Consider this...I have a ton of kids, the youngest is 4 years old, 5 , 14, 17, 20 and well the rest are older. I love kids of all ages. Kids are not the issue. The Realtor taking their kids to work is the issue at hand.
Would I consider taking my children to work? NO! Not to the office if there were going to be others there working and definitely not when showing homes to Clients.
Why? Simply put, it is not professional. I want to be presenting myself as professional in my work. Which means when I'm getting out of the car to show a home, I do not have to stop by the backseat and unlatch a child from their carseat and walk to the door with my clients while telling little Tommy the rules over and over.
Where is little Tommy standing when I'm unlocking the door? Am I paying attention to him or my client? Should I ask my Client to keep an eye on him while gaining entrance? What am I saying to my Client?
Yes, this is a beauty. Tommy sit down. Do not hang on the railing. Yes Mrs. Buyer, I previewed...Tommy are you sitting? This is a great home.
Ok, we're inside. Tommy's being a nice boy... a regular 4yo. Are you watching him or are you conversing with Mrs. Buyer? Are you giving them your full attention, scanning your MLS sheet to answer questions being posed, or are you able to look for those cracks in the basementor flaws of any kind, or are you just concentrating on making sure little Tommy is quiet and doesn't touch anything?
I would agree that if your child was 15, 16, 17+ and a Client could perceive your child is in-training to follow your footsteps for their career that it might be okay with prior permission from the Client. But, other than that, it is not okay to bring children to work.
What does Mr. & Mrs. Buyer feel like when they leave the appointment? You most likely, at several points throughout the tour were unavailable at the moment they had questions. They may or may not have asked because by the time you returned from retrieving Tommy from another room, they had moved on and didn't remember to ask, or they thought they might be putting you out by having to take your attention from your child, get your sheet where you could read it, etc. Did you really look the home over for them and provide the level of service you normally provide without child in tow?
Bottom line, if you have a child with you, they have to know by sheer circumstance that they are not going to be priority. Is that fair to them? Even if you ask them beforehand? They're kind of in a spot...
Well if I say no, then she'll be mad or...
And last, but certainly, not least? How did little Tommy feel having to be jerked around and forced(?) to be on his best behavior for the hour or two while on tour?
Hopefully, you'll take this into consideration. It is so incredibly not ok to take your kids to work. Not if you have any intentions of presenting yourself in a professional manner. The two do not mix.
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Chris...
Personally, I don't think that it's fair to the children either. They need to be doing "kid" things, and not being dragged to work where there isn't anything to do!