Special offer

When Agents Don't Return Calls

By
Real Estate Agent with Galleria International Realty

 waiting for phone in hollywood, fl
 
How often do you call and agent for a showing and not receive a response?  It happened to me on twice this week on two different transactions by the same agent(s)!  I had an appointment on Tuesday to take a client out to see rentals so I made all my calls Monday afternoon.  I noticed an agent (I won't mention names but this husband/wife team is based in West Palm Beach) listed 3 potential units - I believe all 3 were vacant.  I called for showing instructions and never heard back.  A second call was made the next day and again, nothing.  My client put an offer in on a different place and we have a verbal agreement on the contract to lease which we should ratify tomorrow.   
 
Fast-forward to yesterday, I'm making calls for a different client looking to buy a home and one of the ones she requested to see is a bank-owned home not too far from me.  I checked the listing and it's the same agent from before.  I called..........voicemail box is full.  It's happened to me before so perhaps she's very busy.  I call the other number (to her husband) and get VM.  Here I am over 24 hours later and not a peep.  I took these clients out today and saw several homes, excluding the one listed by this couple.  Are they really that busy that they're turning away potential business?  I wish I had that problem.  
 
Agents, do yourself a favor and return all agent calls.  Otherwise you are very likely losing sales.

Comments (15)

LaNita Cates
REMAX of Joliet - Joliet, IL
OH! Don't get me started!  I can't believe agents that have full mailboxes and don't answer their phone ESPECIALLY when it says "call listing agent for combo" and you can't get a hold of them!
Jan 27, 2008 12:29 PM
Gaye Granice
Robert Defalco Realty - Staten Island, NY
Associate Broker
It's there loss due to the fact that they are unprofessional
Jan 27, 2008 12:29 PM
Rick Tourgee
Robert Paul Properties, Inc. - Provincetown, MA
Provincetown and Cape Cod

With cell phones, e-mail, Blackberry phones, office voice mail, cell phone voice mail.......there is NO excuse for not returning a call or having a full mailbox!

I do not think that Agent is busy- just unprofessional!

Jan 27, 2008 12:34 PM
Scott R. Turner
CENTURY 21 Broadhurst - Myrtle Beach, SC
Everything We Touch Turns to SOLD!!
Sounds like the blog I wrote 2 days ago about agents not returning phone calls asking for feedback. They don't realize they are making a name for themselves and it's not a good one. They will also wonder why the didn't make it. 
Jan 27, 2008 12:39 PM
Jim Albano
Prudential Damiano Realty - Little Falls, NJ
Team - Jean-Marie Vantuno / Realtors North Jersey Real Estate
Frustrating, really, really, frustrating! Apparently this happens all over, just makes me think these folks are not serious about their business.
Jan 27, 2008 12:40 PM
Joey Remondino
RE/MAX Preferred Properties - Vienna, VA
Broker, GRI, E-Pro
It is challenging to deal with agents that do not do their job.  It is simple to me to just return calls that is what we get paid for.  Thanks for the post.
Jan 27, 2008 12:54 PM
Pat Emmett
Prudential Palms Realty - Sarasota, FL
Absolutely nuts!  In this market, most agents would pick you and your customers up and drive you to the house.   If I had a hot customer & couldn't get to the agent, I'd find the Broker.  Imagine the poor seller who is paying for this bad service. 
Jan 27, 2008 12:58 PM
Tchaka Owen
Galleria International Realty - Hollywood, FL
As an update, I called again on Monday and got VM.  I left a detailed message including how I've called several times and not heard anything back.  No response.  Yesterday I called again and for several times straight I got a busy signal.  Then later I dialed their toll-free number and I finally got a live person.  Took me a while, eh?
Feb 06, 2008 02:16 PM
Jesse Clifton
Jesse Clifton & Associates - Fairbanks, AK
It seems some things are universal.  I don't quite understand why they bother showing up if they won't return phone calls.  If they can't manage this basic task, how do they ever make it through an entire transaction? 
Feb 07, 2008 05:42 PM
Delete Account
Clermont, FL

Tchaka,

I actually got a listing once because a guy wouldn't answer his phone or return email. I saw his listing expired a few weeks later, so I popped in introduced myself, informed the seller that I had a couple of buyers who wanted to see the home put we couldn't get an appointment.

Feb 21, 2008 12:23 PM
Tchaka Owen
Galleria International Realty - Hollywood, FL
Johnny, oddly enough just 15 minutes ago I was looking again at a listing that I called the agent on yesterday (to which I never received a response).  I just noticed that it expired 2 days ago (when I initially pulled the listing it was active).  This might be an opportunity.....  
Feb 21, 2008 01:56 PM
Anonymous
Robert T
Well listen to this one. We have a million dollar investment home for sale. We listed with an agent, then put the house in auction then listed with the auctioneer/ agent. Same company.  This all started approx 4 months ago. Our home is listed at $500,000. below apprasied price. and we are still negotiable. We have never gotten ONE offer because he hasn't marketed our home! He doesn't even return our calls "the sellers" I can only imagine that he doesn't return the calls of a buyer if we were to get one! He has never even checked the Supra Key to see if any agents have viewed the home so obviously he has never gotten any feedback. We asked for an open house in mid January only to be told that he wasn't able to have one until Mid March! A week after his listing was due to expire. We called and emailed him over a week ago and at this minute we have not heard one word from him. We are terminating him today! Bad bad experience..
Feb 25, 2008 03:11 AM
#12
Allen Kavanaugh
VIP Realty Group, Inc - Fort Myers, FL
ABR, e-PRO,

This is all too common in our business today. With the market as tight  as it is I am amazed that this seems like the norm for a majority of agents. I respond to VM with in 3 hours. email with in 4 hours.

 I purchased a balckberry to assist me in this and I have found I am responding 3 times faster since I get it on  my cell phone where ever I am at. When going gout of town or on vacation. I only work with a couple of agents that I know responds in a fast and timely matter as I do. we need to think how we would want our calls /emails responded to in a timely fast matter when we respond to others. its common courtesy

Feb 25, 2008 03:20 AM
Anonymous
Robert T
Our agent has a blackberry. Still we get no response. Actually his wife is a residential agent as well supposedly working with him...We have even tried emailing her. She only resonded once and was actually very hateful to me when I asked if we could have an open house. I even offered to provide the food and help send flyers. Whatever I could do to help! Since that time.. 6 weeks ago. I have not heard a word from her either.
Feb 25, 2008 03:26 AM
#14
John Egan
LoFaso Real Estate Services - Brunswick, OH

I'm helping my son buy a home in Columbus. I called an agent to show a home and didn't hear back until I was back in Cleveland. We have the same trouble here. It's frustrating.

I also e-mailed an inspector in Columbus, he's a member of active rain, about setting up an inspection and have never heard back from him.

 

Jack

May 13, 2008 07:45 AM