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Loud,Rude,Arrogant Agents. Positive or Negative- You Leave Impressions

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA

It seems like every training class I attend, there is always a few agents that seem to think they have to do whatever they can to attract attention to themselves. They're either talking loud enough before the class so that everyone can hear them. They are usually bragging about how great they are, or how they are working on some million dollar deals, or how they just got 10 listings by mailing out 100 calenders, etc. ( Do they really think the rest of the class is stupid enough to believe that they just got 10 listings from mailing out 100 calenders)? Then there are the ones that refuse to turn off their cell phones even after the trainer asks eveyone to turn them off. They act like there are 20 people from 20 different deals that must be able to reach them at a moments notice. If they turn their cell phone off, every deal will fall apart. No one will know what to do if they can't reach that agent for one hour. Then at every break they have to immediately get on their phones and pretend they are so important. I overhear some of the calls : Examples-" This is legend in my own mind real estate agent, I just called to confirm that I will schedule the home inspection later today"- or " I just wanted to let you know that I'll be back at the office this afternoon", blah, blah. Just phony bs calls that didn't even need to be made. Sorry, not impressing me or anyone else. The agents that show up to these classes dressed like slobs must assume that on the way to class, during class, and on the way back home after class, there is no chance that they will meet someone that has an interest in real estate, or buying or selling.

   The most recent case, I just attended a 2 hour class in Fredericksburg VA. Most agents dressed well enough, but there were a few that didn't spend a lot of time on wardrobe choices. But that wasn't the main thing I remember. There of course were a couple of loud agents that already knew everything the teacher knew, and were apparently just there for 2 CE credits? They both made several attempts to let everyone know that they were already way ahead of the class on everything the trainer was teaching, and they were there to teach the teacher. " The way I do it....", " I've already taken that class", " I already have several of those scheduled". But the most annoying practice was:  One of the loud already knows everything agents, got up at break about 30 minutes before end of class, and starts walking around the class throwing his business card down on the table in front of everyone. His attitude was: "I'm so great, here's my card, you'll need this so you can send all your referrals to me". He won't get any referrals from me. He didn't stop to speak to anyone, he didn't ask: " Would you like to exchange business cards"?, He didn't even give anyone a chance to exchange business cards with him, he just acted like he didn't even want anyone's cards, because everyone will be calling him for advice and sending him clients. Don't just stick you card in my face and expect that I'll call you. I won't. You left a negative impression. If you take one minute, introduce yourself, tell me you work with Honest and Polite Real Estate, then ask me what area am I in, or what firm do I work with, and ask if I would like to exchange business cards and stay in touch, you will leave a Positive impression and have a much better chance of me working with you and sending you referrals.

 Negative Impressions and Positive Impressions can last a long time. It only takes a minute to leave a Positive Impression.

Jeff Pearl / REALTOR / Lic in VA

RE/MAX Distinctive - Reston VA

703-727-4876

www.jeffpearlhomes.com

Equal Housing Opportunity Provider

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Comments (75)

Katerina Gasset
The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT
Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Jeff- Thanks for replying to my comment. How is it that agents "should know better?" I don't think agents are some altered human or halo carrying being. I have been in many court hearings where the judge has to tell the attorneys in the room need to be quiet. Who makes the most noise and chatter in courtrooms? Attorneys:) I don't care what professional event you go to, you are going to find chatter and distractions and we are no better nor any less than other professionals and businesses. Katerina 

May 30, 2012 01:00 AM
Gloria Matthews
Principal Property Brokers - Vancouver, WA
MAKING CLARK COUNTY HOME

I think he is one of those "recruiters", who is building a team and hopes these people will call him and ask him "how does he do it", and then you'll not get an answer, you'll get the recruiting pitch,

probably read the book about success, and how people want to be around other successful people.

So, having read the book, or attended a class... he is practicing his success principles...   (very tongue in cheeky here).

May 30, 2012 01:31 AM
Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

Hi Jeff, I so agree that agents need to be able to let go of their phones for an hour or so. The world will not miss their short absence, and life will go on.

May 30, 2012 01:31 AM
Andrew Herren
Craig Massee Real Estate - Milledgeville, GA

I had a partner once that fit your description fairly well. You would be surprised how many buyers responded to this approach. They saw him as the man that would drive the hardest bargin, tell them the truth (even if it hurt feelings) and honestly I think some enjoyed hearing how great he was; it made them feel lucky to be with him. He drove me NUTS, but he made a LOT of money. I kept thing he would eventually get in trouble with the Real Estate Commission, but eight years later he is still going.

May 30, 2012 01:44 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Some people are just beyond stupid.

In our small area, agents from several small towns take classes in a central location - so we run into the same people over and over. When I was taking broker classes, there were 2 or 3 fellow students from Sandpoint who were so arrogant, I vowed to do my best never to do business with them.

Happily, they were far too important to list or sell in our small town of Priest River, so I didn't have to.

May 30, 2012 01:46 AM
Marnie Matarese
DWELL REAL ESTATE - Sarasota, FL
Showing you the best of Sarasota!

We have all been in that class and now I prefer to take as many as possible on line where I am not annoyed by stupid questions, YES, there ARE stupid questions, blow hard stories and look at me, I am so cool people  Good post and I bet you are glad you got it off of your chest.

