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Have you ever had to fire a client? I fired a client this week.

Today was a sad day because I had to fire a client. I spent a lot of time working with him to help save his house from foreclosure and he decided to kill a deal because he didn't want anyone to make money off of his house. You see there was a cash investor who made a fair offer on the property that would have been accepted by the bank as it was close to the Bank ordered BPO and my seller killed it.

He was being a bit unreasonable about the whole thing and said that he was having second thoughts and decided he only wanted a person who was going to live in the property to buy it. I told him that was novel, but when you have a foreclosure sale date on your house, you may want to consider all offers. On top of that he accused me and the investor that I was working with of being predatory. That was the last straw for me, I will not allow someone to attack my character, no matter what their circumstances are. All we have as Realtors is our reputation and we need to guard that with our all. My reputation is far more valuable than gold to me.

He called me today and asked if I would be willing to help him because he changed his mind and wants to try and sell it now. The kicker is that he says that he spoke with another Realtor that said she had a buyer (there are a few ethical issues there but I won't go there). I told him that he is released from our agreement and may pursue a real estate relationship with the other Realtor. I can no longer work with him because I have some trust issues now that I cannot overcome. I value my time and I cannot afford to waste it with someone who is playing games. I work with a lot of distressed homeowners so I know how to deal with them. Typically I am very sensitive and accommodate them whenever I can, this time was not that time. I spent a lot of time explaining the process and answering his questions so that he was not in the blue. He appeared to be very clear about what his role is and what needed to take place in order for his house to sell.

You see, one of the pitfalls we Realtors fall into is the pitfall of not having enough self respect to only work with people who fit our business model. You can't work with everyone, there are time constraints, we sometimes don't have time and sometimes the people are not prequalified. There are a host of other reasons, but my main point is that we are not here to be whipping boys and girls for the public. I know that some of them don't think we do much, but that is probably more our fault for not going into more detail of the countless hours we spend for each of our clients. If you divide our commission by the number of hours spent on any given deal, they quickly see that the more time we spend the less we make in Corporate America terms.

This technology age is wonderful and it will drive some of us out of business if we don't get up to speed. But it will not take the place of a seasoned Realtor. A website can provide you with lots of helpful information and lots of book knowledge, but it won't help you navigate a sticky deal. There is a lot of psychology in the game that we play and it is a game. A game that requires us to be very savvy and on our toes. Some are better at it than others, but we all have to play. Personally, I find the game to be very satisfying and I enjoy it immensely. It is not for the inexperienced or the week of heart.

I would be interested in hearing your responses to this post. Do you agree or disagree with me? What would you have done?

Steven Wright
My Website (I just did a lot of work on my website, I would be interested in getting your input)
720-989-5283

Short Sale Experts Found Here

Posted by Steven Wright~Home Real Estate~720-989-5283 on 03/19/2009 05:23 PM

Comments (105)

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105 Comments on Have you ever had to fire a client? I fired a client this week.

MAR

Hi Steven, sorry to hear about that. I think you did a righteous thing. You shouldn't have to compromise your integrity...ever. Kudos to you!

Thank you Jennifer, I appreciate the comment. We all have to do hard things sometimes.

Good job on firing this seller. At least you can have a peice of mind that he won't waste any more of your time..

Mike, I appreciate the kind words. You and I and others like us need to respect our time and work with people who will provide mutual benefit and success. Thanks again and I wish you great success.

Hi Steven~ Sometimes we just have to let some clients go. You did the right thing. You found him a ready,willing and able buyer and HE CHOSE not to sell. You did your part and he refused it. You really had no choice. Move on to the next person that wants to work with you instead of work against you.

Thank you Vickie, I appreciate the encouragement.

Many years ago I heard a lecturer speak about how the 90/10 rule could be applied to most everything in our lives. On the way home I realized that 10% of my clients wasted 90% of my time, leaving only 10% of my time to service the majority of the others.

