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When You are Unavailable, Do You have Someone Cover for You?

In the last year or so we have been receiving a lot of calls from our website from web viewers that tell us their agents are inaccessible, working or on vacation and want us to show a listing that we have already identified as not being one of our listings. We can explain Broker reciprocity, IDX etc...and that their agents should be showing the listings, or have another agent or their broker covering for them. We normally tell them to contact their agent and ask who is covering for them.

Whenever we travel, we do make arrangements for someone to cover our business just in case something comes up. I would not leave town without having someone to look after our listings if need be. However, nowadays we never have really needed anyone to stand in. With the new technologies that are available today, e-Fax, http://www.gotomypc.com/, high speed Internet connections, Kinkos, call forwarding, cell phones, etc....we have not had to inconvenience anyone! While speaking in Halifax Nova Scotia last September, we worked two contracts. No one knew we had even left town. Before we left Atlanta, we had scanned and placed online all client files, plats, seller's property disclosures etc. We feel obligated to take care of our clients.

However, many times when working a deal with other agents, it is inconcevable that some jagents just make themselves totally unavailable when the go away. Out of site, out of mind! You cannot help but wonder if they even informed their clients they were leaving town.

Several years ago, when I was representing my clients as their buyer's agents I had the good fortune of working a deal with an agent that was away at the seashore. The home was priced wrong. It was way below market, it was priced as if the home was on a slab and had no basement. We wrote and offer, asked for the seller's property diclosure several times. We left messages all over town, called her office, No one knew where she was. At first I panicked, and then I realized that no other agent could contact her either...so I made a real low ball offer. A couple of days later the agent finally returned my call. At first she asked if we could wait until next week until she got back intown. O told her that was not an option. I had out of town relocation buyers with a limited time to buy... I persisted, and the sellers eventually accepted our offer. In the final analysis, we sold a great brick home to my clients on the golf course with a full basement and I know it was a full 60K under market. The agent was not smart enough to have another agent or her broker cover for her. She went on vacation without the files, and was forced to work the only deal that could reach her. There were loads of other agents cards at this new listing. I know that others tried in vain and gave up trying to contact the listings agent also. I'm sure her sellers would not be too happy if they knew they were not on the top of their agents priority list. How do you handle your business when you are away for extended periods? Do you have someone available to cover for you? Who?

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Posted by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO on 02/24/2007 03:11 AM

Comments (29)

real estate ethics, fiduciary, service, responsible, real estate service, agency, clients, obligations, teams, team members

Originally posted at: Atlanta Real Estate | Atlanta Housing News for Real Estate: When You are Unavailable, Do You have Someone Cover for You?

29 Comments on When You are Unavailable, Do You have Someone Cover for You?

FEB

2007

That agent needs to find another line of work. I would have called her broker and gotten them involved.

I agree Randy. Neal Bortz, the radio host, endorses gotomypc.com I've heard of it first on his program, still haven't investigated.

I've called brokers as well, in similar situations. Never fails to amaze me that so many agents won't make coverage plans. I know they're entitled to vacation-but if I'm working, I need to reach folks-and a backup works just fine. I always cover my business, and in our office all agents have 'partnerships' to cover vacations and conferences and such. Your clients deserve nothing less.

I've used gotomypc.com in the past, but since i've gone to a laptop everything goes with me. =)

We have the same problem in south Florida where many agents work only part time and are very hard to reach. My solution to this problem is to partner with someone who will cover for me. My real estate partner and I have an arrangement where one of us is always on call. We never take vacation at the same time nor plan a day off at the same time. We do listings appointments together so we both know our properties and our sellers. At time, we have even passed buyers back and forth. We can do this in a seamless fashion and it works well for everyone. Oh yes, we split every commission check 50-50.

Carol Clawson, The Weiss-Clawson Team, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Thanks for the post. The agent did not do her job.

I just checked out the mypc link - cool!! I don't really know how you can be totally inacessible to your clients - there's no reason. Yes, everyone's entitled to and needs time off, but even on my recent scheduled vacation in Texas, I had to conduct business. You do what you have to do for your clients. We are a close bunch at our office and cover for each other when need be.

