Chances are you know a few Realtors. And you may have used the services of one or two of them.
But how do you know you have the right Realtor? In my daily dealings, I meet a lot of people. And they love to tell me stories.... You know, Once upon a time, there was a home buyer....
This list is culled from some of the more... >ahem<... colorful and interesting stories I have heard. I wish I could say I have made this list up, but, alas, I am just not that clever!
So, here are 5 Signs you have Chosen the Wrong Realtor. Don't say I didn't warn you!
1. They are always late. Always. Everyone runs late from time to time. There are just some things that cannot be helped, like an accident on the highway, or a closing that runs 45 minutes longer than it should. But these things can be explained and worked around. However, if you Realtor is always running about 2 hours late, you might start to ask a few questions.... Do they really have your best interests in mind? Do they care about you and your time? It comes down to respect for your time as well as your money, after all.
2. They aren't really a REALTOR®. So you know how us Real Estate types like to wear our little gold "R" pins, right? That's because they are so cute and stylish and they go with so many outfits! No it's not. It's because that is the way we distinguish ourselves from the pack of non-Realtors who want to "help you" buy your home. Realtors abide by a strict Code of Ethics and are subject to Rules, Regulations, and Laws. You can pretty easily check this by checking with the state and local Real Estate Boards. 
I wish Gina had known that. One day, Gina happened to be passing the county lockup when she saw her Agent leaving the jail. When she confronted him, he told her he had "slipped up". Something about loan fraud... Gina didn't stay long enough to hear what, exactly.... Seems her Agent wasn't a Realtor (at least, not anymore, if he ever was). He had told her it didn't really matter, that you don't need a Realtor to show you houses. Well, this might be true, but if Gina had chosen an actual Realtor, she could've avoided the stress and embarrassment of discovering the person she was going to entrust with her largest purchase to be a slightly less than honest person. If a Realtor does something like that, they get kicked out of the club.
3. They want to show you everything on the market. Real Estate is a tough business. It is made even tougher when you are in a market with a lot of inventory to choose from, yet only about 2% actually fits your needs. I was at a networking event about a month ago when Lauren walked up to me after the meeting. "I wish you were my Realtor, Jennifer!" she said. Seems the one she was using put her in the car the preceding week and drove her around for about 6 hours. His idea was that she see everything on the market. Everything. They saw 18 houses that day and he had another 40 or so scheduled over the next 2 days.
When she and I sat down to talk a few weeks later, I started asking her questions. I started with the basic "how many bedrooms and bathrooms?" and worked my way toward price, location, size of yard... When Lauren stopped me. "Jennifer, the other guy never asked us any of this! His idea was that we should see every single home that was in the city." Again, it's your time and your money we're talking about here. How do you really want to spend it?
4. They never answer their phone. (Or their email. Or their texts.) This one is such a no-brainer that it doesn't really need explanation. But, honestly, if your Realtor isn't getting back to you in a timely fashion, it's probably time to find a new one.
5. They don't respect your home. Tara had a house in California that she was trying to sell, and she hired the Realtor that seemed to have the most presence in her area. She promised marketing, advertising, open houses, the whole spiel. What she didn't tell Tara about was that she didn't intend to do any of this herself. Now, there is nothing really wrong with that if you agree to let her assistant or colleague help her do a few things, and it is understood that other Realtors will be showing your home to their buyers. But when Tara came home to find a young couple walking around her home by themselves she was not happy. They claimed Ms. RealEstate had given them the lock box and told them to go over "when they felt like it." She was never really sure if the multiple spam emails she started to receive from various "entertainment" companies were coincidence or not, but you can bet she started looking for another Realtor. Immediately.
Be sure you know, like and trust your Realtor, and you should be fine. Also remember to trust your gut. If something seems off with your Realtor, it probably is!
Ps. These stories are true accounts as told to me by friends and acquaintances. The names have been changed and if you recognize any of the details, that is strictly coincidence!
Comments(9)