most of our energy before we make the deferred decision. If they do not trust you or will not be loyal, it is best to move on.

Excellent post larry!

Every Realtor looking to grow their business should post a copy of this where it can be readily viewed everyday. Not every Buyer, is qualified, interested, honest, and forthright, and our time and expertise is too valueable to squander. Move on to the next Prospect. be trustworthy, candid, well informed, and do your homework, and you will grow and prosper as a Real estate Professional.

Great post! I think at least several times a week I ask an agent, are you sure that you want to work with this client?

The only thing I would disagree with what I saw so far in the comments above is the notion that an agent should be secure in their business before firing someone. Keeping someone around who is never going to buy, or is a time sucker or doesn't take your advice is an easy way to never become secure in your business. You spend so much time working with the unsellable client that you miss many other opportunities. I would rather let a seller/buyer go and spend that time finding another one who will take my advice and is motivated.

Of course, the same can be applied to unmotivated agents, but that's another post! =)

I fired my first client I ever had - a cash buyer in the $250K price range because after over 50 properties shown, everything she liked her children didn't. The children were not going to live with her and ultimately had a different opinion of what she should buy. After that became clear, I told her I couldn't continue to find her properties that were going to match everyones ideas. She did come back and buy from me without telling her children until we closed on the property.

Great post definitely worthy of a re-blog! I would also add any client who clearly demonstrates a need to discriminate or makes discriminatory remarks. Yeah, I have had it happen. FIRED!

OMGosh, I think you wrote this post just for me. . . I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has experienced this. I just had to "fire" a client/friend. . . He was making me insane with talking to "everyone he knows". Your numbers 1-4 describe him to a "T". . . I did my best, but I guess my best wasn't good enough (for him). . . like the Air Supply song - LOL I really wanted to help him but ultimately, he was taking me away from other deals and he was costing me time and $$$$, so I was very diplomatic and let him go gently. . . Thanks for the post.

Firing a client. Wow Larry, thanks. Way to go. And look at all the wopnderful responses you just got over this topic.

In real estate marketing, we too have our share of hot headed clients that probably need to be fired.

I am not an active REALTOR. But like all REALTORS, we have clients. We have more than 240,000 REALTORS, banks, high net worth investors in the US, Canada and several countries subscribed to Kayyah.com and Voyager360.com services now. I never talk or see 99% of them. Like TopProducer clients who subscribe to their version 8i software, we're pretty much the same in that regard.

As a real estate coach, and the Chief Marketing Officer at Voyager, I personally work with about 17 - 20 clients a month. And I pick up two new clients on average a month, too. As I complete the work for our clients, we then have a support team that does the website changes, SEO work, some offer support one on one for camera training, how to post tours to Realtor.com, etc.

I have two Canadian customers that are jut complete hot heads. Nothing we do seems to make them happy. Both of them are knee-jerk, short fused individuals and we are operating within the scope of work, and delivering what we said when we promised.

However, one Canadian that we fired was simply due to constant negative coments. "Why don't you do your job..." and the next day, "wow this works great thanks for taking the extra time to do that. Give Anthony my thanks..."

The Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde situation here was a never ending roller coaster of ups and down.

We were told in advance, by the customer himself, that he WAS going to be a problem client. I work with a lot of hot headed REALTORS, most of them were upset they were lied to by some over promising SEO bozo, or over promising garage based firm that never delivered. For this one client, it was like the Prozac truck never showed up for this poor guy on some days.

Book keeping shows we are OVER $1,090 in extra time for the client and we had already delivered what the client paid for.

After the client refused to follow some simple Voyager Help Desk procedures (a place where he can register and we can get SIGN off on tasks he needs done by closing a ticket on line) we knew the client was just being deliberately belligerent and we packed up his website on 2 CDs and sent them off along with a kind but firm TERMINATION letter.

We wrote off the extra $1,090 and the client to this day, is still a hot head. Our attorneys are in the process of filing a restraining order against him because of his temper tantrums now defamation of character and libel. Which means it gets ugly and expensive here for both parties.

Our staff meeting this week was somber and our CEO brought up the fact that we have an A+ rating with the BBB and in fact, we have six complimentary, non solicited notes of praise on file with TrustLink -- a new service offered by the BBB.

In 12 years of operation, and having served over 220,000 customers, only 3 complaints were EVER filed on us in 3 years. And all of them dismissed in our favor.

Doe anyone else out there ever had a client melt down like this?

