Pictures Coming Soon per MLS - Can you send me Pictures?

I generally send an email to those who say they are working with an agent that says "feel free to browse my site, but since you have indicated you are working with an agent I will not be assisting you future as I can't interfere in an on going client/agent relationship."  Ocassionally they change their story about working with an agent.

I try to explain the importance of the photos and not putting the listing or the MLS until the photos are done.

Robert (Bob) Gilbert - you are right, some agents need to provide more 'care' to their clients. Or clients will pick the one who cares for them.

Many times these are Seller's whose house is sitting overpriced on the MLS ( and their agent is avoiding showing them any additional properties !)

I will never understand why people who are working with an agent ask or ever expect another agent to do anything for them. When I hear "I have an agent" I am hands off and tell them you need to be working with your agent ... it's their job. If they are not doing their job then you need to find another agent."  End of discussion.

So many people really do not understand the way we work.  You did a great job of educating this person.  

And then there are the people who will TELL you that they WERE working with another agent but were not happy with them and are no longer so that you will help them with whatever they want help with and then will go back to the other agent.  That happened to me...once...

Bob, you hit the nail on the head many times in your post. What baffles me is if the agent they are working with can set them up to get listings and provide a very basic upfront service how do they think that agent will handle the complexities of a real estate transaction?

A good way to handle the web contact.

I wonder if this person had a Buyer's contract with an agent.  Sometimes, the agent they are working with are sending them properties but may not be doing a good job. 

 Regarding listing photos our MLS will fine us if we don't have one photo when we input a listing.  We can have 25 photos after we get the professional photos from the photographer.

Don't blame you Bob, some people don't understand how we work.

Ask if they have an exclusive with the other agent.  If not, offer to meet them and sign an exclusive with you.  Explain to them that you are a busy professional and only have time to provide that level of service to people that will buy a house from you.  Then explain their agent will be happy to assist them.  Because you never know if they have a friend that might need a referral.

I had a call from a person who wanted some information about buying a home who I discovered was under contract with another agent. I explained that all of his questions and concerns should be directed to his agent and because of his contracted relationship I couldn't personally help him.

I asked him about his financing and referred him to my MLO who not only would help him with his loan but provide him some additional information from his experiences with other clients with similar challenges to perhaps be able to share their solutions.  

On some of the low end foreclosure properties, we sometimes get the outside photos taken so that the house can be marketed while the interior gets trashed out and cleaned up.  But other than that, it seems like a waste to start marketing a property without decent photos. 

Sadly I get a lot of people that use me for information and then use someone else to buy with.  And yes they lie to me.

I've often wondered how many buyers are really working with an agent or just use that as an "out" to being open and communicating about a  home. 

Well they have an agent so they should use that agent to get the info. Pretty simple I think too.

"I did respond to her yesterday Email that if she is indeed working with another agent then this agent needs to handle all of her requests. I also told her if she is not working with another agent I would be happy to assist her."

Perfect response!

Bob - I think you handled this matter very professionally and did what you could to help.

Bob, I agree with how you handled this problem! Also, I never put a listing on MLS without photos.  The first days the listng is on the MLS is definetely critical.  Thanks for sharing.

It's funny how a simple thing like a few pictures can be such an obstacle for some.  There's just no excuse for not snapping a few when you're there.