May 30, 2012 01:47 AM
Nancy Middleton
Counselor Realty, Inc. - Excelsior, MN
Nancy Middleton, Counselor Realty, Minnetonka, MN

Jeff: Thanks for your observations and comments. It will remind me to be sure my behavior is exactly the opposite of what you've seen and heard.

nancy@nancymiddleton.com
Keller Williams Realty
Lake Minnetonka
Wayzata, Minnesota

May 30, 2012 02:55 AM
Terry McCarley
Coastal Real Estate - Cape Coral FL - Cape Coral, FL
REALTOR, SRES, CDPE - Cape Coral, FL

Thanks for the laugh Jeff - I have been to several classes where other agents are loud and rude - I agree with you - they don't impress me in the least.

May 30, 2012 03:05 AM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

Jeff:  You're definately a man of manners which as you know, are becoming harder & harder to find. I would have handed his card back to him upon presentation & said no thanks :-)  It often irritates me also but what can you do?

May 30, 2012 04:21 AM
Beth Atalay
Cam Realty and Property Management - Clermont, FL
Cam Realty of Clermont FL

Jeff, you are so right, unfortunately being loud is not only for agents but all kinds of people. I guess being rude, loud..is the new norm. Went to Starbucks yesterday with my sister, three young girls were sitting next to each us being extremely loud, constantly laughing loud, talking loud, screaming, clapping hands, though many heads were turning towards their table, didn't seem to bother them any!!

We actually learn a lot more if we could just learn to be quiet and stop playing with Ipads, phones, any kind of gadget!! It's rude!!

May 30, 2012 04:27 AM
Judy Orr
HomeSmart - Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale AZ and surrounding towns
I hope you filed that card in the right place. I don't really notice too many of those agents. I notice the agents asking questions they should know the answers to & I wonder how they are in this business - scary!
May 30, 2012 06:09 AM
Satar Naghshineh
Satar - Amiri Property and Financial Services Corp. - Irvine, CA

Bryant #42 - TMI - Hahahaha 

Katerina #57 - I believe Jeff says the approach to the situation should be better handled to receive a positive response. The reason why we should know better as real estate professionals is because we deal with people on a daily basis and should be able to understand different personalities and the proper way of selling ourselves. Shoving your card in front of me does nothing for me. However, take a minute of your time to build rapport, then you might have my business.

I personally can relate as I have to force myself to stay quiet when I hear such misinformation about short sales in a classroom. Jeff is correct, there is a time and proper way to express yourself and your knowledge. As it is, people have a hard time understanding short sales when I type it out for them in a logical format, let alone if I were to verbally communicate it to them while the instructor is talking.

 

May 30, 2012 07:32 AM
John DL Arendsen
CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments - Leucadia, CA
Crest Backyard Homes "ADU" dealer & RE Developer

Positive impressions have to be made continually because people will forget 95% of everything you said 5 minutes after you're out of site. Negative impressions will be remembered 95% of the time and will last forever. I know exactly what you mean about Blovious premadonnas however.

I get a kick out of the phoney phone call stuff myself. In fact I once saw someone blatenly faking a phone as his cell phone face was completely black. What a hoot. I asked her right in front of a huge crowd of folks where on Earth she got the kind of an app that made a cell phone look like its' turned off. LOL

May 30, 2012 08:40 AM
Jon Quist
REALTY EXECUTIVES ARIZONA TERRITORY - Tucson, AZ
Tucson's BUYERS ONLY Realtor since 1996

Good example. Always a few loud mouths trying to impress themselves. Another really big reason why I take classes on line!

May 30, 2012 11:26 AM
Cindy Jones
Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA
Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

One of the Broker specific CE classes I attended early this year one agent kept saying " oh we know that's against the COE, oh we know that's against the COE."  On breaks a number of us were talking and saying if they know it's against the COE then WHY are they always violating it.  I guess they were trying to impress the instructor but those of us who worked around them knew they were full of hot iar.

May 30, 2012 11:38 AM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

I know the type.  The are going out of business a lot lately.  Thanks for the post.

May 30, 2012 02:30 PM
Bob Miller
Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty - Ocala, FL
The Ocala Dream Team

Hi Jeff, you are so right.  There are a half a dozen in my market that I will not deal with if at all possible,

May 31, 2012 03:30 AM
Lana Minchew
Waycross, GA

One of our local agents certainly left a bad impression on a customer a few weeks ago. The customer happened to be a friend of mine. He didn't know that I could help him and that he didn't have to call the listing agent. When he got frustrated he called me asking if I could help him because he "didn't want to deal with that nasty woman". He said he called this particular agent to ask about one of her listings and after finding out where he works, she told him if he worked at this particular place, he couldn't afford that house. And she wouldn't show it to him.  He was surprised at her abruptness but having known her for several years, I was not.

Jun 02, 2012 01:19 AM
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

Jeff - I know the feeling. It makes it difficult to sit through a class when this is going on around you and you're there to learn a thing or two. I hope your future classes are a little less eventful.

Jun 03, 2012 03:32 AM
Pete Xavier
Investments to Luxury - Pacific Palisades, CA
Outstanding Agent Referrals-Nationwide

I like having them in class.

They are like monkeys and funny to observe.

Jun 13, 2012 06:28 PM