- bart

Larry,

I've been declining listings since January that I KNEW would be nothing but grief and aggrevation! Someone else can sit and be frustrated-not me!

Kathy Opatka

What happens when you know you need to terminate the relationship, (client guilty of all points), but 1. because it is a family member & you fear for them making a huge mistake, 2. You cannot refer them out because you again fear that because of their "quirks" someone else will walk away from them, 3. You are constantly pulled into one form of miscommunication after another, 4. They tell you repeatedly they don't trust anyone, ask you a question & then tell you what someone with not even 1/8 of your experience knows! Yes, I know I should have walked away a long time ago, say 9 months?, but you see, I do love this family member, I just don't like their condescending attitudes, they think I do not see the rolling of the eyes, the switching of the headset when one does not like I what I am telling them, disrespect of myself and everyone else that has worked very hard for them. To everyone out there, you need to walk the moment your gut tells you to.... DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE give yourself any excuses, You will loose out in the end, and unfortunately the relationship will deterioate til their is nothing left. Thank you for allowing me to vent.

Really good and important post and great responses. It took me years to realize that it was not only ok to fire some people, it was absolutely necessary. I also agree that when all avenues have been exhausted with a customer or client and it's still not going well, perhaps it's not a good match. On top of my list would be sellers who don't tell the truth or hide things from me that they shouldn't. That's a no-starter. But first I always look to myself, and make sure I really have listened to the customer/client and been responsive and have done everything reasonable that I should have.

Great post and comments! Sorry I'm late, but I was wondering something else....Are their incentives in Canada for first time buyers to enter the market, as is the US?

Personally, I've met buyers who are unrealistic, don't believe what they are seeing, and I just sit them down at the computer!

All good reasons. Firing a client is an option I hate, but something I need to learn today. Some that I need to learn to fire I actually like.

Right On Larry.

You hit the nail dead centered. When the train bogs you down due to dead weight get rid of it.

Same goes for property management for those of you covering that field. There are those who appreciate a little effort and good service and there are those who regardless of how much you do to accomodate your efforts will never be enough. I had to fire a current property owner as they constantly dictated on how I should run my business. Yes the know it all.

Remember, time is money, don't waste your good service, employ it where it will produce for you. Let the dead beat go it's time to dance to a new song.

Very timely post. I just did this this week. It was very necessary, not fun at all but had to be done.

Larry - Roger Watland asked about how to fire a client, maybe that should be your next post. For me, it's really tough to fire someone and I do cut them some slack and give them more than enough chances to staighten up.

For me, I call that conversation (the firing conversation) my "come to Jesus" meeting. This is where I lay out all the issues with our relationship as politely and diplomatically as possible (I find myself taking a lot of deep breaths). I explain that this is not a healthy relationship for either one of us and that we would both be happier and better off working with someone else.

I just had this conversation last week with a referral partner (a Realtor). This was not the first time I had this conversation with her and afterwards, she apologized for her latest tantrum, which she did the other times as well. However, this time I knew better. We currently have a mutual client we're in escrow with (who is also a pain in the @$$ - just like her) and I told her after this one closes, she needs to find another lender to work with.

It's such a relief to be able to do that and with no regrets either. Difficult clients, whether they be buyers, sellers or referral partners are such a drain on our state of mind as well as our time. Letting them go is not only good for our businesses but also for our mental and emotional well being too.

On another note, to comment #69, the person who didn't leave a name, it's obvious that you don't know or have worked with any really competent professionals in the real estate and/or mortgage industry. Your loss because we're all over the place.

As a college-educated professional with nearly eight years in the mortgage loan industry, one of the best ways to improve my level of service to my clients is to get rid of the people who don't want, respect or deserve my time, energy, efforts and experience. By removing these individuals from my business, I have more time and energy to devote to the clients who truly do want, respect and deserve what I have to offer.

Hi Larry,

Great post. I fire clients when I need to for many and more of the reasons you stated. If I don't trust my clients and if my clients are not loyal and have no consideration for my time..... Boom they are gone. There are about 300 agents in our small town and I figure they can hook up with someone else. I am good at my job and my time is valuable period.

Thanks

Kelly

In response to post #69. Post sure sounds like it originated from an "elitist". I have no idea just how a college education is going to make someone better at selling real estate. I attended college and I can't recall one course that would have helped me. Everything I have learned about sales came through self-education by attending sales courses and reading books. This has served me well over the past 30 years in real estate. That had to be one of the more disgusting posts I have ever read and could not help but notice the sender did not put his or her name to it.

