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DON'T TELL MY AGENTS I'M SENDING BUSINESS AWAY

I know that the market is slow. I know that good buyers are hard to come buy around here. BUT,

I refuse to become a Doormat DOOR MAT ! ! ! !

I've sent two buyers away in one day. It wasn't easy.

BUYER # 1. Gentleman was in the $1,200,000 range to buy a home in Northern Virginia. His demands were unreasonable and we refused to comply. What does it take for a buyer to lose an agent???

He wanted an agent full time last two weeks in December.
He wanted reference information on our recent sales.
He wanted to avoid dual agency.
He wanted, he wanted, he wanted.

But, he wouldn't provide a phone number so our luxury home agent could speak with him. Three e-mails from him asking for more, more, more. But, he ignored our request to speak directly with him. Three days we went back and forth. We finally told him we weren't interested, GOOD LUCK. We met his criteria and we should have been able to speak with him to determine IF WE WANTED TO REPRESENT HIM. I'll go a long way by e-mail for a buyer, but sooner or later, especially when time is short, you need to speak.

So, one luxury buyer sent away. My experience is that when folks are difficult before you begin the work, they are going to be difficult during and probably after the job is done. My agents, affiliates and friends know that I am very proud of what we do. We do a spectacular job. Our agents work hard and long to satisfy a buyer or seller's needs. But, when we are not treated with equal respect, that's when I become like a Lioness with new cubs and a pack of Jackels are stalking. So, down went the luxury home buyers for Nothern Virginia.

NEXT was the Seller / Buyer who had a town home to sell in Maryland and wanted to buy a home in Northern Virginia. I assured him that we did, indeed, provide a FREE One Year Home Warranty for our buyers and that I would pay his home inspection cost up to $400 and that there are no "catches". The low listing fee that we offer for our home buyers with a home to sell was "for real" and we provide full service for that fee. Yes, it's all true.

Yes, we do

give him the benefit of market information to help price the home
list in the MLS
provide brochures and disclosures
yard signs and yard brochure boxes
hold Open House with an ad in the Washington Post
have a 4 page web page specifically for that home
list the house on our web pages where it will get approx. 3000 unique visitors daily
hold a Broker Open to introduce the home to local agents and brokers
show home for buyers with no agent who call on sign or web page
be available by phone for sign calls and broker communication
represent him in contract review, evaluation, buyer qualification to get loan and close
represent his interest with experience in the home inspection, walk-through processes
attend settlement and represent him in all negotiations, inspections and closing

Now what more could anyone want?? Well, he insisted that the house be held open every week. He also insisted that there be a magazine advertisement for the house. THAT WAS IT. HE WAS HISTORY.

I suppose this is why I'll never be a dedicated listing agent. But, I also refuse to be a

door mat

DOOR MAT

Posted by Lenn Harley, Broker, Maryland and Virginia on 12/08/2006 01:39 PM

Comments (54)

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54 Comments on DON'T TELL MY AGENTS I'M SENDING BUSINESS AWAY

DEC

2006

I understand I can only jump "so high" or "through so many hoops".

Hey Lenn,

It's respectable to stick to your guns...In the end, you can sleep well at night :)

Scott

Good for you Lenn,

Lately, most phone calls I get, all the caller wants is the price or the address of the home without giving a name or number.

Even when I don't give it to them they will just call someone else that will.

Good for you for sticking to your guns.

Jay

Hi Lenn-

You're right - you have to be careful, once they know they can walk all over you it just happens again and again.......

I really wonder about the 1.2 million guy who wouldn't give you his phone#?!?!

Way to go, Lenn!!! If your agents look through the trees to see the forest, they'll be glad you turned down these 2 people. I know I would!

Ann

I can't say I blame you. Sometimes you have to pick & chose your battles.

Kudos to you Lenn! Those kind of clients need to be kicked in the rear on the way out the door!

I personally think you missed out on the $1.2 million guy, some people of the world are email people and some people are phone people. The phone people see the email as a chore and hassle, the email people see the phone as a chore and a hassle.

If that email guy called in and said what he asked in an email, people would have no problem with it (well ok the full time realtor for 2 weeks is a bit much), but all of the sudden he has 3 requests in 3 different emails.. it is this inordinate hassle because the conversation has dragged out over a day. But the time slice is still the same.

