You know the old saying "One Bad Apple"...... Well how about HUNDREDS of Bad Apples???
In the past several months I have found myself frustrated with the behavior of other Realtors! For lack of a more descriptive word "LAZY" about sums it up. I am a FULL TIME Realtor who takes pride in what I have been doing for the past 20 years. This JOB is my ONLY job and I depend on it to pay my bills.
In the troubled economy, and the affects it has had on our industry, you would think that Agents would work harder and be more attentive to the needs of their clients.
Here are some of the complaints I have:
- ANSWER YOUR FREAKIN PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER YOUR PHONE, RETURN CALLS PROMPTLY!!!!!!!!!!
- RESPOND TO EMAILS, WHETHER FROM ANOTHER REALTOR, OR A CLIENT!!!!!!!!!!! Statistics show that if you do not respond to a "lead" from the Internet withing 6 hours, you lost it because someone else did.
- DO NOT, AND I REPEAT, DO NOT......LEAVE A RECORDING ON YOUR PHONE THAT SAYS "Your call is important to me, please leave a message. I return calls between 11:00 and 12:00..............THEN EVEN WORSE, NOT RETURN BETWEEN THOSE HOURS. OMG! If I were a buyer or seller I would NOT even leave a message. I would call another Realtor. Realtors are suppose to answer at all times, but if they absolutely can not, you DO NOT leave a message like that! You return the call the MINUTE you are free. If the agents that do this, do so because they are working another JOB, then they should not be selling Real Estate, they should be in Referral.
- LISTINGS!!! OMG LISTINGS............If you sell yourself and your services as being one of the best out there - THEN COMPLETE YOUR LISTINGS! You are doing a great disservice to your clients, and if they took notice - you would be fired! When clients or other Realtors are searching for homes, it's so frustrating to see a listing without room sizes, without descriptive remarks on the condition of the house, and without pictures. LAZY......about sums it up!! I hate to say this but A LOT of REO listings are put in this way. If I have a client looking for a HUGE master bedroom, how do I know if that house could possible be the one that fits their needs if THERE ARE NO ROOM SIZES!!! If you don't have the TIME to input a fully completed listing, then maybe you should realize that quantity is affecting your quality..............and making us look bad, as well as not servicing the seller properly.
- When you are in contract, work deligently to make the sale close. If the attorneys are not corresponding in a timely manner, call or email them to get the issue solved. If there is a form that needs to be signed, get it signed immediately. Follow the laws and get your deposits on time. Being in the business for over 20 years, I have learned that you create a reputation for yourself if you are not easy to work with. Other Realtors like to show and sell listings that have a GOOD agent on the other end of it.
COME ON PEOPLE (NOT EVERYONE, JUST THOSE SLACKERS) DO THE RIGHT THINGS. WE ARE ALL OUT THERE REPRESENTING EACH OTHER. IF YOU CAN'T DO REAL ESTATE WELL, THEN DON'T DO IT AT ALL!!
Sorry for my rant, but I have run across the above situations far too many times in the last few months and I'm appalled. It's no wonder that our reputation is tarnished. I'm tired of saying to sellers and buyers "Not all Realtors are the same, there are still some of us who are good at representing you, and you definitely need a Realtor to get the best price in the shortest amount of time".
I am presently in contract with 3 homes ..........I obtained these clients because they had called several other Realtors who did not answer their phones.......for that I am greatful! However, I would rather everyone in our industry perform well, so we can hold our heads up high and know that people respect the jobs we do!
And for those of you who know exactly what I'm talking about...................THANK YOU FOR BEING THE GOOD APPLES!!!
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