Jim Brown, Slidell, Louisiana

Great post. I've always believed that the time you waste on some clients is not worthwhile. I would rather spend the time on a deserving client. Good reasons for firing and I've used all of them.

Harriet,

Tell your loved one that you love them, but find someone else. You do not need to give up your family love for their business. It won't be easy, but it will be best.

Wonderful post!!! And so true. I have fired clients and/or myself in the past. I believe there are some current clients of ours that need to be fired. Thanks again for the post.

The LA mega agent Peter Lorimer (guy made $365000 in the month of June) has this great rule-If you take them out three times and they don't write an offer, they're fired. Works for me!

I just fired a buyer. Sounds crazy in this market but he had an unrealistic expectation of what he could purchase foreclosed properties for. He wanted to offer 50% of the list price and ask for the seller to pay his closing costs. I shared statistics with him that showed that in our area, foreclosures are selling for about 95% of the list price but he kept insisting that he could do better. I referred him to another broker. If he's right, I'll get a referral fee (not holding my breath).

Great thought. If we used our intuition and trusted more, we'd probably fire a whole lot of our clients. Just because the market is soft is no reason to maintain relationships with folks who are unrealistic on either the buyer or seller side of things.

I hear stories from other agents here in Hawaii of the "prospective buyers" who use them for free tours of the Big Island under the pretext of looking at homes. I qualify well enough that it doesn't happen to me. The two buyers I've fired this month were both living here, so that wasn't the issue. Their particular form of disrespect was to start listening to friends, listening to agents who were friends of a friend from another part of the island, and then refuse to sign a buyer's rep agreement when I suggested that either we have a committed relationship or they could continue to play the field without me.

What a relief!

Perfect timing for this post. Just because it is a "buyer's market" doesn't mean they have a license to disrepect.

Wow, this is terrific, I've been asking myself a lot lately, "How am I going to eliminate my non productive clients? How am I going to chose who to eliminate?" I know I have way too many clients, many of them have not responded to my emails in months or even in years but once in a while one of them comes back out of the woodwork and makes contact. From now on I'm cutting them off after 6 months of no contact and Firing them if they won't be reasonable with their definition of "perfect"!

Right on! As a home stager I deal with this all the time. If a client doesn't know what they want and don't follow my advice then I will not waste my time. Time is money in my world! I don't fire them I just don't agree to stage their home in the first place, given they show their true personalities from the get go. Love your post!!!!!

Larry... Another reason why *I WOULD* fire a client is when they say they qualify for a mortgage... but in reality.. they can't even afford a doghouse.

Larry,

This is a great article. When a seller asks the question: How long do I have on my contract or Can I take the home off the market to refinance?

I start moving valuable resources such as advertising dollars and my time to serious sellers.

Good Selling!

OH firing a client.. I have had a few. Just recently getting rid of her and her mother. Mom wanted a house but didn't want to get pre-qualifed so tagged along with the daughter to look at homes. Always telling me that she was getting her financing in order. The daughter never satisfied with what I showed her. I took her to the neighborhoods she wanted and she would say her boyfriend didn't like the house. Then look on her own elsewhere, even after telling me that the neighborhood was wrong and it was too far away. The final straw came when I was running late to show her a house and let her know by calling to say I was going to be 10 minutes late and on my way, only to have her tell me she and her mother broke in to see it. I was done.

Sometimes it makes more sense to turn a client over to a fellow agent than to simply fire them outright. The new agent may get through to them where you have not been successful and you can collect a referral fee.

Wow, what timing. I just had this situation with a client that had too high of expectations and contradicted his instructions to me so he thought I was not doing enough for him. Thanks for the reminder that you can't help everyone.

I just finished closing a transaction with a client that I tried to fire and they kept calling me back. Things were slow and I decided to continue with them. Well it was ugly the whole way through down to the signing at the title company, the escrow officer told me after they left that she could not believe how rude they were. I was too easy on these folks so my advice is as soon as it goes sour.....cut them loose.

Great list - It is totally applicable to property management client also!!

My #1 is finding the perfect house in the perfect location, hello!!!! I tell my buyers who are hung up on this to look for a new construction where they have the ability to pick & choose the features they want. The reality is that they are all looking for foreclosed deals, then what do they expect, I love it! Our job is not an easy one, especially in this market, where it takes buyers a while to realize the reality of the market and then teach them to cope with it.

