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Laramie, Wyoming Real Estate: Cell Phone Test

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming WY #12296

Frog answering phone

With so much talk about who will be the best agent for you, I'd like to suggest a quick and simple test:

Call an agent on his or her cell phone . . .

Did they answer?

If they don't answer, it's okay!  They may be conversing with an actual human being at the time of your call - and we all know that it is rude to ignore the person in front of you to dive for your phone.

However, leave a message then get on with your day while you wait for a return call.

You should find that the agent will return your call within a reasonable amount of time at their next opportunity.

After all, even the greatest agent in the world won't do you much good if you can never reach them!

Posted by

Brenda Whitman, Broker/Co-owner                                                Office Phone: 307.460.3298

Live in Laramie Real Estate                                                                Cell Phone: 307.399.5477

302 S 2nd Street, Suite 206                                                      E-mail: brenda@liveinlaramie.com

Laramie, Wyoming  82070                                                       Office Website:  www.liveinlaramie.com

Show All Comments
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Larry - I agree! 

Will - I know we all hate to leave messages but sometimes it's the best way . . .

Hi Gary - Thanks!  I'm afraid you'll be seeing more of the frogs - I like their style!

Thanks, Tim - How am I ever going to catch you now that you are back in the game?!  :-)

Feb 12, 2011 07:18 AM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Oh my gosh, Joe!  I wasn't sure if I had seen your post or not so naturally, I just went back and found it.  Turns out I missed it the first time, but I'm glad I got to see it today!  Too funny . . .   (It's on Joe's blog -Feb 6- for anyone else who wants to check it out!)

Hi Wanda - That's a very good point.  It isn't always that a person is standing in front of you but sometimes you are in a place where you know there is no way you can give the person calling the attention they deserve!

Feb 12, 2011 07:25 AM
Connie Harvey
Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN
Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

Brenda, I couldn't have said it better myself! I try to never answer the phone when I'm with people. There are the times that you just must... But any good agent will return their call in a timely fashion.

Feb 12, 2011 09:49 AM
David O'Doherty
Clayton, NC
Clayton NC Homes, Raleigh, NC

Brenda, as soon as I start negotiating with another agent  I put their id in my phone so I will always be prepared when talking with them.

Feb 12, 2011 09:57 AM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Hi Connie,  It's true, every now and then we have to.  But I really try hard to avoid it!

Hi David - Me, too!  There are some calls you don't want to miss!  For those calls, only a client standing right in front of me takes priority over them . . .

Feb 12, 2011 04:38 PM
Steve Ewing - Keller Williams Realty
Keller Williams - Stockton, CA

Hi Brenda - Ignored messages are not a good thing.  I try and get all mine answered by the evening and even then it is too late.  Sometimes you just cannot answer a message fast enough.  So it goes.  Thanks for the great blog.

Feb 13, 2011 09:17 AM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Hi Steve, True, we can just do the best we can  . . .  Thanks for commenting!

Feb 13, 2011 10:30 AM
Kim Inman
Mountains to Lakes Real Estate, Inc. - Harriman, TN
CRS, Broker/Owner

Ok Brenda...here's another amen SISTER!!! I think many times we DO NOT give the attention to the person that's in front of us.

Feb 13, 2011 02:53 PM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Thanks, Kim!  It seems like I'm usually the one standing in front of the person with the ringing phone . . . and I know how it makes me feel when they answer like I'm not even there . . .

Feb 14, 2011 02:52 PM
Liz Lockhart
Riverbend Realty, Cape Girardeau, MO - Cape Girardeau, MO
GRI, Cape Girardeau Real Estate

Brenda~ I'm guilty of having backed up messages sometimes. I appreciate a meaningful message, instead of "I'm Johnny Curious at 547-0000." When the message is clueless, I wait until I am in front of a computer or at my desk to call back in case I need to consult a file or take notes. On the other hand, a specific, succinct message may get answered on the fly, because I know what the caller needs.

Your point is very well made!

Feb 14, 2011 04:55 PM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Thanks, Liz.  It's true, sometimes we have to prioritize and getting back to some people may take awhile . . . I'm not fully sure I'd even pass my own cell phone test sometimes! :-)

Feb 15, 2011 03:25 AM
Sussie Sutton
David Tracy Real Estate - Houston, TX
David Tracy Real Estate for Buyers & Sellers

I always try to answer my phone if I am available...and I most certainly return calls very quickly.

Feb 15, 2011 04:18 PM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Hi Sussie - And those are the key words aren't they - "if I am available"? !  ; )

Feb 16, 2011 07:24 AM
Pat Haddad, ABR, CRS, ePRO, GRI
Keller Williams Indianapolis Metro NE - Carmel, IN
Carmel, Fishers, Westfield IN Real Estate Expert

Brenda--I like to pick up when I can so things do not pile up---which only causes stress for everyone!  Today I had a four hour listing appointment---huge property, but did not expect to be there that long.  I had eight voicemails when I was finished.  Answered them all immediately.  Your post should serve as a reminder to us all!

Feb 16, 2011 11:58 AM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

You should get an A+ for being able to stay focused for all that time!  I'm sure your sellers appreciated your attention.

Feb 16, 2011 01:55 PM
Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

Hi Brenda~ Love your "frog" series of blog posts!  I see you've joined my group too!  Thanks!  I believe the cell phone test is a great way to make a decision about which agent to work with.  The way they respond will be very telling.

Feb 17, 2011 08:23 AM
Kim Inman
Mountains to Lakes Real Estate, Inc. - Harriman, TN
CRS, Broker/Owner

Brenda...I'd have to give you an Amen Sister on this one!  Drives me crazy when people don't return my phone calls.  One of the reasons I choose who I do business with is because of the timely fashion in which they return calls.

Feb 18, 2011 10:42 AM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Hi Donna - Yes, I think the group is awesome and will really give me a focus on writing the informative articles I've always thought about writing for clients but never did! 

Hi Kim - I know we have ended up with some excellent providers in other fields simply because they answered or got back to us when they could.  My husband goes as far as calling the numbers back on his caller ID whether they leave a message or not.  Guess he knows how much some poeple hate to leave messages! ;-)

Feb 18, 2011 02:09 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Brenda,

Great idea; however, I'm on the road a lot and if traffic is too heavy I wait until I can pull over but sometimes, depending on traffic it takes longer than I want. I always call as soon as it's safe and when it isn't rude to another person.

Feb 19, 2011 08:26 AM
Brenda Whitman, Live in Laramie Real Estate
Live in Laramie Real Estate, Laramie, Wyoming - Laramie, WY
Broker/Co-Owner, Laramie, Wyoming

Hi Patricia,  Well, I do think that's the idea, that sometimes you just CAN'T or SHOULDN'T answer, so a person shouldn't judge soley on that.  They should leave a message and see if you'll return their call. 

Feb 19, 2011 02:02 PM
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