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5 Things Agents Should Avoid with Homebuyers

Over the past couple of weeks I've been helping a friend look around for a new condo here in the Chicago metro market. While he's currently just window shopping and hasn't entered into any serious talks with potential sellers, he's your ideal buyer - especially during this slow housing market. His credit score is over 800, he has about $65,000 saved for a down payment, and he has a steady, well paying job. With that said, I was shocked by the treatment we had received when we both contacted some listing agents to show us their properties. Don't get me wrong, there were some real estate agents who went above and beyond their call of duty when it came to arranging a time for us to tour their homes and to provide us with as much information as we needed. But there were also a good handful of agents that needed to brush up on their customer service skills.

Here are 5 things real estate agents shouldn't do when dealing with homebuyers:

1. Don't judge a client by their attire. While I'm not going to win a million dollars at the poker table, I'm usually pretty good at reading body language and facial expressions. And the look that my friend and I received from an agent last weekend was one of complete disinterest. My friend was in his weekend attire: baseball hat, tennis shoes and college T-shirt. Since we looked young, the agent didn't take the time to talk-up the details of the condo and show us around the building. We actually had to ask her to show us around the rest of the building. The agent even said to us, "I was going to run some errands before the next client comes, but I guess we can look around the building really quickly." While my friend's T-shirt and baseball cap might not be screaming high-roller, his savings account says otherwise.

2. Don't blow off a call. After scrolling through several listings online at Homescape.com I found a couple of potential condos my friend would be interested in. I placed calls into the real estate agents listed on the property listings. A couple of the agents called me back the same day to schedule a showing. But one agent didn't return my call until three days later. At that point, we'd already booked enough showings for the weekend, so we didn't feel the need to schedule any more. In a slow market, where there plenty of bargain home deals available, agents should treat every call they receive with a sense of urgency.

3. Don't keep rescheduling showings. I had one agent call me back three times to reschedule a showing. After the third phone call, I told the agent, "Thanks, but no thanks." I understand agents will get multiple requests to see the same properties on the same day, and ideally they'd like to schedule their showings close together. But agents need to find times that fit the potential buyers' schedule, not their own.

4. Don't be dishonest. Real estate agents want to do whatever they can to sell their client's home. That's a part of their job description. But agents that create misleading marketing materials for their listings can come off deceitful. As in any business, sometimes your reputation is all you have, and if people feel you aren't being upfront with them, that could reflect poorly on your company and fellow co-workers.

Take for example one condo unit we looked at last Saturday. The Web site listing and printed sale sheet indicated a private parking spot was included in the listing price. The agent later informed us that the actual asking price was $30,000 more because of the parking space. She said it was a misprint. It's a misprint when it happens once. It's misleading when it's on all your marketing materials. Even if it was a mistake, not correcting inaccurate information is bad business.

5. Don't be rude. While this last rule of thumb maybe a no-brainer, you'd be surprise from what I've experienced during the home search with my friend. I had one agent during an open house talk on her cell phone the entire time we were touring the home. It wasn't until we were about to leave, she'd finally asked us, "Do you have any questions?"

First-time homebuyers typically need some extra TLC. Some of the best agents that my friend and I met during our home search were informative, attentive and upfront with their answers. The agent is an extension of their client's home, and a good impression can mean the difference between a sale today and a home that sits on the market for six months.

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@homescape.com.

Posted by Amy Le on 12/19/2008 12:22 AM

Comments (97)

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97 Comments on 5 Things Agents Should Avoid with Homebuyers

DEC

amazing that we have to remind agents of these points - AMAZING BUT TRUE!!!

Hi Amy, Good points.

We never see the listing agent when we see homes up here in the suburbs. It seems to be a Chicago custom, even for lower priced homes. Not even in some of the most expensive homes in my area does the listing agent come up for a showing,

I have no idea why Chicago agents think they need to be present during showings, but it's a huge waste of time. The buyer is represented, so let their agent take care of them, and go away!