Wow...what a response.

I certainly did not anticipate either the quantity or the quality of the response.

Thanks to every one who took the time to comment...even the two people who seized the opportunity to air some beefs about real estate agents. Don't look for these comments...I just deleted them.

While I have no problem with people who do not agree with my ideas, I do take issue with those people who use my blog as a platform for their own issues.

If some own wants to add their comments to blog...by all means do it.

If however some one wants to use my blog to sound off on their own pet peeves...don't bother. If you feel so strongly about the issue...write your blog.

This is so true! I am firm believer that we teach people how to treat us and putting up with bad clients not only zaps our energy but takes up valuable time we may have had for a different client! My most recent client I fired was so adversarial and confused about what she wanted it was impossible to represent her!

When I fire a client, its usually #3. They are not listening to what I say is needed to close or the time frame needed thsese days. Some people think its 2005 still.

Excellent post BTW. Even if you have only one client (god forbid) if your not getting along for the above mentioned reasons, get a new one! Either buyer or seller, you should always feel free to fire them. I just talked with a seller I knew I wouldn't be able to work with because he just never let ME talk. He talked about the past real estate market, his bad X-agent from years ago. I could never talk about what was happening NOW with his house. When I got home I called and said 'you need to have someone else represent you because you'll never give me the chance to present what I CAN DO FOR YOU in this market'. Jaberwocki. Next please.

And, thus, I fired my client today. What a surprise to him!

Thanks for the great post. You supported every reason why I felt the firing was necessary, and it was well worth the read. I feel vindicated.

Thank you Larry for putting the list out there for all of us to use. I also have few clients that match almost all of the above criteria and are consuming lots of time and energy and I guess it is time to fire them now.

This is a very important point to keep in mind at all times. Many more Agents should be firing many more clients and customers. I believe not doing this has in part lost the Realty community a certain degree of respect from the public. Of course, many Agents may not be doing as well as they like, so they hold on to clients and customers who will only make their lives miserable, and in the end go to another Agent.

If you don't think the client who beats you up on your commission is going to be any less a pain going forward you are wrong. Why? Because they will think, if you can't hold your own on your own fee, then how well are you going to be protecting my interest in the transaction? There has to be an "Alpha" in the transaction. You are supposed to be the expert. Folks may think they can do you jobs, you have to let them know, they cannot!

In New York, "wimps" do not get a break; you better have on your game face!

I just fired a buyer for getting upset with me after they were outbid on a home. Despite my recommendations about what price they should bid for a legitamate chance at securing the contract, they decided they knew best. This was the third time they were outbid.

At that point, I terminated our buyer agency agreement.

Wonderful Blog! I for one agree that there are times where you just can't satisfy a client no matter how hard you try while they're throwing eveything at you to think otherwise. However, Larry you're also correct to say that the market is tight. So, each client is an opportunity to do the job we wanted to do. In any form of service oriented business there are always those "customers" who just seem to get up on the wrong side of the bed day in and day out. But, we also have our share of wonderful clients where everything is perfect and they seem to be THE best clients we've ever serviced. We need to be challenged within our profession each and every day. It's what separates the good realtors from the not-so-good ones.

However, at the end of the day, if you've exhausted every avenue of niceties and down right kindness and you still can't find a single layer of hope in that difficult client, then by all means cut your ties and move on to someone who will appreciate your help. I've actually cut ties with two clients because everything I did for them never seemed like it was enough. And, I did give them the benefit of the doubt from the beginning, as I'm sure we all do initially. But I draw the line on being disrespectful. When these clients began being mean and rude and questioned my work ethics, I simply inform them that I no longer feel my services are being appreciated and at that point I sever my association wishing them all the best with their next agent.

I know this may sound like I'm sugar-coating the communications but I wholeheartedly believe that word of mouth advertising is detrimental to our business. If we just rub the right person the wrong way, we could hurt ourselves and make our jobs all that much harder to secure prospective clients. Plus, we usually never know who these difficult clients may know outside of their office so again, be very careful to which bridges you want to burn. Funny, but when you think about it...it's easier to complain about someone than it is to praise them. How many people you know will effortlessly write up a complaint letter about the bad services they got but rarely put in that same effort to write something nice?

Pick and choose your battles wisely.

Larry,

Very well written! I enjoyed reading this post and the comments you have received.

Gerry's AR signature

What a relief!!! Excellent post, definitely a good information, good pointers, more please....