I set about to fire that 10% of my clients that were high maintenance, demanding, unprofitable, and down right more work than they were worth to me on a monetary basis.

The result was that my income immediately dropped by 10%, but my lifestyle improved dramatically! No more short notice meetings, no more late night phone calls, no more real estate ;emergencies' and all the other drama that those 10% was resposible for.

I recommend that everyone take a look at their client list and clean out the 10% who make your job more difficult, refer them to someone who might want them more and everyone will be happier!

Good job removing a little stress from your life Steven.

You go, Steven! My hat is off to you on this one. A lot of people out there have the misconception that we are starving and they can do or say anything to us and we will swallow it and grovel. Not so! Good for you.

Robert, you are definitely one of the models that we should be following. We only have a certain amount of time given to us by God on this earth. Lets not waste it or be bad stewards of it. Great comment.

Thank you Celina, we shouldn't take it when people misuse our time and services. Thanks again.

As an inspector I have had a couple that I wished I had fired, never done it though.

Featured @ Club Chaos

Thank you C for featuring me. I really appreciate it and I wish you great success for 2009.

MY HERO!

Rather than feeling sad, you should have had a great feeling of relief. You were just relieved of a terrible burden.

Trying to represent a seller who is more interested in selecting the buyer than selling the home is like trying to help a buyer who is more interested in negotiation rather than finding a good home.

Neither will ever be satisfied.

Hi Steven,

Good for you to have the courage to stop working with them. I have had to fire a few of my client's too. Some people just aren't worth the hassle.

-Lisa

Lenn, your comment is true, profound and hilarious all at the same time. Thank you.

Lisa, Thank you for your kind words.

Tough call - especially since you have put so much time into the client and the potential paycheck!

There is a saying "Work smarter, not harder!" That is what you have done here, you shouldn't second guess yourself!

Steven, good for you and it's best that you let him go. We can only imagine what else could have happened beofer the deal was done.

I would have done the same thing that you did. There are too many good clients out there that when you have one this bad... time to walk. You have integrity and that is a great great thing to have. Good for you!

Lenn, good for you. I recently fired a client after she asked me why I didn't tell her that her driveway was in a utility easement. (She had copies of the survey from when she bought it, signed the survey, etc.) I knew then that she was trouble waiting to happen. She also called me at all hours, wanted me to constantly drop what I was doing and help her, find her non-existant deals, sell her investment properties at unreasonable highs, interupt me when I was explaining an issue with a property. When she asked me to pick up her hospital records I knew we needed to part. She was stunned when I told her - -couldn't understand why I would let such a good customer go. SHe tried for 2 days to get me back. I stood firm and now sleep better and have low blood pressure.

I want my clients to be as professional as they want me to be.

Steve, you should NEVER have to compromise your integrity EVER! Kudos to you! I would have fired him too!

You absolutely did the right thing. I fired a client not long ago myself. It was a short sale and an offer came in. Shge didn't want it sent to the bank because she felt it too low. It was all downhill from there.

You did the right thing.

Mr. Ferry said once that the problem with too many leads or bad leads is that they keep you from the good leads.

Good for you Steven! It happens and it's better to do it if it isn't just working for you.

Another suggestion, make this post "members only":)

Olena, Why a members only post?

Steven-You absolutely did the right thing! Never compromise your integrity. Love the name-years ago Steven Wright was my favorite comedian. LOL

Steven,

Kudos! I wished I had done that a time or two

Thank you Debra for the comment. You know Steven Wright is still a comedian. Don't think he has put out any new stuff.

In these uncharted waters - making a tough decision as you were faced with is moved up the scale. Thank you for telling your story - I am sure it will help us all if and when we are faced with a similar situation. Steven, thank you for your professional manner in handling a very difficult situation.

Well said and way to go!!

Evening Steven, I guess we all pretty much agree that you made the right call. I hope that if I were in your shoes I would have agreed to work with him on the second go round. It would have preserved my initial effort resulting in a payday; and it might have allowed the seller to see a side of you and learned something of lasting value.