I think it can be a challenge when you have to do the condo showings with the listing agent. Hopefully you get treated better in the future.

Donna, with 87 percent of homebuyers starting their home search on the Internet, they may not be using an agent just yet. I don't know if it is a generational thing, but most of my friends who are first-time homebuying Gen-Xers all started looking at homes without agents. It wasn't until they started to get a better idea of what they were looking for that they reached out to an agent to help them continue the process. Waste of time or not, the selling agents that were rude to us, we decided not to use their brokerage company when we finally decided to pick an agent to help us continue our home hunt.

Amy

When ever I go out to purchase a new vehicle I make it a point to pull out my most worn out, hole riddled jeans, and a t-shirt that looks like I've slept in it for weeks. I found it easier to walk around the lot without being bothered. However one young man didn't go for it. He followed my husband and I around talking up the Land Crusiers. By the time it was over we drove off with 2 of them.

Good points, all of them, and things we should know better. We're not in the habit here of having listing agents present, but I have had instances where they were doing another showing at the same time or "dropped" by during our showing and sometimes they do shoot themselves in the foot.

Denise - i will have to keep that in mind! we have so many farmers here that I don't know if the ruse would work, but if it does.... bless you! I hate car shopping with 20 people dogging my heels.

Sounds like your friend needs to be working with a buyers agent, instead of calling the listing agent for each condo.

Hey Rich, as I mentioned in another comment, with 87 percent of homebuyers starting their home search on the Internet, other first-time buyers similar to my friend may not be using an agent just yet. I don't know if it is a generational thing, but most of my friends who are first-time homebuying Gen-Xers all started looking at homes without agents. It wasn't until they started to get a better idea of what they were looking for that they reached out to an agent to help them continue the process. This process has also helped us identify qualities we are looking for in agent to help us through the process.

To tell you the truth, I think listing/selling agents that get to meet buyers, can get feed back about what they liked and don't like about the home. This can help the selling agent give their client helpful suggestions. This is a tough market, and good listening skills could come in very handy during these tough times.

Denise, love that you dress in casual desguise to avoid annoying car salesman!

I once had a kid in jeans and a really funky sweater show up on my floor duty shift. His father turned out to own half of Kuwait, and he turned into a wonderful buyer!

Pat, got to love trust-fund babies. Did he end up buying the entire block?

Amy

1. Don't judge a client by their attire.That's a big one with me. I had a well off client who rejected a commercial developer's bid because when we met at the site, client was in shorts/tshirt. He just came from the gym. This was a $800,000 commercial re-do and the young engineer who met us onsite practically sneered at the client. He looked down on him completely. This was a 40-ish lawyer who was more than capable than affording the rehab. He felt the snub. But to make it worse, this engineer called me later to question the guy's financing, which totally pissed him off and he chose another firm.

DEC

I have to say I do not show properties to anyone unless they are willing to come to my office for a consultation. I do this not only for safety but also to see if they are real buyers. I am always prompt in returning calls.

Amy - In this market, the agents that aren't doing everything possible to shine are just plain stupid! All leads need to be treated like gold, no matter how abstract they may seem...and never, ever judge a book by its cover. There is a very wealthy man in our neighborhood that walks around with ratty clothes and drives a beater car, just because he doesn't want people to know what he's worth and expect to get something for nothing from him! You never know who you're dealing with so you must treat all prospects like your next potential meal ticket...because they are!!!

Amy, thanks for sharing those 5 points. When you inverse them you have great fundamentals for any service business!

that's great information..

and wow..his credit is over 800..that's my dream lol

It's too bad you even have to bring these up as they would seem like no brainers.

Amy, I agree with all your points. It is unfortunate when Listing Agents, do not call you back. I had a cash buyer from Florida and we were looking at homes from $3m-$6million, you would be amazed that even in this price point in downward turning economy how many did not call back for days. BTW we did the same as you moved on that property.

I learned first hand not to violate rule # 1. Fortunately for me, I didn't act on my judgment and even treated to lunch. Later I learned it was a few dollars well spent.