This action might sound negative, but go ahead if you feel this is a mutual benefit for you and your client, why not, Do it!!!

Charrie Trias prudential CA Realty

Like most Realtors, I've declined to list when the seller refused my advice, and refused to continue to show properties to buyers who were really browsers.

My mantra in ALL things -- personal and professional -- is GO WHERE YOU'RE CELEBRATED, NOT WHERE YOUR TOLERATED.

Sometimes, I've even inserted this into a conversation with a client.... and that's often all the "heads up" they need.

Earlier this month, I posted a Blog on just this topic http://activerain.com/blogsview/1145950/i-fired-a-client-last-night

I don't understand why so many agents seem to think it's OK to be abused. If we are professionals we deserve to be treated as such.

I just refused a referral from a very nice agent because the listing client sent me an email telling me that it would be a 60 day listing at such and such a price, etc., etc. I politely emailed the referring agent and said I would not be able to help her client.

Excellent advice, Larry. Plus I also like some of the other reasons offered here for firing a client. Agents and other professionals have only so many hours in a day and only so much energy. It's a 2-way street. If both sides can't respect each other, then there's no point in going on.

I fired a seller once because their attorney was famous for dragging his feet. They were shocked and found out the hard way when a full price offer walked away because he never got the deal out of attorney review. - He was a friend of their family.. Not anymore..

I walked away from my 1st listing because the client did not want to deal with the fact that her condo was going to be a short sale and I felt she was being duplicitous with me. I just couldn't get a straight answer as to what she owed. In the end, I was right not to take the listing because the market didn't support the price she needed to walk away clean & still pay the agents for their hard work.

Larry!

I was in the real estate business only 2 months when I fired a client for walking into a new build without me. Unfortunately I did not have a 'buyer-broker' agreement at the time, and I had showed them over 50 homes.

Turns out, they ad no negotiating skills and called me to come in and negotiate the new build...hello? They even made an appointment for me with the builder. It was extremely liberating for me to say "You need to find another realtor, I am not interested!"

I use to be quick to get clients to sign the Representation Agreement, but not anymore. I wait to see how demanding and realistic their requests are.

Great words of wisdom! It's ironic that this blog hit me this morning, just right after I had those same thoughts about firing an unrealistic seller. We have found that it's always best to cut them loose for any or all of the same reasons you mentioned. Thanks for sharing the great advice.

Larry

Great Blog! I fired a seller two months ago for sending a relative to spy on me while doing a open house. They called me the next day to let me know I didn't mention the laundry shoot and so on and so on. I replied YOU FIRED! BYE BYE NOW Pulled my sign out within five minutes. My broker agreed and released them to move on.

You make me feel so much better!! I always think it's "me" when things don't work out with a client. I'm close to firin a buyer now. Talk about miscommunication. He is a different nationality and that was a great excuse the first few times... but now it's just plain rude!

Here is my story. As I was driving over to get a price reduction I had made up my mind since the sellers told me over and over for the past few months they would reduce the price that if they didn't reduce the price $10,000 I was going to give the listing back after 9 months on the market. The house they wanted to buy had just dropped $100,000 and I was asking for $10,000 reduction. When I drove up I saw 2 new cars. That was a clue. I went in and we talked and the seller said he would only consider a $2,000 reduction and I mentioned the $100,000 reduction on their dream house and he said he was not going to give his house away. It would have sold last year. Since then the house has dropped another $40,000 since last year. Glad to be rid of them.

Our Time Is Money if the client is waiting our time than we have no option. Good Post.

Brampton Real Estate

AUG

2009

Nothin wrong with a litttle reverse psychology either. I've actually fired clients just to get them back in line. If they cop a tude that rubs me the wrong way or I see that they're going to be difficult I turn it right back on them without any hesitation. If you're good and confidant at what you do your client will hone in on that almost immediately and will usually treat you accordingly. But if they sense weakness or frailty they'll have you for lunch. I learned from a very wise old pro once (my Grandfather) that you must always control your deal. Never let your deal control you. Once you've lost control it's a done deal but no longer your deal. I'm not suggesting to cop a tude of your own by being cocky or arrogant but experience and knowledge breeds confidance and your client will be drawn to you because of it.

Being an ABR i have been trained ot watch out BUT still have a hard time with firing the client. Ususally refer the business to an agent I am mentoring. Puts the agent through their paces but everybody learns something and I am not wasting MY time!

Low ballers be GONE!