I spoke with someone the other day who was very, VERY bitter about the process of his home sale. He's looking for something else to buy, but the process of the sale of his previous home has left him bitter as he received a check for $52 and some change after all was said and done.

There's a lot of love and emotion that goes into a house, and since it's such a large investment, people want to get out of it in cash what they put into it in memories, and that doesn't always happen.

It's unfortunate but we must be sympathetic to their feelings, but they must be able to separate the emotion from the transaction, especially with foreclosure looming so large.

Great story, Steven. If we can't stand by our integrity, then we have nothing.

I completely agree with you! I am going through almost the exact same thing myself! Today my seller asked me to raise the price of his house by $200,000....his reasoning being that if it didn't sell for that price then the bank could have it. I've had this listed for over a year! I understand emotions, but I have a business to run. So tomorrow I will release him from his listing agreement. Good grief....

Steven, I think you made the right decision. Besides I think you got out at the right time especially if the seller was already calling you predatory it may have led to much worse than firing a client. I faced the same thing putting in an offer for a client and the sellers decided that if they would only going to make a small amount of money they would rather go into foreclosure. Well the house is still on the market and that very well may happen.

BRAVO!!!!!!

You did the correct thing in firing that guy. As you stated your reputation is worth more than gold and you just kept it "golden"

You did the right thing, and really the only thing that you could do. Don't worry about it anymore, consider it a relief and move on.

Here, here. I wish more agents would stop putting up with unreasonable, unreliable, unethical, etc. sellers and buyers. To do so makes life tougher for all of us, and in the end it hurts the sellers themselves. I have had more than one try to pull a fast one, and my colleagues said, just put up with it. However, I kindly informed the buyer that I did not work that way and it would be better for him to find some other means of selling his home. At that point he asked me back, but like an errant child, sometimes you have to stick to your guns or they learn that they can wear you down. So I applaud your move and the value you place on your work and your self-respect.

I have no doubt you did the right thing, and congratulations to you for having the courage and belief in yourself to do just that!

By the way, I followed the link as you asked for your website, looks GREAT!

Congrats to you for having the courage to fire this client. You absolutely did the right thing and I've been tempted more than once to do the same. He would have been nothing but more time and trouble to you. You can now be free to spend that time on a more promising client.

I haven't fired anybody in years. Though there are some I wish I would have.

There are certain things that will just break the camel's back so-to-speak. You did the right thing. A seller in distress is in no position to be choosy and decide how a prospective buyer should be using the property. Now you are free to spend your time on other more productive pursuits.

This is a no brainer. If a client does not agree with the way you do business then it is time to find a new client. Never ever compromise your business as it will only lead you down a path of despair. Stick to your morals and find clients that appreciate the hard work that you do.

I completely agree with your firing him. I believe if people don't trust your judgement or make things difficult it is time to cut them loose. I haven't fired anyone, I came close once but @ the last minute she changed her tune. I agree that there are time constraints and I believe buyers & sellers need to respect agents. KM

Steven, I've fired both buyers and sellers during my career and I never felt bad about doing it. Life is short and when you know you're being used and/or abused it's time to cut the ties. I know you did the right thing but I do hope you prepared a release form and had the seller sign it. He sounds just like the type to come back later and file a complaint or sue you saying that you failed to fulfill your obligations. There are TWO rules in real estate: Location, location, location, and document, document, document. Good luck and God bless you.

Steven, I've fired clients for silly reasons, like I couldn't stand to be in a car with them for one more second! This guy sounds like a pretty sad case. Sorry.

Hi Steven -- I don't blame you a bit, I would have done the same thing. Integrity is what separates us.

Good for you! Liberating isn't it? I remember when I fired my first client...notice I said first...I have done it more than once! You are absolutely right, our reputations as professional REALTORS is more valuable than gold and it is up to each one of us to do the right thing. Sometimes it means walking away from the check to preserve our dignity and public persona. I am glad that you took a stand! Kudos!