It's a good policy to treat everyone with respect, especially for someone making a living in sales!

You would think those things are common sense for agents but I'm rarely surprised anymore by the stories I hear.

sounds like good common sense to me -- amazing how people still do the opposite

Happy Holidays,

Randall Sandin, 843-209-9667, rsandin@carolinaone.com

http://www.charlestonpierpartners.com

Good post, Amy. The bit about the agent talking on the phone at the open house inspired me to a blog of my own. Have a great weekend.

Amy, I think I learned the "don't judge" rule many years ago when I was in retail. I managed a women's clothing store and one day in walked an older woman (~70) very casually dressed. I gave her a warm welcome and she walked out with about $1000 worth of clothing and accessories. Not a lot by today's standards but around 1982 , it was a small fortune and a nice feather in my cap.. And she came back a few months later. Great post.

Those agents are problably the ones complaining about lack of sales..................

Some of this is just common sense but it is amazing how easily we can let common sense go out the door. I take nothing for granted anymore.

Amy,

I find it difficult to believe that in our current housing environment, ANY agent would resort to this type of behavior.

#1 is so correct! I had a client with tattoed "sleeves" and I can't tell you how many new construction agents thumbed their nose at him. He ended up buying new construction.

Amy,

The cosumer is the highest form of life on the planet-and it doesn't matter if they have tattoos, are bald, have a difrerent kind of body shape or they seem like they are on or from another planet.

Customers choose you in the new economy-no one has to run out and get a tattoo, but being available and having the right information is going to move things along.

blog on,

Steve

Obeoman

Amy,

What a fantastic post & so true.

Hey, Amy -

Congrats on the Featured Post!

As someone who does this day in and day out, every day, I know what you say is true, and that it needs to be addressed.

One problem is - RE is so easy to get into, and, for many, they have a "safety net" - spouse's income, etc. Too many don't treat RE Sales Professionally, and that has and will hurt our business.

Thanks for the post!

DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO

It's true, your points are just a given as to how anyone should conduct business. It's a shame that these agents are missing the obvious, ie. honesty, pre-judging...

Very true points Amy..... I wil definitely keep all these points in mind! Thank you!

It is truly amazing that in a market like we are in any agent would take anything for granted. I have to agree with Dean's statement that many agents have the spouses income to fall back on so they don't take it as professional as they should. That unfortunately reflects bad on all of us.

Thanks for posting your information. All of this is something we need to keep in mind when working with clients.

Amy,

On the buyer's side - I've requested that my physician clients not show up to viewings with any clothing that might identify their profession (and income level). It just makes sense from a negotiation perspective.

We want the listing agents and sellers to know we have credible buyers, but not "wealthy - show off buyers".

Thanks for the post!

Agents in this area usually let the buyers agent handle the showing...unless it is unusual circumstances...such as the owners request for their agent to be present at all showings or a continual open house. I had a recent experience this summer that was kind of unusual, the day of closing the Builder meets with the purchaser...and requested for me not to be present...Never leave your buyer open to this...when I did show up, he did accomodate us and I did make sure that the final inspection was done throughly and to the benefit of my purchaser. He wanted them to sign off on a prerequisite for the home warranty. Welcome to the wonderful world of Real Estate! Hugs...Shawn

Happy Hollidays

It is easy to be honest, ethical and professional when times are easy. Hard times are when a person's true character is revealed and unfortunately that can be very disappointing. You can't ccontrol how others behave you can only control your own behavior.

I worked for a surveying company before getting my license. Business had really picked up and the owner of the company needed to put 4 more crews to work. This meant 4 new vans had to be purchased. Dressed in his work clothes, (boots and jeans caked with mud) he went to the Ford Dealership. As he approached the door, 5 salesmen who were outside smoking cigarettes scattered. He was approached by a young woman (this was in the 80s) who smiled, shook hands and proceeded to sell him 4 new vans. People have gotten lazy in the boom market we had. It's time to get back to business. You have to work!