We email people are looking for email realtors, phones suck. Once you give a realtor (or realtors) a phone #, it is all over, you get too many calls. When you give someone your email addy you can deal with them at your convenience not theirs and in essence this is the buyer "pre-qualifying" YOU. It doesn't make you a not serious buyer, it just makes you different than how normal realtors work.

C'mon "Mikey", at least have the courage of your convictions!

Not only are you willing to hide behind an email, you post comments anonymously. This is a network for professionals. Please post useless comments elsewhere.

Lenn, that is a hard call no matter what the market is doing.

Lenn,

Kudos for knowing when to say "NEXT" and not get all bogged down with the 'if I woulda, coulda, shoulda...' of a relationship gone bad.

Good for you!

Working with a client is like a honeymoon - if its not good to start with - it's not going to get better. You are smart to pick your clients

So well put. It's tough to say no, next...but your personal integrity are at stake. If you can't meet the unrealistic demands, or they won't play the game, it's time to move on.

Hi Lenn,

Good for you to pick and choose. I like the clip art :-)

Mark,

I was merely letting you know how "others" think. If you aren't open to it you might want to look at yourself to think why that is. As for focusing on me not posting my email as a reason why you should dismiss anything I say, I suggest you look up "ad hominem" logical fallacies and I'll leave it at that..

In college as part of a class the professor had us take a psychological profile, and while everyone in the class was of a similiar psychological profile, when compared to the general population we were completely different. These are things you have to keep in mind when thinking you are getting confirmation of your line of thought from others like you. In general, they think like you. But in all probability, the general public doesn't.

I merely point out that it seems that Lenn was using the fact that they don't have a persons telephone number as a reason to dismiss them. I think that is a mistake.

Mikey. Perhaps I didn't explain well. I love e-mail. I live on e-mail. But, when time is close with folks taking off for the holiday coming up, we need to lock in our schedule if some one wants me or my luxury home agent in VA for two weeks.

I e-mail back and forth with this guy for three days and he kept wanting more and more. I finally got to a point where, if he was not going to speak with us before his arrival, I wasn't going to commit the time. I can find out what I need from a buyer in 5 minutes. But, there are some things I don't put in e-mail to a stranger. For one thing, before anytime takes two weeks out of their schedule, I want to know that the buyer isn't going to try to negotiate our fee, that there are no referral fees involved, etc.

This was a power play on his part. It just didn't work.

Wrong again Mikey. This isn't school, unless it's the school of hard knocks and I've had them in this busienss over the years. No more. This is BUSINESS. This is serious business and for MY business, I make the rules.

The purpose of the telephone call was to decide if I wanted to commit the time for this buyer. He wasn't dismissed because I didn't have his phone number. He was dismissed because he wouldn't SPEAK WITH ME. He was invited to call me several times.

As I said, it was a power play.

Lenn Harley...as was said before by Miley he is a computer guy but I don't really agree with him.I don't think the phone sucks.But hey whatever works for him may not work for me.I think the ideal, as I have been in same position before is just to send him some properties by e- mail.The lack of phone number is not reassuring as he may doing the same thing with another. Well if he wants 2 weeks with you only then I would have him sign an Exclusive BUyer's Agreement and be his exclusive Buyer's Agent.For all that work he either signs it or you just send him once in awhile properties. Then again if he does not sign and ask more and more then good bye and send him someone else with a lot of patience!

LLoyd

Stick to your guns! Sounds like some of these people may need full time personal assistants, not realtors!

Hi Lenn,

I just think 3 emails and then cutting them off isn't in your best interest. I think a different approach might have yielded a more positive response. Anonymity is treasured very highly by some, that person is probably going to find a realtor that "gives him/her good email" and go with them. "Good email" doesn't mean you dont use email a lot, or well, just differently.

My suggestion for the next time you get an anonymous lead, just be very direct with your capabilities and timeline and then just let them know you need to talk to them for a couple minutes before you can commit those resources to someone and that the call will not result in MORE sales calls. If you make them comfortable they will work with you.

Where this all stems from is because there are a lot of bad agents out there, between incompetence, "A type personalities", and the undying belief that they can sell you anything ("if they are saying no I'm just no presenting it right yet") the profession has turned off a lot of consumers. This is just backlash from that, you will be well served to figure out a way to make them comfortable that you aren't those people and move forward from there. That is my suggestion.

