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Top 10 reasons why friends should use friends as Realtors...seriously

By
Real Estate Agent with Re/Max Jazz Inc., Brokerage

10) We will work harder to protect you. We care about YOU as a friend, not just as a client.

9) We will go the extra mile for you. Christine, I will see you in London next weekend.

8) We will fight harder for you. Helping you buy a house is fun. Helping you save thousands in tough negotiations is rewarding and fun.

7) We know secrets about you already. What are a few more skeletons in the closet amongst friends.

6) We will give more to you. I will do whatever I can to help close some tough deals for friends. Burlington anyone??

5) We will be there for you long after the deal is done, because we want to, not because you are on a mailing list.

4) We trust one another already. Why enter a new relationship with a complete stranger? (And if you only remember me from highschool, I am much more mature now :)

3) We will always do what is best for you unless you suggest otherwise. Then we will take your overpriced listing, cross our fingers and enjoy the extra time we will get to spend together.

2) Because I want you to pay ME commission. I want to feed my kids and keep a roof over their heads. I want to send them to nice schools and wear new clothes. I want my wife to have everything she wants in life. I want to be able to pay all my bills on time and have some left over for charity. I want to say thank you for choosing me, when you could have chosen anyone.

1) We will work harder overall. We need you to tell our friends that they should use us too. We know that you are trusting us with the biggest purchase or sale you will ever make and we don't want to let poor decisions or lazy behaviour affect our relationship. Friends ALWAYS work harder than strangers, or they aren't good friends to begin with.

Friends...CHOOSE STU!!! To those that have...Thanks. To those that didn't...I meant it when I said I understood. I really do. To those that may or may not...read this list. It could cost you thousands of dollars to choose someone else. There is nothing you can tell me, nothing so personal, that you can not trust me to keep secret. After all, we are friends and that is what friends do for each other.

Show All Comments Sort:
Jeff D. Clark
Blue Summit Realty Group - La Grande, OR
Your Eastern Oregon Real Estate Specialist

Great reasons!

Jan 27, 2010 03:54 AM
Nicholas Goraczkowski
Aurora, CO
Your Mortgage Resource - (720) 83-RATES

I like it. As a person who always checks with friends first when buying anything. I completly agree withyour post.

Jan 27, 2010 04:00 AM
Gary Steuernagel ASSOC. BROKER, ABR, CRB
Keller Williams Southwest - Sugar Land, TX

Interesting, as a listing agent, when I hear that someone is considereing a friend or relative I ask them a few questions also.

1.  Can you fire your friend if thing don't work out or will you feel compelled to stick it out, I'm confidant that you won't want to fire me, but you can if you need to.

2.  I'm about to learn about your personal and financial life, I will keep everything TOTALY confidential, can you trust your friend to not share it with their friends or your relatives?

3.  If things don't go right are you willing to risk the friendship? 

More often than not clients would rather risk an amount of short term hurt by their friends than to risk the entire friendship over money (business).  I tell them to tell their real estate agent/friend that they value the friendship to much to risk by mixing business.

More often than not I get the listing or buyer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan 27, 2010 04:09 AM
Gary Steuernagel ASSOC. BROKER, ABR, CRB
Keller Williams Southwest - Sugar Land, TX

Also, I really agree with Vickies comment (no. 31).  We're suppose to be looking out for their best interests and ours are to come after that.  Thats what they expect and deserve. 

Jan 27, 2010 04:17 AM
Anonymous
Jo Brown

I agree with many things you say, however, I do believe that a business person doing business with a friend must stay a bit "aloof". It is just like raising children. You can be their buddy up to a point but then there has to be a time to take charge of the situation for their own good. Delicate but doable. 

Jan 27, 2010 04:30 AM
#66
Melissa Zavala
Broadpoint Properties - Escondido, CA
Broker, Escondido Real Estate, San Diego County

Good points. Thanks for posting. I had an agent in here yesterday speaking about this very thing. I'm gonna send her a link to your post.