Hi Amy,

This is so true, "Don't judge a client by their attire"

In fact I would argue, the same can be said about the car that they drive.

The first time I read this blog I did not realize that you are not a real estate agent, Amy. I kept wondering why you had to go through the listing agent to view every home. Now I realize that you are not an agent (or did I misread your profile?), and the only way you can see properties with your friend is to contact the listing agent. Or is it because Chicago always requires the listing agent to be present at all showings?

You would be doing a greater service to your friend to recommend that he get proper representation from a buyer's agent. The listing agent's main purpose is to represent the seller. Please recommend to your friend that he find a good buyer's agent to work with. Have him make a commitment.

Also, if the prospective buyer's agent does not require him to sign a buyer broker agreement, he should move on, and find one that does require a formal and legal contract to represent the buyer. You will find that he will get the best possible representation by a true professional who is dedicated to his successful purchase.

Why would you and your friend subject yourself to treatment like that. Get yourself an agent that you like and can put your trust in. Get the agent to sign a contract with you to represent you and get the agent to do all the leg work. Then go and look at 6-8 condos at a time or whatever number you feel comfortable with. At the same time YOUR AGENT will be getting a sense of what your needs and wants are. Then when the right place or the right time comes along you have YOUR AGENT already in the loop. At some point you are going to have an agent represent you so why not do it from the outset.

At least that's the way I see it.

Amy - I've had similar experience myself with both real estate and banking. My agent in Los Angeles was awesome, I showed up in a beat up old t-shirt and shorts and we got down to business, she didn't even bat an eye, but other agents often looked at me funny (I was 29 and buying a home in L.A. with a substantial cash downpayment). Those agents never got our business...as nice as their homes were, they were off-putting and I didn't want to deal with them. Same thing with a bank. I showed up in my beat up old clothes and said I wanted to open an account. They begrudginly took out some paperwork and immediately gave the "budget account" option. When I flipped over the check onto the desk and told the banker how much my intial deposit was, I was suddenly whisked away to a nice office, given a cup of really nice coffee and treated like a king. Needless to say, that bank didn't hold onto my money very long. I would up going to a different bank...that didn't bat an eyelash when I showed up covered in paint from my weekend of house work. There's a reason why the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" exists.

Amy, sounds like a good way to start a search for a buyers agent by contact listing agents see if they are compatible with your needs. We see and experience a lot the behavior above trying to work with other agents to get properties sold.

Love the one about the car salesman and driving off with two Land Rovers....unfortunately it's not usually the norm. I've noticed this happens everywhere, in every business. We definitely have a choice in who and where we spend our money.

I've been in customer service all my life and have always gone the extra mile to take care of my customers and/or clients, didn't have to be pushy, just helpful and there when they were ready. I must confess that when I'm confronted with a rude or uninterested sales person, it's really a major turn off for me. I don't care how bad I may want their product, I'll go somewhere else or do without before they get anything from me. No excuse for bad behaviors!

Amy, really good reminder for all of us to practice being our best 24/7, especially in these difficult times.

So true, it's a little sad that you have to remind people in the servcie industry of the basics of the job. Like "don't be rude". Isn't that the most basic thing in any job !?

Amy, I love this post! I featured it on Shak & Jill today. Thanks for the great insight!

Great Points! Listing agents can be real defensive sometimes too. But You can also add to the list:

Don't put misleading photos on the MLS
Always put in the remarks that a new construction home is "to be built" so that my clients and I don't think there is a structure built when there is not
have many mls fields blank, like the schools, water/sewer system, square footage, etc.
Not calling the buyer to tell them we are coming after we got a confirmed appt!!

A good buyer's agent will sit down with the client and spend some time during a buyer consultation going over everything involved in the purchase of a home - before taking the client out to see any properties. Part of the buyer consultation includes spending some time finding out what the buyer wants in a home. If done properly, both the agent and the buyer will have a much better understanding of what the buyer wants in a home, and the agent will eliminate the properties that don't fit the buyer's requirements. My buyer consultations typically take about an hour and a half; although some have gone much longer. By the end of the consultation, I have a very good idea of what my client wants, and the client knows what to expect of me. We also are both committed to the home buying process and we have both signed a buyer broker agreement, which states the obligations of both the agent and the buyer.