I have fired a client before and will do it again. We all need to do so

Kudos to you!

You absolutely did what was best - sadly, in the challenging market/economy we are all living in, I fear that too many would compromise on far too many things, in hopes of holding a very fractured relationship together.

Sounds like to handled it just right - at least you can put your head down on the pillow and know that you have a clear conscience.

You can & should walk away with your head held high!

Great job - it's great to know there are other Realtors out there who are still all about going the right thing! Very refreshing!

Edith Schreiber

What more is there else to say. "Your fired" as Donald Trump would say. I don't blame you one bit you can only help a person so much before they have to help themself.

Steven..... Remember this quote....."The moment you are no longer afraid of man is the moment you become ALIVE." Terry McDaniel One client doesn't make or break your life.... I think Bill Gates said "your worst clients can be your best teacher.".... Well, I agree... Learn sooner to identify the characteristics of a barking, screaming, demanding pay check.... fire them with gusto... fire them with speed... fire them often... Respect your life and family.....After 36 years and 1600 clients, I still need to remember this.... It just fires me up... Best of continued success.... I lived in Boulder, Colorado for 18 years... top agent with VanSchaack and Company and Re/Max before moving to Alamo, California..... Join me on my blog....TerryMcDaniel.com or SmartProspecting.com.... blessing... Terry

Steven, I'm in complete agreement but that doesn't make it any easier to do. It's almost as hard to fire someone as it is being fired.

Steven, I agree it was the right thing to do. Certainly, he wouldn't treat other professionals, (eg lawyer, doctor) that way and neither would they tolerate such treatment.

Hi Steve, Well, your article is so timely. Actually, I fired a vendor last night before he hired me. Readers Digest version. " Vendor asked me to do two CMA's for him on two properties which he wanted to sell asap. He called at 2;00pm yesterday and wanted the business done last night before he went off to England. So could I come up at 7:00pm . Like yourself I made it happen, of course, just like we all do. When I got there and explained away the two CMA's. He looked at me and said he wanted $ 80,000 more for the $ 335,000 quote and $ 100,000 more for the $ 225,000 quote I gave him. I explained to him that I do not list more than 10% above my quoted CMA's, ever. When I explained that my integrity wouldn't allow me to accept an unrealilistic asking price which would imply to him that his perception of value just might be do-able. He said that is fine I will sell privately and it won't take me more than 2 weeks. I then wished him the very best success and thanks for interviewing me. SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY THANKS BUT NO THANKS. Good for you Steve, Cheers, Phil. ---www.bookerrealty.ca

I have fired numerous clients. One client can pull down your business for too long of a period. It just needs to be done in a manner that your name does not get slammed in the neighborhood. If you stick with them, you may get slammed in the neighborhood by the client. The one we parted ways slammed the agent that sold their home.....and then called me back after the sale for contractor names. I guess I did a good job of letting them go nicely.....

short sales are hard enough but if your client is working against the process then you absolutely did the right things. I bet you will sleep good tonight.

Steven - you absolutely did the right thing. Integrity has to count for something, doesn't it?

Jeff

Steven,

You were absolutely right. You stood up to him and defended your character.

Steven, I am with you 100% on this one - I do believe that we "teach others how to treat us" - and if we don't have standards, then we will attract others who also don't have standards. There will always be enough to go around, so begging for business or taking on someone who is not going to play fair just won't work for me. My time and my life is way too short and precious for that!

There is no question in my mind and all the above commenters you definely made the right decision to let that client go. You do not need to have anyone bring you down and stress you out. Life is too short to be wasting it on inconsiderate know it alls. Use the time to help those that appreciate and want your help and advice.

Steve = You did the right thing. I have fired clients in the past and it was as if a big boulder was lifted from my shoulder.