Jan 27, 2010 04:44 AM
Terry Osburn
BHHS|Drysdale Properties - Pleasant Hill, CA
Broker Associate

I had a friend once who used someone else without telling me she was even considering buying and selling. I was hurt, angry and felt used as we routinely spoke about the current market in her neighborhood and the current state of affairs......She made a decision to buy and purchase another home in another community without my knowledge.

I look back now and I understand. I realized how much I valued our friendship over business. It was a lesson learned. She is a savvy business person. She knew how demanding she would be. It is not that I could not have taken the stress of such but in her mind she wanted to keep her business life/social life completely separate. Apparently she was able to negotiate commission way down with those agents and I have a sneaking suspicion she got a hefty rebate back as well . She valued me as a Professional not to go there with me.

She is a competent individual very knowledgable on contractual terms and frankly chose to go with agents whom she knew she could control what they received in commissions. In other words she did not need a full service realtor. It was a business decision on her part.

I respect that now. Unfortunately my response did damage that I wish I could go back and respond differently. Funny as time goes on you look back and see more clearly those things that were so muddled while in the midst of the situation.

I have  other friends whom I am more like family and have helped them through several transactions and some very hard times that were OK with the mix.

It depends on several factors.

Every client whether family or friend should receive the best in service, trust and follow through.

 

Jan 27, 2010 04:55 AM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

Not all 'friends' will be a perfect match for business.  I have represented my cousin and though it turned out okay it was kind of uncomfortable at times because she is a building inspector lol.  In any case, regardless of friends or new clients...they are treated with the utmost respect and professionalism.... I've seen some treat their family /friends with less than because they figured they're friends/family and don't have to worry about paying attention.

Bottom line....it depends on the agent and their experience/worthiness as a Realtor®.

Jan 27, 2010 05:01 AM
Brian Morgenweck
Power Realty Group, LLC Bergen County, NJ - Hackensack, NJ
Broker/Owner, GRI, CRS, ABR, SRS

Gary  (#65)

Cut to the chase...Very good points, all...& MEANT to provoke proactive thought.

Then again, I've represented friends/family with stellar results. Every situation is different, but thought should definitely be given to those ??'s up front.

All the best!

Brian Morgenweck, Broker/Owner

Power Realty Group, Hackensack, NJ

 

Jan 27, 2010 05:37 AM
Sajy Mathew
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Lancaster, PA
Making your real estate dreams become a reality!

Great blog for your friends and potential clients.  I have not had a friend not use me and hope that does not happen to me.  Stay in their minds and in touch with them.

Jan 27, 2010 05:40 AM
Paul Silver
Tiverton, RI
Rhode Island full service real estate firm

I think the issue about strangers respecting your time is a great point... friends will think that because you are their friend, you have nothing better to do... also, if things do happen to not go smoothly, I can see issues... I have seen an issue with one of my agents who was working with a friend, and recommended a few mortgage LOs whom she had worked with before and had good results... in this instance, the "friend" was upset after her husband went online and saw that "national average interest rates were at, say, 5.125% and they insisted that the LO was ripping them off at 5.5%... it took some doing to prevent them from changing lenders a week before the planned closing... seems they refused to realize that this national rate was for borrowers with over 700 credit scores and with 10% down, in certain regions... these folks had 600 scores and wanted the 3.5% down FHA deal... but they failed to realize these things effected the rate, and became upset with the agent, their "friend" who tried very hard to explain how it works, having been previously a LO for 5 or 6 yrs and a Realtor for 7 or 8 yrs... nearly lost the friendship over this...

Jan 27, 2010 05:59 AM
Gary Steuernagel ASSOC. BROKER, ABR, CRB
Keller Williams Southwest - Sugar Land, TX

I've represented many friends and relatives and to get that business it's part of my business plan, but again, if I meet other agents who have friends and relatives that are an agent,there is a very good chance they will list with me.  See my previous comment for part of the strategy,#65. 

Stuart, you say that friends keep secrets, maybe you do, but then why is it that when so many friends tell "secrets" to only their best friend, that it still gets out to everyone? 