Thanks for all the responses. I did try to contact the broker, there was no response. Our MLS rules have a provision that after a certain period of time, and unsuccessful attempts trying to contact the agent... we are allowed to contact the seller directly and present the offer. The problem was this was a VACANT home.

It is so easy if you are going on a cruise or some place that you want to really be away from it all is to give an agent or broker at the office your buyer/seller files. I cannot for the life of me plan an event where this not our first priority! Besides when you leave town in slow market life tends to be Murphey's Law! We sell more homes at the craziest times...and usually when we are out of town is when the phones ring!

www.GoToMyPC.com is one of the best tools I ever had. The other tool is the cell phone.

The only time I am unavailable is if I leave the country for a vacation. Otherwise, my cell phone and computer travel with me at all times. I guess I'm addicted or perhaps anal retentive but I know I only have one shot at that buyer or seller so find it easier to stay in touch while I'm away on vacations. Honestly, it doesn't bother me to work and play. If I'm out of the country, my friend and I have a mutual relationship to cover for each other.

I always make sure my clients are taken care of. We are a small office, so if for some reason a agent could cover a showing, I call in advance and explain the situation to the listing agent. They have been more than happy to assist my buyers (and their seller) to allow them to see the home. I think it is important to have good communication with other agents and with your clients. I am frustrated with those agents who don't return my calls e-mails etc. in a timely manner. They are also the agents that seem to have the most complaints from consumers!

Amazing isn't it? How hard is it to answer a phone - regardless of the time? I think I have built my business around just doing that. - LP

With all of the available technology it is easy to keep in touch with your client from anywhere. When going on vacation I make arrangement for coverage; my clients know I won't be around but how to reach me. I was out of the country for several weeks last year and everyday I checked and answered emails, I was even invovled in a serious negotiation while on the beach.

Just like all the others above, I too set up some backup beforehand.

I take it a step above, and inform my clients that I will be out of town, bring over the other Realtor who "may" need to cover a showing, and I walk my colleague through the listing with my notes of all the little things. That way both I and the seller feel good to know that even while I might be away, someone who has been to and seen the home will handle any showings. I have a few colleagues that we all work to help each other when one is away.

Otherwise, I forward all the calls to my cell and check email periodically. I take all the calls and do all the coordinating, then just let the other Realtor and clients know about scheduled showings, etc.

I hate having to handle phone calls for work or stop and check on emails for work when on vacation.... but I would hate much more losing an opportunity to sell a property.

Doctors , lawyers and indian chiefs have coverage when they go on vacation so why wouldn't the professional real estate agent do the same. Like everything I'm sure there are some who don't but I can only be responsible for myself. Icover my backside!

Patriciaaulson/REALTORSeacoast NH & ME

I always have someone to cover for me when I am away. I, also, have agents for whom I cover when they are away. We have to have this support system behind us.

I received a phone call with a referral from an agent in Raleigh a couple of weeks ago. The agent called me back an hour later and said, "Nevermind, thay already have an agent. He is out of town for the week and they just wanted you to show them around." it is so disappointing to me that they will pay this agent who is NOT there to assist them and who doesn't have the support in place should an emergency arise!

It depends on why I am leaving town, if it is for pleasure I tell my clients that I am on vacation and agent X will be watching my business to call them with any questions. I then give that agent all files with a summary of where each one is at and if I anticipate something happening while I am gone.

If I am going to a confrance I will keep file info with me and leave word on my voice mail where I am and what times I will return calls at and if it is an emergancy to call my office and they can text me.

Either way it is our office policy to fill out an out of town form so the office know how to distribute our calls

I think we can all agree this is not the way a professional does business. However the scenario is very common. I think there is no excuse for this behavior. Since I travel a lot speaking, my phone and laptop works in Canada, west coast, east coast, in the Shenandoah Valley, blue ridge Mountains, the beach, and on the glaciers of Alaska! Can you hear me now?