Best Regards,

"Mikey"

Hi Lenn, There is no problem with picking and choosing who you are willing to work with. I do it all the time. Everyone works differently and it's important that Realtors, buyers and sellers understand each other from day one. That way everyone can make an informed decision to work with the Realtor that will best meet their needs.

Mark, Just a reminder that this is a consumer site as well as a professional site.

Working with clients is a two-sided relationship. I enter every transaction with the thought I'm developing a long-lasting friendship. It's a combination of professionalism and common courtesy. Unfortunately, sometimes you just have to say goodbye.

Lenn,

I am with you 100% on this one. I also agree that respect needs to be earned.

Just today, I had someone e-mail and request listing info on a property. I e-mailed the listing info immediately and the customer e-mailed back and requested interior photos. I immediately e-mailed back and stated that I would contact the listing agent, which I did. The listing agent responded that he did not have any interior photos, but that I was welcome to preview and take photos if I wanted to.

At this point, all I have is a first name and an e-mail address. I e-mailed the customer back and told him that while no interior photos were available, I would be happy to go take some for him, all he needed to do was give me a call, toll free. I haven't heard back at this point, and probably won't, if history is any guide.

Do I rush out and take the interior photos to e-mail back to Mr. Anonymous without a callback, without any indication whatsoever as to who he is, whether he is even a buyer, whether he is working with or under contract with another Realtor, etc., etc.

Unfortunately, there are so many doormats out there, it makes it difficult for the rest of us. The barriers to entry are so low, and professionalism lacking in so many, that the public feels that they can treat real estate agents like dirt. I agree with you, Lenn. I am no doormat and will not be treated like one.

Lenn - You didn't get where you are today by sacrificing your principles - if the shoes doesn't fit - walk on by! Great post!

Congrats on sticking to your guns Lenn, there is only so much you can do for a person until it seems like nothing will ever be enough for the person. I tend to agree that how a person acts in the preliminary stages of a transaction can show you what you have to look forward to down the road.

Also, I'm an online / email kind of person myself and I have to say, after three emails if you are not willing to give up the phone number for direct contact to tie up loose ends quicker, it starts to seem like a wild goose chase.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. Seems to me that if a buyer, especially a semi-luxury home buyer wants a good agent, he would want to close that final gap with a personal conversation. Asking an agent to take two weeks out of their schedule without speaking, is like writing an offer to purchase a home without a price.

Hey, maybe he will want to do that too.

Stefan, I get the same request regularly. Send listing and then they want interior photos. Actually, if they are out of town, I send an agent by to get a few photos, or I do it myself. But, for local folks, we'll take the time to take them on a tour. But, we're not going to spend days taking photos for folks with whom we have no relationship.

Let's save time for the folks who appreciate our time with cooperative relationship building.

Lenn, I still think you are missing the crux of the issue, but I won't harp on it any longer.

I am alway making the decision to work with a prospect or not, it is a two way street; If our personality clashes I won't go there. On the other had I can understand what Mickey is saying, I work alot with internet buyers and some of them will not pick up the phone. One of my recent sales was handle via email, even the lawyer, mortgage broker and inspector were chosen via email etc. You will find this more with people in the 25-35 age group.

Good for you! I call it "trumping" a client. aka "You're fired!".

Lenn, I'm with you 100%. One of the great things about our own website and blogs is leads com directly to us. I'm not buying them from anyone and I can do with whatever I want with them. Before anyone fills out a form on my site they get to know about me and what I do. At some point they are going to have to disclose their whole financial life to a broker if they ever are going to buy in Manhattan. Any one who does not disclose a phone number to me I do not do business with them. They are hiding something. They can be another broker. Out of every 100 leads I maybe get one with no phone number. If the only information they provide is an email address I'm not interested in them. I don't usually call them but I must have a number. The serious ones when they are ready to buy they call. I've made sales directly from the internet, from emails but at some point you have to talk. I require having a phone number. Just as Mikey points out there are bad agents there are bad buyers too.

I say go with your instincts Lenn. Who knows if this "buyer" was even qualified for that million dollar plus price range. Or if that really was a "buyer." (You could be doing all this work for another agent or someone who has plenty of time on their hands and is just curious.) Anyone can say anything in an email. If he was serious, he would have given you his phone number. At what point do you insist on getting some personal information from the potential "buyer" or "seller"? Or is one expected to work indefinitely for some anonymous someone?