The buyer consultation saves time for both the agent and the buyer because the agent has educated the buyer in the upcoming details of a purchase, and the agent has gathered the information they need to narrow the search down to homes that closely suit the buyer's needs and wants.

Thanks for writing about some first time home buyers needing TLC. I find it especially true and provide high-touch contacts and loads of information to my first time home buyers. I tell them they need to be an informed buyer and know more about the process as this important decision will impact their quality of life for several years...and what they learn on this transaction will serve them well in their next "move-up" home.

Amy. Congrats on the sale first off.....but you are right. It's amazing to me that the same dooms day attitude people that complain about market conditions are the same souls who seemed aggravated by a condo or home showing. I understand if maybe the person calling you had brought you many unqualified buyers in the past....but if you have never met the realtor you should be ringing bells.

Great post Amy! I too can relate to the "don't judge a book by its cover" statement because I've personally experienced it time after time myself. That's why I'm careful to not do it myself. I like making a game of it. I love calling a mechanics bluff when he assumes I know nothing about cars. Why would I pay you $50 to change my air filter when I can buy one for $25 and spend two minutes doing it myself?

Hi Amy;

Great list of tips that we should all follow. Happy Holiday!

I don't agree with the talking on the phone issue you brought up. I think the agent was just staying out of YOUR way to sell the property to your buyer. Then asking if any questions needed to be answered. I think you're a little to sensitive on some points here. BTW when will your buyer buy? Tire kicking can get really tiresome after all.

Amy - very valid points, good advise for any professional. Sad that these points have to be pointed out to the real estate agents you met.

I agree with some of the other posts, buyers should consider finding a buyer's agent to work with early in the process. It is important to find an agent that is a good fit (knowledgeable, professional, polite, etc). Once you are working with a buyer's agent, then they schedule the appointments to fit your schedule without having to meet with a handful of different listing agents. I have worked with some of my buyers for more than six months - helping them find just the right home.

Initialy it is a great to search the web for real estate (my web site has direct access to active listings including foreclosures - http://snoble.illinoisproperty.com). Then hit some open houses. Once you are ready to visit specific properties in person, it works well to find your own buyer's agent.

I was going to write don't judge a 'Book by it's cover' but I think that Mark said it best "Don't judge a client by their attire". Especially, in this buyers market where there are so many competing listings. Don't these listing agents understand that this is different market then a few years ago and there are not tons and tons of buyers. If you insult a buyer then the buyer will be more likely to find another home. Hmmm, just because you are dressed like a millionaire doesn't mean that you are not a potential client.

It's amazing that agents treat potential clients like this. You must be serious enough to go through tthe work of scheduling an appointment and going to see options. As we all know, some leads take months to bacome fruitful.

It seems a good agent would get his contact info and try and stay in contact with him for when he is ready to buy. Did any of the agents you spoke with ask for his email or contact info? Just curious!

Thank you all for the feed back. I will be passing the advice off to my friend. Thanks for adding to the list Sandy. The one about posting misleading photos is a big one for me too. Call a spade a spade.Lyn,

Lyn Sims - Northwest Suburban Chicago Homes (RE/MAX Suburban), I'm actually not an agent. I was with my friend at an open house and the agent showing the home was on her cell phone the entire time while were walking around the property. And actually my friend isn't just kicking at the tires. He almost signed a contract on a home 6 months ago, but the developer tried to rewrite the contract at the last minute and my friend's attorney told him to back out of the deal. The agent he was using at the time failed to get him his deposit back and didn't want to get in the middle b/c he had other clients working with that same developer. This is why my friend has been weary about working with another agent, and wants to make sure when he decides to contact a buying agent, he doesn't get screwed again.