Wow Steve, you are giving me the inspiration to do the same! Same Situation

Steven--This reminds me of the time I had to fire my own brother as a client!!

Steven, you not only did the right thing but by your standing up for yourself, showed that you are seasoned and seasoned always tastes better and is more satisfying. My best. The long tail you created by standing up for your values will always pay off much more than the cowards way out.

I've never seen "doormat" in any description of success or code of ethics. Good going Steve. I've fired a few buyers in the past year. Peace of mind is worth more than any possible paycheck.

Steve, I fired a client recently as well. Only mine was a buyer client I met nearly two years ago. He has been trying to time the market and buy a home at the lowest possible price. He also had the impression that he could purchase a home for 75% of list price. I had the "novel" discussion with him as well, and actually, he missed out on a lower interest rate by waiting. I began actually showing him and his wife properties in November. I had given him the buyer agreement but he hadn't gotten it back to me yet, but being that he was a former military officer, I believed in his integrity.

One Monday he called and said he had visited an open house the previous day and found a home they wanted to write an offer on. He said he spoke to the listing agent who told him that an offer of $100,000 less than the list price would be considered. I put in a call to the listing agent and started putting the paperwork together.

After submitting the offer, I found out from the listing agent that my "client" not only told the listing agent that he wasn't working with another agent but he gave him his own business card- not mine. When I confronted my client, he denied doing this. At this point, I told him that I would not work for him any longer unless a) he signed the buyer agreement I had sent him and b) he agreed to write reasonable offers. Needless to say, he balked and I said goodbye.

I learned from my mistake.

Cathy,

I think I am just as impressed with your standing up for yourself. I do not like working with dishonest people, I have enough good clients thankfully that don't treat me that way. I have learned from mistakes also.

I've fired plenty of clients. Both buyers and sellers. Some of them weren't that bright. Some, like your client, were just plain dumb. We have reputations to protect, and some deals, even though they can be closed, just aren't worth the time and trouble. Cut them loose as soon as you can. I always wish them well. But, let the bottom-feeders have at them.

Hi Steve, WTG!! I certainly agree with everything you said but...... It is not for the inexperienced...... I understand your point but we all had to start somewhere. If all Realtors stood up for themselves eventually buyers and sellers would know they couldn't get by with it.

Congratulations for hitting the delete button!

I set someone free a couple of weeks ago- he was hassling me about my commission, then he changed the listing agreement, was 2 hours late for an appointmnet and was snicky when I couldn't jump. Then he emailed me and had lowered my commission again. I called him and told him I wouldn't be working with him, he asked why and I told him I didn't think our personalities would work together. Oh, it felt great! I don't need that kind of abuse, none of us do!!!

Steve

We enter into agreements with our clients with the best of intentions. However therre are times when the value recieved is not in proportion to potential commissions earned. I have dropped a client a year for the past 20 plus years. I always make certain it is done in a professional maner. I always try to leave the door open, some come back some dont. When they do come back it is on my terms. Most have never been fired by a Realtor. But it certainly does not do you any good nor the client if we simply can't work together as a team.

For every one client you retain that doesn't like to play by the rules, you spend energy you shouldn't, & loose other potential opportunities trying to hold onto something that simply doesn't work.

Steve

We are on your side because we all have difficult clients should be fired also. I did one a few weeks ago.

Grace Keng, Silicon Valley realtor, California

Steven. I know that you are now sleeping better at night. I am glad that you didn't compromise your reputation and integrity with this client.

Hi Steven,

It gets easier as time goes by...you'll find yourself doing a better job screening your client prospects much more thoroughly which will result in less "firings" in the future.

All the best!

-Keith

MAR

Steven,

I agree that that client was not one I would choose to work with.

I do disagree with you on one thing. Real estate is NOT a game. It is the largest investment that most people make. I don't play games with something that serious.

I have came real close to firing some buyers...I did not do it and they are starting to pay off with accepted deals.