Lenn, I agree with you on both of them. Regardless of whether any of us would have done those specific items, the point is, we all have certain issues that cause us to say no. I personally agree 100% about the phone call or number. Too weird.

Course the ones I am usually turning down DO call and want granite counters, four bedrooms, move in condition yada yada for some ungodly low amount of money. Next!

In order for me to take on a client, "like" and "respect" are the deciding factors. Since I work almost exclusively with referrals, I have had a "waiting list" for many years. Some people never make it to my list.

Lynn, none of us needs to be treated like a door mat! Doormat And I love this door mat!

www.homerome.com

Lenn, I support your basis for not wanting to work with them. Asking for someone's time, two weeks worth is very significant. If they aren't willing to share there information with you then they aren't real.

People who respect you and your time will also be realistic in other business matters.

DEC

2006

Lenn - Right on. Mikey might have a point...you may have missed out on a 1.2 mil listing, but it's not about money.

We have the right and responsibility to work with who we work with and to set our own agenda. Our time is not just our time...it's God's, our family's, our colleagues and our clients. But only we can set the agenda.

Somewhere there's a Realtor for that prospect. Good for that Realtor. In the meantime, you serve your community to your best capacity...with a clear idea of what it is you provide and what it is you Don't.

Lenn:

You are DEAD on with this one. E-mail is great for anonymity bu there comes a point where the continual demands and questions for your professional expertise becomes akin to an online dating service; you promise Mr. Wonderful the world and an overweight, lecherous loser shows up on your doorstep.

A phone call and an in person visit makes for a good faith negotiation. Anonymous shopping via emial can be chiseling and counterproductive.

You did the right thing. Him wanting to remain anonymous is very suspicious!

I can think of a few reasons:

A: He was selling a home in that range and just wanted your market input so he could sell FSBO and save a few bucks.

B: He laundered money and thats how he was buying the home.

C: Let your imagination run wild on this one!!

Great job Lenn!!! You provided what an exceptional realtor would have provided. They don't deseve you as their realtor. -Aloha

Good for you for trusting your instincts and sticking to your guns. You saced yourself a lot of grief in the end! Especially during the holidays.

Lenn, Thanks for the post. Lots of discussion here. I agree with you wholeheartedly. You are the PROFESSIONAL, you have to have standards by which you operate. It provides for the litmus test for all prospective clients and customers. Not everyone deserves to be in the front row of your life, whether professionally or personally. Certain criteria has to be met for any relationship to be fruitful, business or otherwise. My business services are for sale, not my business principles.

Just because it's a "buyers" market it doesn't mean that I will throw myself at the mercy of buyers. Not wanting to speak to me over the phone, not wanting to meet with me at the office, not wanting to share information, all of those things are red flags in my book. Anybody who provides a service, even your car mechanic, will expect your contact information. E-mail is great and I use it a lot but it can only go so far and a conversation can reveal so much more about motivation, ability, preferences, and attitudes. There are instances when it is important to remember that we get paid eventually - but I won't work for any price.

Lenn - Sounds like you live by your standards. I applaud you staying the course!

Lenn, that's one of the benifits of being in our profession. We don't have to work with someone. Some people aren't worth the time and effort. Others I will go the extra five miles with on an 80K sale because they are great people.

Lenn, Great Post!

The time you waste on someone who is not going to be productive or profitable could be spent getting a good client.

When we started in the business we may have jumped through the hoops because we had nothing better going on. As you grow as a salesman you learn when to say no.

I have found that saying no helps get the clients attention and respect in many cases. I have found you can do that without insulting people and hopefully gain a good client instead of a nightmare.

I have to say that I understand where Mikey is coming from, even though I think that Lenn did the right thing. I think they're really two different issues. I'm an email person. I much prefer to do communicating via email, and if someone wanted only to communicate on the phone, I wouldn't feel as comfortable working with them (and would likely follow up all phone conversations with a confirming email, as I do now). Why? Well, it keeps a written record of what was said by who to whom when, which I find very useful when trying to remember exactly what it was I promised to do. It makes me, and gives me time to, think before "speaking", to make sure I'm saying exctly what I mean to say. And, it gives the other party notice that I have the aforementioned record. Keeps everybody on the same page, as well. I do business by phone, but email is much more comfortable for me for the reasons above, and I do know people who will do NO communication via phone. The gentleman in Lenn's story sounds like he was a problem in other ways, though, and I suspect the refusal of communication by phone was just the last straw. We all do get to choose with whom to do business, based on our own criteria (anti-discrimination laws aside, of course). That's one of the joys of being your own boss.

