As competition increases online for the potential buyer's attention it also increases the number of situations that warrant some tough questions.
I had a client the other day ask me if another agent e-mailed her a listing, did that mean she would have to use the agent. While states differ on Agency and procurring cause, I can answer that one with a simple no, especially if that's all the agent was doing.
I e-mail listings to people in a 10,000 person database. If I was due a commission for every person in there, I would have retired a long time ago.
Georgia is a procurring cause state and commission issues are resolved the agent that can prove they procurred the sale to the buyer. More than any other evidence, SHOWINGS, are what the courts/arbitors typically rely on as the single most important thing. More important than a Buyer Brokerage/Agency Agreement.
So how do you keep your potential clients in your pipeline and not someone else's? Well I'm all ears for suggestions, but I've had some success with a drip campaign aimed at educating buyers. The trouble is getting people to read it!
With the increase of sites like Trulia and the agent unfriendly Zillow, consumers THINK they are doing the job of the Realtor. In reality, finding the home was NEVER my job. Getting my clients the best deal and the smoothest closing was. Once we as Realtors were are more akin to sports agents (ala Contract Advisors) then car salespeople we'll be taking a step in the right direction.
The problem for now is educating the potential clients on what we do and differientiating ourselves from others agents.
Your thoughts on this are welcome!
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