I BELIEVE THAT YOUR AGENT FOR 2222 S. LAUREL ST. MAY BE ILL OR IN AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING!

I BELIEVE THAT YOUR AGENT FOR 2222 S. LAUREL ST. MAY BE ILL OR IN AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING!

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE LISTING AGENT ISN'T RETURNING YOUR CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO SHOW THEIR LISTING.  Most of us have experienced the frustration of a hard working buyer's agent who is seeking access to a listing to preview or show.  Most of us have been there, tried to do that and, sooner or later, simply ran out of time.   Sadly, unless you've worked with a buyer for some time, they may doubt your sincerity or diligence when you tell them that a house they selected to view can't be accessed. 

So, I have learned that, when a listing agent isn't responsive, I simply contact their broker. 

Step 1.  Organize the listings on the tour by area.  This saves time when driving from one property to another.

Step 2.  Make a tour plan.  Make the appointment calls based on the tour route. 

Step 3.  Wait a reasonable amount of time for agents/owners to return calls (answer your own dang phone, do not let it go to VM, which is what the listing agent is doing), a reasonable time is about 2 hours. 

Step 4.  Confirm any appointments by phone or other method and drop properties that cannot be viewed.   Refine tour plan.

Step 5.  If the listing agent hasn't returned the appointment call within about 2 hours, CALL THE AGENT'S BROKER.  That would be the LISTING BROKER. 

Our listing reports have the office number clearly available, which is auto-populated when the listing data is entered into the MLS system. 

If you can't get the listing broker on the phone, send a fax to the listing agent and the listing BROKER, that you are attempting to make an appointment for their listing at XYZ address. 

If you get the broker on the phone, you might want to express the serous nature of your call with:

"SORRY TO BOTHER YOU MR. BROKER, but, I believe that your agent, Mr. Invisible, must have been in an accident or taken ill or something.  I've been trying to reach him for 2 hours to make an appointment to show 2222 Laurel St. and he isn't answering or returning phone calls.  I want to include your listing in a tour tomorrow and an appointment with the listing agent is required."

"Can you help me out???"

You can expect a call from the listing agent within about 5-10 minutes.

In my experience, listing agents may be a tad dilatory about returning phone message (often by design), but the BROKER who is often more focused on production (the brokers, managers or broker owners usually pay the office rent, E&O, supplies, office dues, franchise fees, etc.) is usually going to want to get a listing sold. 

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988.

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