Again, thank you all for the feedback. I wanted to write about me and my friend's experiences house hunting not to speak negatively about agents, but to point out that while I have met some very professional real estate agents, it takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. If you work with agents that do any of the listed things I wrote about, tell them their behavior reflects poorly on the company/industry as a whole. In bad times, we should find ways to healp each of us grow together.

Amy Le

Kim Hamblin: Good comment you bring up. None of the agents asked us for our contact information when we left the showings. Not a single one. Even the unit that my friend showed strong interest in, the agent knew he was not working with an agent. She could have recommended one or sent a follow up e-mail.

Amy,

You're right. All it takes is one "bad apple" to spoil the bunch. I am grateful for those agents who show integrity and honesty in their transactions. There are those of them out there - thank goodness.

Happy holidays and here's wishing everyone a great 2009!

Aloha

Debra A. Jason, RA, ABR
Vision Realty All Islands Kauai

Somtimes walking a mile in the Buyers SHoes, is worth the trip. Thanks for the remiders!

Hi Amy,

I hope your friend chooses to work with one of the nice agents.

Ever try to get someone to wait on you in an upscale store when you aren't dressed to the 'nines'? Sales people in department stores are often the worst about judging a shopper by how they are dressed. We learned a long time ago not to judge a client by how they looked! Good post.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Sometimes I am surprised those "rude" agents are still in the business.

Amy, I work with a lot of first time home buyers which are typical younger and I always here about them not getting the treatment they desire because of what they look like. I know how hard it is to work all week and your dressed up and don't get home until late so I just want to wear jeans and t-shirt! Everyone needs to be treated with respect. Whose knows how much money people have. It could be from working really hard or a trust fund from a family member. It really shouldn't matter!

In today's market, we should be helping each other. Sellers need buyers an buyers need sellers. If we don't work together, we are not helping our clients or the market. As Realtors, the golden rule and code of ethics should always be exercised in our daily real estate practices and transactions. If so, unprofessionalism would not be something that we would experience.

Good advise for listing agents. In our area listing agents are not present during showings, which give buyers a freedom to thoroughly tour the home. I wish you the best in finding your buyer the right property. Great Post!

I completely agree with you about these recommendations but your experience also underscores for me why it is so much nicer in my area that we use our keybox access to get into properties, thus relieving us from the requirement to schedule with the listing agent. We can get so much more done not having to rely on them to provide access.

Amy, I have had similar experiences over the past year. Thanks for sharing. I hope those "bad" agents get the message loud & clear.

As a relatively new agent I too was surprised by the lack of professionalism sellers agents possess. Thanks for the advice.

I would not like to work Chicago. I find in the burbs the one thing that surely puts buyers off, is having listing agents there. No matter how good that agent may be, the buyers know they are there and just want to move on. I had one agent in the burbs present while welooked at the home, in Barrington. About an $800,000 price tag and we felt like the home was literally being rammed down our throughts. Needless to say they did not buy it although they did like it!

I have encountered agents who excuse misrepresentations with the "Oh it is a mistake in MLS." I ask them if they review and have their clients review the mls print out for errors. I have found out that sending a copy to the client after entering the information is really helpful. I also check back later to find out if they have changed the mistake after our conversation. If they don't change the listing, our mls has a little button that allows agents anonymously to bring errors to the staff's attention. Everyone makes mistakes but when you know that the information is incorrect and continue to mislead agents and the public then it warrants a correction.

Dear Amy,

It is so sad that agents need to be reminded about the most basic things.

My pet peeve is the cell phone bit. I know that there are times when an agent MUST answer their cell phone for an emergency call, but the cell thing gets crazy. I have seen agents take 8, 10 calls while they are with their clients! These calls don't even relate to their clients. Buyers and sellers want attention when they are with you. If you know that there might be a call you must take, warn your client ahead of time.

The thing that really bothers me is anyone yapping on the cell in an inappropriate place. I would like to see cell free areas in restaurants. If you get a call leave the dining room.