I've gotten listings when the sellers have brothers and sisters who are agents and they still choose me.  I've had many friends that I convince, to protect the friendship they should use a highly qualified outsider as their agent.   They should choose me because I'm the best, not merely a friend or relative.  When it's done and over they still have their friends but they also are happy with their agent (me) and my performance!

 

Jan 27, 2010 07:24 AM
John Queenan
CDPE, Nicholas H. Fingelly Real Estate - Sandy Hook, CT

Stu.

Great post. I'm with you, I love doing business with friends and always go the extra mile for my friends, family and neighbors, as well as for the people they introduce me to.

If you provide great service, advice based on your clients needs and not yours, and are truly focused on helping them achieve what is important to them you cannot go wrong and neither can they.

You are their best choice, good for you for letting them know why!

 

Jan 27, 2010 01:25 PM
Rick Fifer
Vintage Homes Realty - Tampa, FL
Broker/Owner, Vintage Homes Realty

Playing the devil's advocate. I have friends who used friends and got screwed.  You may be a stand up guy and a great Realtor but that is not a reason enough to hire you.  If your friends hire you it should be because your work ethic and abilites match what they are looking for in helping them locate and buy the home that meets their needs and desires.

Sometimes friends get any easy pass and are not held to the same standard of performance.  They in fact don't work harder because they didn't have to "work" to get that buyer or seller as a customer.

On the otherhand, if you are doing a good job, your friends will likely go easier on you when a snafu arises from something that might not have been written precisely enough or communicated as clearly as it needed to be.

Try to treat every customer as a friend and every friend as a first contact.  It keeps us from taking either for granted.

 

Jan 27, 2010 02:04 PM
Stephen Arnold
HomeSmart Elite Group - Scottsdale, AZ
CRS, GRI, SFR

Great points Stuart!!  I think that I mostly appreciate the built-in trust and that makes my job a little easier!  Thanks for sharing!

Jan 27, 2010 04:44 PM
Anonymous
Consumer Reader

Please don't be offended when a friend, or even acquaintence, chooses to do business with someone else. Selling/buying real estate is a financial transaction. I am very private about such things.

I don't share financial information with friends or family. I would not hire a friend or family for any business that involved releasing more about my finances than I would in a social setting.

I don't choose friends for a stock broker or CPA either. In fact I left a small local investment firm because the receptionist asked me if I was related to a friend of hers. Why do you want to know? Will you then share with that person that one of his relatives is a client? And what conversations might that open up?

I'm just saying people make choices for a reason and it may have nothing to do with you personally.

Jan 28, 2010 02:39 AM
#79
Andrea Peters
Cortiers Real Estate - College Station, TX

Consumer #80, I completely understand your reasons for choosing not to hire a friend. I have a few friends who have told me this themselves. When it comes down to it, although I'd like the money, I really want what's best for my firends. If they feel more comfortable with someone else, I'll help them find the REALTOR in our area best suited for them.

Jan 28, 2010 06:45 PM
Ritu Desai 703-625-4949
Samson Properties - Chantilly, VA
Northern Virginia,Washington DC & Maryland Realtor

Great Post!!! Didn't we all get the 1st lesson from our broker prepare a SOI list and announce about your business. I think your list is a great reason why not to steer away from any business opportunity. I have represented my friends and I make it very clear from early on the confidentiality of my business relationship and personal relationship stay separate.

 

Jan 30, 2010 04:56 AM
Patty Mortara | Hunterdon County (NJ)
Hunterdon County Homes - Flemington, NJ

I have to say that I really enjoy working with friends and relatives as their buyer's agent. However in my experiance working as their listing agent is another story, it can put a strain on the relationship. I have friends / family that I love dearly but I know they would be "difficult" to work for!

Feb 02, 2010 08:09 AM
Beverly of Bev & Bob Meaux
Keller Williams Suburban Realty - West Orange, NJ
Where Buying & Selling Works

There are many good reasons you have stated here. Unfortunately friends are afraid sometimes to tell us the extra skeletons in their closet.

Feb 22, 2010 01:26 PM