I've been reading and hearing a lot about agents quitting, taking leave or just going broke.   Yes, Louisiana is in pretty good shape, but I know local agents who are quitting.  In the last few years, dealing with other agents in a transaction, I've been told numerous times that they are not going to be bothered with short sales, clients who can't make up theirs minds or clients who need just a little help with qualifying.  In other words, if it's not easy, they're not wasting their time. 

I'm having a pretty good year so far.  Why?  Well, in the last 2 weeks I've closed on a home for a very nice couple from out of state who I have been corresponding with and sending MLS listings to for the last 2 years, and a young couple that had a couple credit issues that I've been working with since December.  I've also had a closing with a client who had already gone through 2 other agents.  She was wishy washy, and always late.  But you know what?  she was paying CASH!  Why would 2 other agents drop her and not call her back.  We looked at 16 homes during 3 outings, she changed her mind twice, but we closed within 3 months after I met her.  Another client I had never met.  He called on one of my listings and after listening to what he was looking for I started sending him listings.  During the next 2 months he would call and ask questions about one house or another, he was pretty cut and dry, but I always answered his calls or called him back.  One day he called me and said another agent had sent him a listing he was interested in, but would I show it to him since I had been helpful in the past.  We met at the house and he signed a contract right then and there.

I have a lot of patience, maybe because I was a nurse long before I was a real estate agent.  In nursing, you can't say, I don't feel like doing this or that today.  When a doctor writes an order or a patient needs anything, you had better be on it!  There are no excuses in nursing.  When I first went into real estate, I was astounded by agents who would not return your phone call or did not get things done in a timely fashion.  Once, I was with clients at a property and they wanted to do a contract, but they had a couple of questions.  I called the agent and to this day, she still has not called me back.  Needless to say, my clients bought another house.

I know a lot of agents who are patient and give personal care to their clients, not just say they do.  They're doing pretty good too.