DEC

2006

I think someone hit this one on the head -- it comes down to instincts.

And, as Mikey said, it is very possible that Lenn just missed out on a $1.2 million sale. Or, she could have saved herself and her luxury agent 2 weeks of their life before they found that buyer "x" wasn't who he said he was.

It all comes down to guts. I'm still new in this game, so I don't trust them yet. Lenn's been doing this long enough that is has been honed.

And Mikey, I agree that being anon. is a wonderful thing about e-mail communication. HOWEVER, it is also a wonderful way to "manipulate" people. If you were something from me on eBay the anon. is okay; but on a $1.2 million property -- you have to be willing to open yourself up.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the issue of personal safety. I use email in much of my communication with clients or potential clients. But before I invest much time in them, and certainly before I make plans to meet them in person and plan to load them in my car for 2 weeks, I want to know they have a real home address, a real phone number, and are upfront and honest with me. I would be extremely suspect of someone's motivation who is not willing to provide that basic information. Especially when they are wanting such a high-ticket listing. There are too many sick-os out there to NOT require this basic information.

IMOH, Mickey is the one missing the point! For me, it's got nothing to do with agents wanting to bug clients with lots of phone calls. It's about the buyer proving to me that planning to invest time with the person is not going to result in my personal harm. I had a similar, but different, situation a couple years ago with a "high-ticket" buyer. I did my own investigation of the person and stopped communication after that investigation. A "real" million dollar buyer would not behave as Lenn's "buyer" did.

Elaine, hello, and leave it to you to bring a measure of needed clarity along with a much needed good point!

Carol, several years ago, we had a new, eager, agent doing office duty. A guy walked in carrying several MLS sheets of homes he wanted to see - all in the million dollar range. She was so-o-o excited. Immediately set up the showings and took him out. No pre-qual or anything. Well, she later received a call from one of the listing agents. Seems the guy stole a checkbook from one of the homes, perhaps more, I don't recall. The seller sued. They learned the "buyer" had the weekend "off" from the local psycho facility. And to top it off, the van he was driving was stolen. Now, get this! The new agent was the wife of a local policeman. So I tend to error on the side of caution for these big ticket listings.

And no - I never heard how he obtained the MLS listing sheets.

The wife of a policeman, well I am sure she got an earful when she got home! It's easy for any of us to get duped, Elaine so I am really thankful to hear these stories and opinions from you. I have to admit I get lax myself. But I guess she learned early on the complexities to the needed value of a pre qual! How did you know I was gonna ask about the MLS sheets lolol

Lenn,

I would have sent both of those clients packing too. At some point, the buyer has to talk to me on the phone. Usually the first time is very early in the process so that I can get a gauge of what the buyer needs. Too much room for miscommunication in email.

As for the seller. Hah! Sellers either accept my approach to marketing, or they don't. Open houses and homes mags are not included in my plan. The occaisional open house, fine. But not weekly. Big waste of time.

I think your agents love you for saving their time and giving them good leads.

DEC

2006

I, in no way, think this buyer wanted to remain anonymous through the whole process, I think he was merely pre-qualifying a realtor until he found one he was comfortable with and fit his needs. Once he was comfortable with the realtor I think the process would have gone through in a more "normal" fashion.

If your "internet strategy" whole point is to merely generate a phone number in a couple emails from your web leads, you may be missing out on those who work in a slightly different fashion. I see the issue as more being able to close a lead via email than anything. If there was some more technical reason that I am not seeing, then that is one thing (she states she doesnt want to ask certain questions via email but never gives reasons why), but from the post I see 3 not horrible requests over 3 emails and then being cut off. In my personal opinion, it was a mistake. That is merely the point I was trying to make.

You sound like another Realtor snob whos time has passed. Another Realtor control freak who justifies loosing business by saying who needs it. A good lioness would have captured the jackels and feed them to her cubs. Sounds like you spared the buyers/sellers the hassles of dealing with a primadonna who's a hero in their own story of a book that don't sell.

DEC

2006

I like the way you say things. You have a handle on ways to invite others to "think".

Good job.

Shirley

DEC

2006

Most successful professionals are successful not only because they bring the business in, but they also know what business to turn away. Hopefully your agents will appreciate that.

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