I think its an absolute must to have someone cover for you while your gone. You never know what could happen while you are away. But the other side of the coin, you should also offer your services to those that helped you while you were gone. Nothing is more frusterating than stories of how I covered for so and so but he wont cover for me while I am gone. Its just a common courtesy and you will get what you give.

Whenever possible, I have someone cover my business. Because i only trust certain agents with this task, it doesn't always get the coverage it needs.

Good post Jim - I have had the same experience you have had. I have had Realtors leave in the middle of a transaction and not only leave me high and dry but don't even have a message on their cell phone that says they are out of town! It is no wonder the public still rates us just above car dealers. We can all stand to raise the bar of our profession many notches.

It's easy to negotiate and conclude a contract while out of town, but it's not easy to show a property when you're away! Since we have a team, there's always someone available. We switch the phones from cell phone to cell phone so someone is available evenings and weekends.

I always have another agent cover my business when I am out of town. Granted, all calls still come to my cell phone so I can always remain in control of each situation. But when it comes to showings or moving around paperwork, I always have someone at home working. I owe my clients that much.

This issue has driven me nuts on a number of occasions. If you have a listing and are away, at least have the courtesy to say so on your message and make allowances by having someone cover. How hard is that>

I always have coverage, even what I am out of the country and can still deal with some things via fax, email, etc. Can't show my active buyers a home that way. I also often cover for people when they travel. you can always work out an amicable agreement regarding how to share commissions if necessary, and often it is stuff you can and should do gratis. I have had a number of deals fall into place when I was away and using coverage.

Thanks for this post, Jim. It needed to be said...and we should hear more on the topic.

Jeff

Jim - That situation had to be very frustrating for you. I know it would have been for me. When I go away, I always have 1 of 2 or 3 agents cover my business for me. We cover each other's business when the need arises. And I check my own messages and email, and farm out to that agent covering my business what needs to be handled that I can't take care of. It works out very nicely that way for us.

Ann

I get calls from consumers every day who tell me that they would like to see a home. It's exactly what they are looking for. Their agent is booked/out of town/ill/not returning their phone calls/on vacation, etc., etc.,

I give them the name of the agent's broker and phone number and suggest that they call the broker because I'm SURE the agent made arrangements for someone to cover for them.

It's the Devil in me.

It happens all the time. Although I know I am probably "too available", I think it is irresponsible for listing agents to take longer than a few hours to call back when I want to schedule a showing. If they are waiting for the seller to confirm but don't think it will be a problem, call me and let me know you received my message and will confirm as soon as the Seller calls back. I have asked questions on listings from agents who never call me back and I end up calling them again or the buyer just loses interest and moves on.

I think consensus is that well experience this sort of thing, but do not act like this in our own business. I think the worse feeling I ever had was on a similar deal where a contract crisir arose in a deal - that had to be resolved. The other agent purposely kept themselves unavailable. When we really exhausted all that we could do on our end of the deal...on our last call to them - they finally returned our call just to say they were going to the mountains for 5 more days then the phone dropped off. It was an absolute sinking feeling on our side. And Sorry folks, the brokers do little or nothing on the other agents side to assist the deal!

If there is a crisis in a contract, we have postponed our own getaways until the issues have been resolved.

Gotta have people cover for you. At least to be available for emergencies or to show some properties with a new lead...

98% of the time I have everything covered for my own business, but I am fortunate that I can lean on my mentor in case I needed to attend events such as my daughter's wedding or the birth of my second grandchild. I will bend over backwards to keep this relationship in tact since the benefit of having a realtor you can trust to watch over your clients is so important.

I hope everyone is as lucky as I have been in this department.

FEB

2007

I like what I've heard on this blog! The reason we care is because it isn't all about us, it's because there are others iinvolved. All too often they try to paint real estate agents as just driven by the dollar. That isn't so! Most of those I've met over the years have a purpose in their life, and take their job and responsibilities seriously! We get upset if things do not go as they should because we know there are consequence's for our actions. We understand fully that there are others involved, and they may be hurt in some way because others do not care.

I think all here have been blessed that we understand!

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