Come to Alaska, but don't BS!

Recently I read another blog on Active Rain that inspired this post.  Scott Daniels in Florida wrote http://activerain.com/blogsview/301871/Sorry-we-re-Realtors .  In his blog, he wrote about the "clients" who call REALTORS° thinking it's an easy way to get a free tour of a place they visit.

Being in Juneau, Alaska, I've got an idea of what he's talking about.  Juneau is only about 30,000 people, yet we get over one million visitors over the summer.  The majority of these visitors come by cruise ship.  We will have as many as five LARGE cruise ships in our port in a single day.  It's a little overwhelming, and I really don't go downtown often during the summer, at least not unless I have to.

The "Buyer off the Ship" (BS) is a standing joke.  We get daily calls like this.  Sometimes, knowing the odds, the visitor will try to set things up ahead of time.  The biggest mistake they make is contacting several potential "chauffeurs" - like we never talk to each other.  Sorry folks, we do.  Most of these attempts are made to brokers, and female licensees.  Go figure.

Most obnoxious, believe it or not, are the BS who happen to hold a real estate license in another state.  For some reason, they believe that if they meet up with an agent here, exchange cards and have a cup of coffee or do lunch, somehow their cruise is now a tax write off!  Of course, being BS, they also think the Alaska agent is going to pay the tab!

Now don't think I don't enjoy our visitors, because I do.  My father in law and my husband operate a fishing charter business.  We are very fortunate to have this additional income during the summer months, and my husband truly enjoys meeting people that like to fish.  My older son works as a guide on a raft tour from the Mendenhall Glacier down through the valley, and the wages and tips he makes really make a difference while he's away at college. 

If you are an agent from another state that is coming to visit Alaska, by all means, feel free to contact me and I'll give you the "inside scoop" to help make your trip as enjoyable as possible.  I'll tell you which restaurants to go to (or not) and let you know which excursions are the best.  But honestly, I'm too busy selling Alaska real estate to "do lunch".  Just don't be BS.

To learn more about real estate in Southeast Alaska, visit my website at http://www.isellalaska.com .