High five Steve. I used to fall into the trap of taking on clients that didn't fit into my business model too. Those days are over

It's a great feeling when you say good bye. . they take so much energy.

We fired a seller a while back. He was unreasonable and called us literally at any time of the day expecting us to stop whatever we were doing and come to his house. He blamed us for about everything including the weather and would not do as we asked to prepare his home of the showings.

I think it was the fourth agent who finally sold his home.

The day we walked away from that one was a day of great peace and satisfaction. And you know the strange thing was that we knew before we took the listing that he was the way he was and took it anyway. No, he did not fit our business model. I suppose we thought he would be easier to work with since we knew him. So we chalked the situation up to be our fault, learned a good lesson (listen to that inner voice) and moved on down the road.

Mary

We have not had that fortunately ....but you are 100% on target ...know when to hold em, fold em, walk away and run...you did the right thing.

Steve,

I never would sacrifice my integrity for anyone......I like sleeping at night.

I have fired clients--2 sellers in fact in the past 6 months. Both had totally unreasonable expectations and became irate when they didn't get what they wanted out of me.

One said I wasn't working hard enough for him, and told me to do some things I disagreed with to market his property (as in spend lots of money on HIS ads and cut other peoples). He was angry because I brought him an offer, he turned it down, then ordered me to get the guy back--and the guy refused to talk to me again. Etc. I released the listing and he has solicited other realtors, who all turned the listing down to date!

Another is having a power struggle in the family and I repeatedly get phone calls giving me different
"orders" of what to do--one from a property manager, one from the son and the father (owner) rarely communicates with me. No return calls, no response to offers, etc. I'm done with them and I let those listings go this week. I don't care what's up with their personal situation or who's struggling with power, I don't have the time for it.

Dear Steven,

You definately did the right thing!

Barbara

Steven,

In order for a real estate transaction to be successful there needs to be mutual respect and trust from both parties. If this respect and trust is absent, the sooner you can cut them looses the better.

Steven: Good for you! I may need to tell a good friend to take a hike. She's a little bit of a ball-buster and I don't go for that. Have a great day!

Steven, I stand by you on your decision. I have fired/let go buyer & seller due to similar situation.

I told one to find someone else recently because she was being unreasonable, too demanding, and a general pain in the butt.

Life is too short to put up with unnecessary aggravation.

Sometimes we have to make decisions that are reflective of our character. I think you did the right thing here.

WOW. I am very proud of you. I read a couple of years back that their are enough people who will do business the way you want to. You just have to say no to the wrong people. I started working with people I wanted to work with and I make more money, have more time to myself and life it better. I encourage all of us to stand up for what we belive in.

Joy Curry Gainesville, FL

www.joycurryrealty.com

http://joycurry.directhomes.com

i worked on my sellers shortsale for 18 months

didnt make a payment for 18 months

i post poned auction 3 times

finally had a buyer - seller walked/ and talked the buyers during home inspection

even talked about selling furniture

week of closing she state she didnt want to sell- that she was told she could get loan modification

all that time my commission of only $1700 which is my million- gone

buyers out of spent money

There is no greater, freeing power than pushing the "delete" key in your data base.

Steven: I'm presently going through something similar, only on the mortgage end. Don't like it one bit. Absolutely nothing about it feels good or completely right. But, it doesn't change that once is a very great while, it happens ... and it has to be done. I can take some bumps and bruises during the process, but will not take someone coming for my jugular. Been in the industry for 30 years and feel like my reputation speaks for itself. Just unwilling to take that type of abuse. I've learned too, that ultimately most of these transactions land on my doorstep down the road again too. In the majority of cases, they learn that the information or actions I was taking on their behalf were truly in their best interest or the right thing to do and they return to ask for help.

As much as it hurt to do so, the action you took was best for you. Congrats on having the courage to do it, especially in the present market. Best of luck to you in the future!

Gene Mundt, Professional Mortgage Banker www.genemundt.com Chicago Bancorp

Steve:

Congrats to you!

