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I am the agent on duty for the open house, not the tour guide of the neighborhood

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX REAL ESTATE TODAY, Executive Broker 901-488-9590

If anyone who knows me well in my market, they know I do many many open houses throughout the year.  And if any one who does open house regularly may come across some lookers come to your house and they look and ask question, that is absolutely fine with me.  They may not be interested in the house, and maybe they are looking for an agent to help them to buy.  Open house is a great way for me to meet leads, I don't mind doing open house at all.

But every now and then, you have some lookers come in and as the conversation goes on, you find out they are working with some other agent already, I am still fine with it.  it is an open house, anyone can come, we don't require agents have to come with their clients to look.

What gets me is they know they are working with an agent already, and they will still ask me to show them another house in the neighborhood.  I refuse to!  I am the agent on duty, not a tour guide.

I will politely tell them to contact their own agent to show the house to them, and that is the right way to do, to me and to their agent.

Many consumers always think we are paid to do everything we touch in real estate.  No, we don't.  I got paid when I close a sales, no closing no pay, as simple as that.  But even if some seasoned buyers already know that, they will still take advantage of an agent while they are doing open house.  I used to do that when I was fresh and naive in this business, I quit being a tour guide long time ago.  

I am the agent on duty for the open house, not the tour guide of the neighborhood.

 

 

 

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Serving Marion, West Memphis, Crawfordsville, Hughes, Horseshoe Lake, and surrounding areas.  If you are planning to sell or buy, please feel free to give me a call, find out if I am the right agent for you.

 

 

 

Rita Fong, REALTOR®

RE/MAX Real Estate Today

1813 Highway 77  Marion, Ark. 72364

cell:901-488-9590

office:870-735-4663

fax:870-735-4668

http://www.ritafong.remaxarkansas.com

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Comments (12)

Carol West
Carol West Real Estate, LLC - Hillsboro, OR
Real Estate Agent, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Portland

You are absolutely right about that!

Jul 24, 2010 06:26 PM
Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

I invite open house visitors to make an appointment to meet me at my office to discuss their needs proper to showing them properties.

Jul 24, 2010 06:28 PM
Tim Lorenz
TIM LORENZ - Elite Home Sales Team - Mission Viejo, CA
949 874-2247

Don't you wonder how they picked their agent.  If the agent is not taking them to houses they want to see?

Jul 24, 2010 06:30 PM
Rita Gibbons
MacDoc Realty LLC - Fredericksburg, VA
The Gibbons Group

It never ceases to amaze me when a buyer is working with a realtor - but doesn't want to bother their realtor to look at a property I'm listing ... they expect me to show them the house.  I tell them (politely) that they need to contact their realtor. 

Jul 24, 2010 06:31 PM
Rita Fong
RE/MAX REAL ESTATE TODAY, Executive Broker 901-488-9590 - Marion, AR
Realtor - Marion Arkansas Homes for Sale

Carol, I learn from experience, and enough is enough.

Sharon, that's another great way to do it.  If they are serious to consider working with you, they will meet with you.  I am only pointing to those who already have an agent working with them, and still want another agent to show them houses instead of calling their own agent.  They think the agent on duty is obligated to show them any house in the neighborhood.

Tim, I don't know how they picked their agent, but if they want to work with me, then we do it the right way.

Rita, me too.  It must be nice to have client like that, just write up a contract when they find the house, haha.

Jul 24, 2010 06:38 PM
Keisha Hosea- KASIHomes.com
KASI Homes - Chino Hills, CA
Real Estate Solutions For Real People

Rita...there are no FREE tours with me either. Only my bonafide buyers get to tour homes at my time and dime. You are SO RIGHT!!!!!

Jul 24, 2010 07:29 PM
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

I love giving tidbits about the neighborhood * especially since I am in an area with HEAVY US history * and I too have offered to have them call their agent for other viewings!

Jul 24, 2010 11:02 PM
Charles Edwards Bentonville
Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette 479-253-3796 - Bentonville, AR
AR REALTOR, Bentonville Real Estate Agent and Broker

Rita, Great post! I agree with you. You might be envious when you hear that we do only broker opens here in Carroll County. