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Your client is from Illinois? And you?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408

Sometimes I think that the most fascinating stories on AR are everyday little gems by customers or fellow agents.

I received a call at 9 AM. The agent wanted to show a condo to his client at 12:30. The problem is that I have to call the Seller, and sometimes it can be easily done on a short notice, and sometimes it can't.

I called the Seller, she did not answer, so I left a message on her machine. Then in less than half an hour another call, and this time the agent will be there at 11:30. He is already on his way.

Blind real estate guru- And, by the way, is there a view of the water from the window, or porch or whatever is there? My customers are from Illinois, and if there is no view, then they would not even be interested and I would not even go.

Does the agent have access to our local MLS? It may be strange for other places, but here we often get calls from agents from Orlando, or Tampa, or Jacksonville, so they get info from either Buyers, or from Trulia and Realtor.com.

No, the agent has access, he is local. Then what was wrong with checking MLS, looking at the photos? I am not even talking about the fact that the agent has no clue about this condo, as if he knew, he would know the answer. If you’ve been there once, you would know it.

I am calling the Seller again, and there is no answer. And in 5-10 min comes another call from the agent. I should not worry about showing this unit, as the agent has a very tight schedule, and if I could send additional photos, everything would be just fine.

Did they check MLS to see whether they even need additional photos? No… All they need is the photo of the river from the “porch, balcony, or whatever is there”… Everything else does not really matter.

I understand that his client was from Illinois, but why did it sound as if the agent was from … Alaska?

FunCoast RealtyBut on the other thought, so many of them sound as if the definition of the term “local” is no less than the State where they are licensed. Otherwise, how can it be that some of them have no clue of the local (smaller than the State, and, better, even smaller than the County)?

Image courtesy of Foxtongue Via Flickr.com

Virginia Hepp - Mesquite NV REALTOR
Desert Gold Realty - Mesquite NV Homes For Sale - Mesquite, NV
Mesquite NV Homes and Neighborhoods - Search MLS

1) That agent must be from Mars or a newbie agent who does not know his job, let alone the area!

2) That is a provacative, yet interesting picture of the blindfolded girl.

Nov 06, 2010 06:56 PM
Andrea Swiedler
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - New Milford, CT
Realtor, Southern Litchfield County CT

Jon, we are a 2 MLS state, I am in a part of CT which is known to suffer from "overlapping market disorder". Many agents north of me don't use electronic lock boxes and don't have key pads, by the way. Many don't belong to both MLS's. I happen to belong to both, but some agents in my office don't. I have gotten calls before from agents who had clients send them a Realtor.com page, not only do they ask all sorts of questions about the listing, but they need us to let them in!

I am sure that was more than infuriating for you and your client.

Nov 06, 2010 10:34 PM
Randy Ostrander
Lake and Lodge Realty LLC - Big Rapids, MI
Real Estate Broker, Serving Big Rapids and West Central MI

Jon, Some agents are just plain too lazy to look it up themselves. I get calls all the time from agents who have clients that are on MY WEB SITE and they need more info on a parcel listed there. lol. I don't mind the calls but we all have the same MLS so they could look it up but I will do it for them.

Nov 06, 2010 10:50 PM
Ginny Gorman
RI Real Estate Services ~ 401-529-7849~ RI Waterfront Real Estate - North Kingstown, RI
Homes for Sale in Southern RI and beyond

Jon, it is so true...we all have stories...i too received one (and we have statewide mls) for a waterfront home that might be nantucket shingle type and so i said to the agent -did you check the mls..oh yes, she said but i'd thought it would be easier calling you because you sell all those waterfront homes in North Kingstown??!!  I told her to pound sand in a polite way...some agents continue to be clueless about respecting others.

Nov 07, 2010 12:00 AM
Cindy Marchant
Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com - Carmel, IN
"Cindy in Indy" , Realtor, Fishers Real Estate

In a word...lazy.  Those agents are everywhere I think.

Cindy in Indy

Nov 07, 2010 01:03 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

It is simply mind boggling that so many agents know the only thing - the price. They "prepare" showings by the price only.

Usually, when I present at the  showing, I hear the agent explaining details to the Buyers, and trying to compare properties, and I am puzzled how weiredtheir list is . I often can't find any common denominator except the price.

Nov 07, 2010 01:13 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

That's funny. I love the calls from "agents" who ask me if they can see the listing at "blank time" and the instructions are clearly labeled...."vacant, go direct" or "call seller for apt" Read the listing, then call me.

Nov 07, 2010 04:15 AM
Jack Mossman - The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi
The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi - Lodi, CA
The Nines Team in Lodi

Jon - My website is IDX supported and I have about 2 dozen "subscribers" - about a half dozen are buyers ... the rest are out-of-area agents ... so I expect to get a call if their search criteria hits a match ... their clients' not the agents'.  I jut keep reminding myself , "you work for the seller...."  What's really aggravating is the call from these agents for information about listings that are not mine!

Nov 07, 2010 03:23 PM
Maggie Dokic /Indialantic | 321-252-8696
Magdalena Dokic - Indialantic, FL
Selling the beach in Florida's space coast

Another pet peeve of mine. =)  The MLS listing has a ton of fields.  While not all are always filled in, the important ones usually are.  A view is important enough that it is usually stated. 

I guess it's easier to dial the phone on the run than to actually do some prep work for the showings?  ::sigh::

Nov 08, 2010 08:39 PM