Angry Team Members-What to Do?

One of my agents called me in a panic because the listing agent refused to talk to him.

He was angry because of the multiple requests we sent requesting documents (Incomplete TDS, missing signatures, etc.).       

The listing agent kept promising he would return them, but never did. So when my agent called him and point blank asked him, the listing agent got defensive and said he did not want my agent to communicate with him anymore.

What was my advice?

Most of the time, the transaction team is all on board to getting the transaction closed with minimal fuss and lots of cooperation (Transaction Team typically consists of 6 members-Buyer, Seller, Listing Agent, Selling Agent, Loan Officer and Escrow Officer)

However, occasionally we have a team member who has personal challenges and lashes out at others creating a negative environment for all.

First and foremost, leave the "injured" party alone. Stop bugging them and give them a chance to calm down. Believe me, that listing agent wanted to sell the property as badly as we did and will not kill the deal because of his anger.

Usually, the offending party "sobers" up and re-joins the team as a team-player and not a team-agitator.

I find the most common reason agents behave like this is that they don't know what they are doing and are afraid to ask! This is especially true if they don't have a broker they can confer with to determine if the rest of the team is really "out to get them!"

In this case, the poor listing agent was a mortgage broker who was not familiar with the disclosures, was having trouble opening email attachments sent to him, and did not appear to know how to scan signed docs and email them back to us!

After giving the listing agent a chance to "cool off," we finally figured this out and walked him through the process step by step. Offering him an alternative to emailing the docs, we provided him with a FAX number to make it easier for him.

For those who are new to the industry, or are having problems understanding the paperwork and process, it's OK to ask for direction! I L-O-V-E agents who tell me at the beginning of a transaction, "I'm new and don't know exactly what the process is, but I'm willing to learn and appreciate any help you can provide me."

Now that's being a team player!