Ideally we should be putting our focus and marketing dollars to attract as many of the ready, willing and able as possible. Having more to choose from will always make those "firing" decisions more palatable. And always be prepared for the backlash...no one likes to be told "no". Sometimes it's okay to make it seem like it's their idea if it'll make them go quietly...but never do that without making sure your points are accounted for. You may be their first professional experience and it might take another before they see the light of day. We're all human...

I too fired a Seller last week. 4 of the 5 reasons. We always have to remind ourselves, opportunity is everywhere. No sense in spinning wheels with a Seller who won't cooperate, but it still can be hard to let it go. Especially when all of a sudden we start getting calls on the property!

Hold on! Not so fast.

I'm not meaning to be contentious, but merely in the spirit of looking at the other side of the coin, and in an effort to hang on to business as long as I can, let me offer the following:

1. Trying to find the perfect property or time to sell isn't in an of itself a reason to fire a client, IMHO.

Is the buyer really motivated to buy, or is the seller really motivated to sell? If so, I think a savvy broker can educate the client and should be able to help them make an informed decision that's good for the client, but the broker must be patient.

At each turn, the broker must determine the dominant motivator, and should be able to uncover what's really motivating the client. Once the dominant motivator is uncovered, the broker can steer the process in that direction, and suddenly things that were previously objectionable, become non-issues.

2. Lack of trust? If a client has given me reason to distrust them, then yes, by all means I need to sever the agency relationship. On the other hand, I must EARN the trust of my client. If I can't, they will probably fire me before I can fire them.

3. Good brokers live and die by communication. If the client speaks a language I don't understand, then I should refer then to someone proficient in their language. Otherwise, I should be able to listen and watch, and close the communication gap.

A good salesperson must be skilled in the art of non-verbal communication, which often says as much as the spoken word.

4. This drives me nuts more than anything. The client contacts an "expert" who disputes and unravels all I've done.

For me, that's not necessarily a reason to fire the client. If I've done my homework properly, and I'm right, it's usually very easy to point out where the expert is wrong.

The best technique for this is what I call the, "Dumb is Smart" negotiating technique. It goes something like this: "Help me understand, Mr. Seller, how your accountant/banker/lawyer/brother-in-law/uncle/know it all neighbor came to this conclusion. Please let me compare the comparable sold homes, active listings, days on market and overall MLS trends he used to make this determination to mine. I suppose it's possible he/she/it is correct, but I've put considerable time studying this market in order to price your home correctly. I have over 23 years experience in this market, and I'm interested to see how our numbers differ". Usually, the client can't produce any hard evidence from the "expert", and the objection falls by the wayside. The same technique can be used with buyers.

5. This one is tough. I think it falls back to the dominant motivator. Why did they contact me? There must be something in their thinking that says they want to buy or sell. If I can unlock it, I can help them make a decision that's good for them. Again, I have to look at the unspoken, as well as spoken language through the process.

I must also be able to close, and look for closing signals. If I miss them, then yes, the buyer/seller will be confused and frustrated, and so will I, and neither of us will understand why.

In closing, let me way I love a challenge, and I love to have fun in this business. When I encounter the above, I lik to make it a game to overcome the objection, challenge, expert, whatever it is so that I can help the client make a decision that's good for them. In the long run, that's what it's all about, and if I can make a friend in the process, I've had a pretty good day!

Marty Jones, CRS CRB
Broker/Owner
RE/MAX Summit Properties
Cashiers, North Carolina

Great points, also lack of communication. I once had a client who would refuse to talk to me when we had an offer so we were unable to respond. It was very frustrating.

Let us not forget our safety as a reason. I had a client a few years back that I fired immediately. I have systems in place to meet clients prior to a showing, but 'made an exception' for an investor that was 'too busy' to meet with me at the office. After showing two homes to him (thankfully, sellers were home at the first and the other had other agents showing) I fired him. My gut was screaming and red flags were waving ALL over the place. I've never before or since been so afraid of a client. I honestly believe I had angels watching over me that day. Had we been alone in the homes, I believe this man would have hurt me, if not worse. Had I met him AT the office first, I would not have left with him. Any client that doesn't respect your systems and rules from the start, is NOT worth our time. I am ever indebted to the other agents at the second home that did NOT leave me alone with him. Sometimes clients are just 'difficult', and all we'll lose is money & time ..other times, it can be much more serious. I say NEVER, EVER be afraid to fire a client. Sometimes, it could just save your life!