At the risk of sounding like a snob, we Realtors® generally lack leadership skills and often act like ambulance chasing lawyers. People abuse us. They don't respect us, because we don't [very often] respect ourselves.

That's why we suck at trust with the public.

In a recent Harris Poll, we had a rating of 7% of folks "completely trusted" our profession. See the poll here: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?pid=661.

I remind clients whom I have fired: The only true real estate emergency you will encounter is your home being on fire. If it is, you better be calling 9-1-1, not me. Other non-emergencies:

Getting that CMA at 8:17 PM is not.
Indulging your "surfing for homes on the internet" is not an emergency.
And, exporting your boredom into my schedule to show you homes when you have no "intention" nor effective ability to purchase is also not an emergency, nor a priority.

I left a big firm to start my own firm in September. I export all of this "dead weight", which includes people like Steve encountered, to those firms and brokers who aren't as disciplined. If you wish to go out of business, I will help you.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see/hear how many of you are true professionals who chose not to be abused nor forced into endentured servitude. Seriously, the postings of those before me really give me hope for what is a surprisingly undisciplined industry.

Thanks for re-instilling my faith.

Michael Clarkson

We're used to buying and selling, with big dollar amounts, on a daily basis. It's what we do and we don't get too emotional about it.

This clinet, however, is losing his home and it's making him unreasonable and crazy.

Steven - I have been a REALTOR for 7 years and have fired several clients. The best one though was a guy who was a Mortgage Lender - and not one of the good ones (I found out later)! I had his house listed - way overpriced - and every Friday afternoon he would call and yell at me! This went on for about 2 months and as soon as the listing expired. I called him and said "I just wanted you to know I pulled the lockbox, the sign and left your key - Thank You and Good Luck! He just started stammering and I again said Thank You and hung up - I felt like a million pound weight had been lifted for my back. As a result of that experience we have a rule - if you make "Mama's" stomach hurt - you are outa here!!!!

Now you have room for a great client - Good Luck!

Kathy Carson - RE/MAX 1st Olympic -Lynchburg, VA

Dear Steven,

I agree with what you did. I also think it was good that you stood your ground when he came back to say that he changed his mind and wanted to sell his house.

There's a vision statement that talks about core values and only working with people that share your values. People like this client only drag you down and make the job miserable, time to move on!

Congratulations.

I fired a customer and he wouldn't leave. It's always good practice to fire your worst customers, so you can focus on the best customers. There is a difference!

Hats off to you, Steven. I've only "fired" a client one time. They told me a couple of months into their listing that they really didn't care if the house sold or not. It was priced well above where it should have been and needed work -- lots of work. I finally gathered up the courage to tell them that I really didn't think there was anything more I could do for them. Very difficult decision, especially considering they were family friends. But I'm hoping they respect me for it and are able to see my point of view on it.

Steven, I've done it too and you are spot on with your assessment of the whole situation. Kudos to you and thanks for a great post!

Steven Wright~Home Real Estate~720-989-5283-Congratulations to you Steve on doing what just about every real estate professional wants to do to some of their clients but was afraid of doing and that is FIRE THEM! If I was you,I would've done the same thing too.

And I saw your website and noticed that it is a Point2Agent website. I had one for years and about a month ago decided not to renew it. It doesnt rank high in search engines but just about every real estate agent who uses the website use the same template. Many real estate agents here have told me and a someone here on www.realestategeeks.com told me that blogs are much better than websites because they rank higher in search engines. And I am going to get one through Wordpress since it seems to be one that many people use.

Congratulations on your Gold star Superstar. I really liked this blog. Much success to you. Have a great weekend. Great post.

Steven - I once fired a client in the middle of showing them properties! He received a call from another agent....on MY cell phone! I was nice enough to take him back to his vehicle before parting ways. I wrote about it here on AR, and someone said I should have "tazed" him!

MAR

Liberating home boy! Liberating indeed. I've done it a few times too little.

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