I know of people who have answered their cells, in movie theaters, in church, during a funeral, or while they were in the bathroom. Enough is enough!

Thanks for Sharing,

Barbara

Being a successful buyer's agent is more than just being patient and friendly. Having a set system in place and knowing how to handle buyer objections is something that any successful agent should know how to do.

Amy, why agents would treat buyers like that when transactions are needed makes no sense.

judging people by their attire, so true Amy, my experience was just that walking into a high end car dealership dressed in my sunday grubbies and not being judged. That taught me to be a much better person not to judge anyone. Period

Great post... I like to also think in terms of things that we do for our buyers or the commitments we keep to our buyers.

1- I commit to following up with you when I told you I would.

2- I commit to making sure that I have you on a follow-up plan that doesn't allow you to fall through the cracks.

3 - I will preview properties on a clients behalf so that I know the inventory before I show my client.

4- I commit to using the technology appropriate for the consumer.

This isn't an extensive list... Just some quick jots.

All the Best,

Glenn Sanford

Thanks for a great post reminding us of the basics!
Agents that I work with would never fail to respond or encourage

all lookers and buyers. You never know who will be the one you are looking for.

Treat all with respect and always, always DO YOUR BEST!

I agree with all of your comments. I think it is so important to each client the care and time that they deserve.

In this real estate market, I'm suprised that the agents were treating you like this --- especially giving you and your friend "the look" about his clothing. Some of the weathiest people I've worked with will view homes in their jeans and sneakers.

Great post!

I only heard the feedback from my clients that if they were by themselves, they normally will get that kind of treatment cause the on-site agent may think they are just window shopping. But if the buyer is accompanied by a buyer agent and they normally get treat differently cause that means they are seriously looking...

Anyway, don't feel bad and if my buyer don't get the respect I think they supposed to get, don't even bother to show these properties cause they will mistreat you and your buyer anyway....

Amy - thanks for writing this post! We all need to remember that treating each other like human beings instead of nuisances can lead to better things. In this or any other market, rudeness and non-responsiveness is intolerable--whether from a listing agent, lender or any source.

Keep the prize in mind, not the potholes in the road the journey takes you!

All good points. Have a great holiday season and a wonderful 2009. All the best.

Amy,

Please bring your buyer to Charlotte NC. With an 800 credit score and 65K to put down I promise he will be treated well. Yhenks for sharing. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Great information, thanks for the post. In our area of East Tennessee normally the listing agent is NOT at the showings, thank goodness. Additionally, most of our offices use a showing service to set all appointments, this is a great time saver for all involved.

DEC

Amy...GREAT post. Not only should you NOT judge your clients, you should NOT JUDGE THE REALTOR! My normal attire is jeans (expensive ones, I might add!) a button down shirt and maybe a jacket, depending on weather. (Jackets in 90 degrees and 90% humidity don't work well!) But I can represent my clients just as well as a guy in a suit!

If your market "requires" you have to have the listing agent present, there is way to much inventory to chase them around.

My big, no huge, no major pet peeve is agents who will not provide showing feedback once they have looked at my listings. What this industry needs is one big dose of professionalism, followed by a double injection of plain old common courtesy!

All of these comments are so true. I think we all run into agents at some point during the week that makes us wonder how they stay in business based on the way they act/talk/etc...

DEC

These are great points. My issue (okay, one of my MANY issues) with agents is that they fail to realize or remember that other agents (ME) are their customers too. More than a handful of agents have been rude to me and that just makes me want to skip over all their listings forever (but that would be a disservice to my clients) so I grapple with that idea. WAKE UP agents, and realize that I have buyers for your listings and if you want to sell them you need to be nice (or even just plain-old professional) to me. Is that too much to ask???

Hi Amy,

Your story is a surprise to anyone who is NOT familiar with today's real estate landscape. As a home inspector with 10 years in the Chicago market I have seen plenty of appalling agent behavior. It's amazing that in a line of work where personality and customer service are so paramount, we see so many rude agents. Oh well!