I have had clients who do nothing but criticize and clients who think they know everything. Both are hard to work with. I enjoy the idea that the firing can work both ways. I got fired because I did not sell a house in 5 months (about a year ago). I followed the new listing and noted that it sold just recently. I don't think I was the problem.

Larry,

Ihave hung on to my worst clients the longest, I finally let 2 go for 2 of the reasons you mentioned.

One was especially troublesome, she had a friend who knew everthing in this little town. She even knew what the last accepted but failed offer was! We made an absurd offer based on this friends advice and were answered with option 4. When I gave her the earnest money back she said her friend wanted one of my cards too. I ran like the wind,but did give her another card. Haven't heard from either one---Thank God!

Larry & friends! I have let a few clients go. These were people who were totally disrespectful. I work like a dog, but I don't wish to be treated like one... they left at the pound... ; ) I love the words. "We teach people how to treat us." I think for the professional agents in our industry, we would all like to see a little more respect for what we do. ~ JC

Larry, I guess I didn't really "fire" my seller this week, just suggested that if he wasn't prepared to lower the list price of his townhouse and to accept a lower offer, he might consider taking his condo off the market. He did that yesterday, and we parted in a friendly manner. He'll re-list with me (if I'm willing) once the market turns (and the condos/townhouses he might have a l-o-o-o-n-g wait.)

Nice to have that load off my shoulders--frees me up to concentrate on other business (like the duplex I listed 2 weeks ago that sold today!)

Larry,

There is enough 'drama' in real estate without the additional burden of the kinds of buyers and sellers you mentioned. Enough is enough!

Michael

How about when seller's say they know more about the real estate market than their agents. We give them advice on what price they need to be at and they complain it's too low and they will never "give it away". Then the house sits on the market for 6 months or longer with hardly any activity, and no offers. The whole time complaining that we aren't doing enough, then they re-list with someone else, AT THE SAME PRICE. Then eventually it sinks in that they are at the wrong price and agree to lower it to the price they should have been at all along, it gets an offer and all of a sudden it was because of their great idea to price the house properly that it sells. Oh my god, this was a great post, I could sit here all night and tell everybody some horror stories. Had a listing a few years ago and the owner was in a bad financial situation and needed to sell fast. We priced the house low and got the offers up to 10k over asking price. Then the guy and his wife moved out of state, only 1 hour away. He refused to come back into town to sign the contracts. I said ok, i'll fax them to you, give me a fax number. He tells me he doesn't have access to one and won't go to a staples or copy shop to use the fax. Then he won't tell me where he is currently living, so I can't overnight them to him. Finally after some begging, the contracts get signed. Then after inspections, he has to make some repairs. He asks me to handle it for him and he will pay me back at closing. I hesitated, but said ok. He started complaining to his attorney that I was picking the highest priced people so I could make money off of him. I was having friends of mine in the construction industry do the work for much lower than they would normally charge. He started complaining that he could find someone to do it for less. I said ok, find someone. His response, I can't, I don't have the time or a phone book to look someone up, I'll have to do it. So, I would call some local places and all much higher prices. Then he would start complaing that the work was being done wrong. Then he would complain to his attorney that I was messing up the deal for him, and it wasn't going to close because of me. I broke my vacuum cleaning his house for him. There was so much dust and dirt it was disgusting. After all his crap, he couldn't even shake my hand or say thank you at the closing, grabbed his check and left..

AUG

2009

When it isn't working move along, it will oftern work out better in the end!

Larry,

Thanks for your timely post.

No matter the business, there are as many possibilities for "slips through the wrungs" as there are stars in the sky.

After 13+ years of doing what I do, my mantra has become, "Have I learned the lesson?" There's always a lesson to be learned when a client relationship starts to turn (and, then, decidedly flips) from good to not-so-good to get-me-out-of-this.

Perhaps the responsiblity is with me, perhaps the repsonsibility is with the client. Often, I know, there's a shared responsibility.

Nevertheless, when a client saps my energies, consistenly nit-picks my attentions, either can't or won't accept shared responsibility for the "muddle"/conundrum; and, generally, is worth more out of my life than in my life, it's time to realize that, communicate that clearly and concisely, cut to the chase and ... let them go.

Oft time it f l o w s. Sometimes it goes belly up.

The next lesson I'm endeavoring to learn is - can I tell the difference before a client and I get into the "muddle."

Any tips?

What say you, please?

