Is A Courtesy Call Too Much To Ask For These Days?

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

Over the weekend I received a call from an agent whose primary territory is Passaic county (one of the northern most parts of NJ).

He said that he wanted to show one of my Monmouth county NJ listings.Now keep in mind, this agent is traveling approx 60 miles or more to show my listing, yet he calls me at 1:17pm while en route to the home and says he wants to show it at 1:45pm (despite the BIG/BOLD 24 hour notice request I put in the "agent notes" section in the listing). On top of that, the agent specifically requests that the homeowners not be home so his buyers can view the home freely.

I mean, we are in a tough real estate climate right now, right? If you want to get SOLD, being flexible is a MUST!

I rush and call my client. I nearly have to beg her to allow me to show on such short notice, because her youngest son had just drove home for the weekend from college in Maryland. She finally agrees to vacate the home for a few hours and goes holiday shopping earlier than she wanted, but at least we're getting a showing right?

I immediately call the agent back and explain to the agent that my client will accomodate the showing at 2:00pm, and I ask them if there's anything else he needs from me. He said he had everything covered and says he'll be there shortly.

He calls me back 5 minutes later and says he doesn't know how to get to my listing.Let's keep in mind this home was built in 1990 (so it's not like it's on a brand new street or something), and the directions are clearly outlined in the MLS listing I wrote personally. The agent's GPS navigation system and radio are both blaring loudly in the background, not to mention his Bluetooth device is horrible and there is a language barrier between us so we're having a tough time understanding what each other is saying.

I really, really, really want to sell this home and help my homeowners. They are in a rough spot financially due to mounting medical bills, a bad refinance loan and the rough economy, plus they been nothing but cooperative and responsive.

So after nearly 10 additional minutes of the back and forth of me giving him driving direction, his "Tom Tom" giving conflicting direction and the loud music in the background, he finally "gets it"...or at least so I thought he did.

Now, I've been told that I am a pretty patient person. However, this agent was clearing tetering on the edge of the last nerve I had left...lol!

I thank him again for showing my listing (for the 2nd time in a span of less than 20 mins) and bid him farewell. 

Less than 5 mins later, the agent calls me for the 3rd time and says he doesn't have a Monmouth county MLS Supra key (aka central NJ lockbox key)... 

Instead he only has a Garden State MLS Supra (aka northern NJ lockbox key).

By this time, I'm thinking to myself, "This guy CANNOT be serious! Is he really a Realtor? Is this someone playing a pratical joke on me?" But he was absolutely serious and he really is a Realtor...and that's the part that's so frightening.

At this point it's nearly 2:00pm. I call my client back (AGAIN) as she's heading out the door, and ask her if she would mind staying home to open the door for the Realtor. She doesn't agree to stay home, but compromises by convincing her son to stay home while she and her husband run their errands and do their holiday shopping.

I call the agent back, explain the new gameplan and casually mention how sellers rearranged their entire day, to accomodate the showing. He thanks me and assures he'll be there at 2:00pm prompt.

2:00pm rolls around, and it's showtime! NOT!  The agent NEVER showed up.

I get a call from my client who informs me that 3 hrs later, no one showed up. 

I call the agent three times, leave three messages on his v/m and no answer.

So, I wait a day and call him the following morning, but this time I call from a different phone # that shows "private" on caller ID.

He answers, again loud noise blaring, and this time he has a bunch of children screaming in the background

I take a deep breath and politely ask him how the showing went at my listing yesterday at 123 ANY STREET.

He replies, "Ohhhhh, yes, yes, yes...you mean the house with the six kids? It went very well. My clients like that house alot!"         Huhhhhhh??? 

Now clearly my sellers are "empty-nesters"with their last child in college and no grand-kids, so he obviously was not talking about my listing.

I politely but firmly probe him further about the "showing" that never was. Once he realized that he was totally talking to the wrong agent, and realized that he had his houses all screwed up, he fessed up.

He told me he never went to see my listing, because his "GPS couldn't locate it" and he "didn't print out the MLS sheets for the homes he was showing" and he just "changed his mind."

Sorry but this just doesn't cut it!  No courtesy call after all of that hustling to get the showing confirmed? I wasn't concerned about me not getting a call...My concern was being accountable to my clients who've entrusted me with the responsibility of getting the home SOLD.

Come'on now...We've got to do better than this...

LET ME END ON THIS NOTE:  The overwhelming majority of agents I have ever encountered have been professional, courteous and informed. Those are the agents that are the lifeblood of our profession. 

It's just those few random agents who don't exhibit basic business decorum that make it hard for those of us who operate with the highest degree of professionalism and integrity.

I pray that in 2009, those few "rotten apples" in the business (because IT IS A BUSINESS) quickly weed themselves out. The quicker they "exit stage left" the more business there will be for the best & brightest agents.

There are too many outstanding, hardworking, qualified agents who are ready, willing and prepared to provide the quality service that consumers deserve from anyone who proudly displays the Realtor symbol by their name!

Stay motivated,

Amber