Thank you Amy for the interesting post, after 24 years in the business I know that your 5 points are just the beginning, unfortunately not everybody is as professional as we should be... all the time, with every client. It is up to us to change the image the general public has of us. Good reminder for all of us!

DEC

After reading your post and then your profile, it is obvious that the true purpose of your post was to verbally take REALTORS on a trip to the woodshed. You have an ax to grind, first with local politicians and now with REALTORS. Do yourself a favor, read the Law Of Attraction. If your post were true, and I don't believe for a minute it was, your antics brought you the exact treatment that you deserved. You had sent out vibrations saying "Hey REALTORS! Look at us! You all need to grovel for this qualified buyer's business". We attract what we send out. You were cocky and looking for trouble, and you expect REALTORS to cater to you? Now you have a voluminous five point post to tell REALTORS what they should and should not do? They can spot tire kickers and game players a mile away and treat them accordingly, and you would too if you were in this business.

You can fool some of the people some of the time, and ....

To the anonymous commenter who was quick to criticize me and my intentions, there's not much I can say. That's life for you. I don't expect everyone to agree with my views. You can believe the story I've chosen to share or not. I wish you would have left me your e-mail or contact information. I am more than willing to provide you with the names, brokerage firms and the addresses to the listings my friend and I viewed last week. I can even replay the voice mail messages from the listing agents on my cell phone for you, if you need more proof towards the validity of my story. While I have had corrupt politicians and criminals call me every four-letter curse word in the book, a liar I am not. As a journalist and as a blogger, I have a strong code of ethics I practice and stand by. I have no ax to grind with anyone. Just in case you haven't followed the news of late, IL and Chicago politicians make their own bed.

I wanted to share this personal experience in my recent blog because I thought it was important to let Realtor's know that poor customer service is bad business. I apologize if my post came off as If I was talking down to Realtors, but that was not my intention. I wanted to remind people that basic customer service can go a long way. I don't expect anyone to bend over backwards for me. I grew up in the restaurant business, so I know what it's like to get customers that walk in the door and ask to have their every need cater to, no matter how ridiculous the request. And I know what it feels like when you work your tail off and you can't even get a simple thank you. But like the restaurant business, not every customer is going to be civil and while I can't control their actions, I can control my own. Sometimes being professional simply requires you to put on a smile, swallow your pride and to give that customer the same service you would give all your other clients, regardless of age or appearance.

When my friend and I went looking for a new condo, we weren't asking the agents to bake us a pie from scratch or give us foot rubs during our visit. We wanted the basics: Help us answers questions we had, provide us with accurate information regarding the property, and to take some time to walk us through the property without making us feel like we were wasting their time. If that is too much to ask, then maybe my friend should just be a permanent renter.

I have trully appreciated the helpful suggestions from the Realtors and others who shared similar experiences to my own.

DEC

Amy,

Isn't it funny about generations. I am Gen X also and all of my Gen X friends used a r.e agent to help them buy a house, myself included. Maybe I am on the older side of the scale. I just know I don't want to do that kind of work on my own, too busy and I need someone who is impartial. I guess my friends feel the same way.

I would say all of your points are important, including #1. I have met real estate buyers worth millions driving beaters and secondhand clothes. You never know.

DEC

Hi Rebecca,

I completely agree with you about using an agent. It's a lot of work so it smart to have one. I just wanted to point out a growing trend that more and more people are starting their home search online (87 percent according to NAR). These people will make appointments to look at the homes on their own, and once they start to get more serious they reach out to an agent to help them complete the process. My friends all used agents when they finally bought, but they started looking at places on thei own first. They didn't contact and agent first. According to NAR 37 percent of buyers ages 25 to 44 looked online for properties for sale. Same age group only 14 percent contacted a real estate agent first.

JAN

Are these people even trying to sell a house.... Makes you wonder.

It is just amazing to me that so many Realtors treat potential buyers poorly or rudely. You may have been able to get away with this kind of treatment during the boom years, but these times require the best service possible

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