Salespeople are notorious for "creating a sense of urgency" so that buyers buy now and sellers sell now. When used appropriately (when there really is a reason to get moving!), this is not a bad thing and can help make the consumer more realistic and help the consumer to get what he or she wants in the best possible way. When it's a seller's market, sometimes unrealistic homeowners take their time because they are overconfident and can lose a sale (selling for less later).  When it's a buyer's market, sometimes home buyers feel that they can take forever and get the house they want at a better price.  When it does sell, to someone else, they are surprised.  

To counteract the feeling that consumers have that they can take forever to act, salespeople sometimes impose  gentle pressure, that sense of urgency.  Most often it's an explanation of the risks involved in not acting soon.  If you wait, the house will be gone.  If you wait, the next offer will be worse.  Often real estate professionals are correct in explaining that homes and offers really won't last forever. For sellers, this is especially true in a declining market. There's a good reason to not dilly dally.  Creating a sense of urgency is often a good corrective and is helpful to clients who may not correctly grasp the situation.

Sometimes, though, we bump into real estate salespeople who so habitually and relentlessly work at creating urgency that they do more harm than good.  They damage relationships, their reputation, and can put transactions into jeopardy because their behavior undermines the common goal of sellers wanting to sell and buyers wanting to buy when they go into emotional fraying.

What are the signs that your agent, or the agent on the other side of a transaction, is in urgency overdrive? 

• everything is always a rush, right now - no time to think
• high level of worry and concern on every small point
• agent seems pushy and upset and overly dramatic
• interruptions - both in conversation and just in terms of needing to be #1 on their to-do list
• agent does not seem to be truthful - you catch him or her lying to others about timeframes to make them perform faster
• you don't get clear answers on actual deadlines, but instead get vague responses to specific questions
• salesperson does not listen to voicemails, but simply calls back
• agent cannot manage paperwork, does not remember emails or voicemails, puts an inordinate amount of responsibility on an assistant for transactional obligations
• too much communication - calling multiple times a day each day, for every tiny item as soon as it appears on the radar, rather than collecting thoughts and communicating once or twice to take care of multiple outstanding items

These overly urgent agents are exhausting to work with because everything seems to be a crisis all the time.  Everything is always in a hurry.  They seem to thrive on having a constant barrage of strong emotions. 

Why do they do it?

Sometimes, people are just disorganized, emotional, worried that they aren't being taken seriously or valued. Part of it is ego issues, in my experience. So they create a lot of drama to feel important, to make others respect them, and to set themselves up as saving the day.  Part of the high drama is aimed at spotlighting their successes and being viewed as having incredible leadership, a hero or heroine.  

How to respond?

It is important to not be unduly pressured, whether you are a consumer or another agent.  Decisions must be well-founded on good information.  Sometimes the drama kings and queens will want everything signed fast, without time to comprehend or evaluate options.  This is a red flag.  Buyers and sellers need to be given time to investigate, whether it's buyers having their own inspections or sellers getting repair bids.   Anytime an agent is rushing you and closing off important options, be concerned. 

Set boundaries, if needed.  I once heard of an agent in a bumpy transaction who had a somewhat crazy salesperson on the other side of a sale.  The crazy agent phoned dozen of times a day - it was apparently to the point of harassment.  The normal agent had a dinner party at her home one weekend night and the crazy agent showed up on her doorstep in the middle of the event.  If the agent crosses the line to that degree, it might be time to phone the broker and ask for some help.

Are you guilty?

If you are constantly in a rush, constantly in a crisis, and feel the need to always make everyone scream "How High?" when you say "JUMP!", if you tell "white lies" to make people do your bidding, perhaps you need to slow down a minute and refind your balance. Ask yourself why you have so much drama in your life.  I can guarantee you that if this is how you live and work, it will be counterproductive for you in the long run in your career. The stress is probably hard on your body, too, and possibly the important relationships in your life.

Don't get sucked into the emotional morass.  Urgency overdrive people can drive you crazy, but keep your cool.  Document everything, stick to the facts and work at problem solving without insults or unloading on them as to how miserable they are making you.  Remember, they have to live with themselves and are probably miserable most of the time themselves.