Regards,

Jessan

Larry - Jessan above asks about tips on how to recognize people we should have never taken on as clients. After nearly eight years in the mortgage business, I feel fortunate that I haven't had to fire many clients (I include Realtor referral partners in that group) and they do seem to be getting farther and fewer between too. I'd like to think that just maybe, I'm getting better at screening them out from the get-go.

Like Jessan, I try and look for the lessons that I can learn when I have made a mistake in my business or in my dealings with a client. As for the times that I had to fire a client, in retrospect, I often find that there were signs from the beginning that I either overlooked or chose to ignore; clues of what nasty characteristic was simmering just below that smiling, friendly face. Call if gut feelings, women's intuition or some kind of third sense but whatever it is, I pay more attention to it now than I did before.

Is this strategy 100% foolproof? Of course not (some people are really good at masking their true intentions and/or character)! If it were, we wouldn't be having this discussion now. However, I truly believe that this strategy has greatly reduced the number of "bad" clients that I have taken on.

So, that's my advice to Jessan. Try to interview your prospects as thoroughly as possible before you decide to take them on as clients. It just may reveal some very telling insights into what you can expect and just may save you some grief as well. Sorry for the long comment (probably would have made a better blog post) but I just felt that Jessan's questions was important and wanted to offer my .02.

Love the post - its great support that everyone has shared their experiences. I have wanted to fired some in the past and building the STRENGHT to be smart and fire a seller soon, nice people but too unrealistic. I do hate to desert them but I cannot sell the home for what they need $$ and by the time frame they want. Bet I let them know sooner than later. Strenght - Strenght - Strenght. I am not a wuss but hate letting people down. I do need to work on BRUSHING IT OFF. any advise there?

Thanks, Jo

This is a great blog and valid comments. Living in Charleston, SC, I have had to be careful not to become a tour guide. When working with buyers, one of my first questions is "Have you been pre-qualified?" This simple question helps everyone involved. Some buyers have no idea how much they can qualify for and are in the wrong price range.

Thank you, Sharon

AUG

2009

How about the buyer who you take to see a properties but the she needs you to make second appointments so she can bring her friends to see them too?! I'm fine with clients bringing whoever they'd like, but can't we do it all at once instead of having to make multiple appointments?!

Donne & Jo,

Yes, indeed - "use head, trust gut" - absolutely! Over & over... Time. Experience. Memory.

...and, how much more are you letting someone down if you're not enthusiastic and committed? If you know there's a problem and you've clearly listened and communicated and, still, there's a problem --- best for you and for client to move on. One's strength comes from considered options and communications + knowing that ya' cannot please everyone all the time. Don't brush 'em off; simply, let 'em go.

:: 2 cents more in the pot ::

Thanks ~

Jessan

AUG

2009

After reading this article few days ago, I am firing, firing and firing, ... It is like cleaning up my website of overpriced properties and actually firing disrepectful clients. Two fired already, another one in line for tomorrow! I will not waste my time anymore!

Alex Canalez / Belize Real Estate Marketer

AUG

2009

I di not read every comment, but what about low offer joe. The guy that just writes low offer after low offer until a seller bites, can his a-- quick.

AUG

2009

some valid points, communication is huge, if you have good communication the other things I think should become easier

AUG

2009

I agree with all 5 points you made and just have one to add - personality clash! I've referred a client to another agent (for free) because I felt it would be a better fit. I've only run across a couple of male clients who just will not take advice from a woman. I didn't think those guys still existed but sadly they do.

AUG

2009

This is an element of our business that Realtor should do more often.

AUG

2009

My favorite of the five are #1 and #5. These two really get my goat.

SEP

2009

I put a value on myself. My time is money.

For each property I show, I break it down to a dollar amount to how much it's cost me to show them that house - usually $25/property if I'm showing multiple in one day, $50 if it's only one that they want to see. If the buyers haven't shown any initiative to write an offer after the 10th property, I reassess the situation and may have to reassign the buyer to another agent.

Furthermore, if the property is marketed for less than $100K, I won't even show it. If the buyer wants it that bad, they can put in an offer subject to inspection.

Depending on the buyer, my Buyer Broker Agreement may reflect that I will charge a contingency for my services. If they don't like it, too bad. My job is to find a ready, willing and able buyer for the seller, not to be a tour guide.

If buyers were subject to a per-per-view of every property they wanted to see, they would be very careful of what they ask for.

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Larry Easto

Toronto, ON

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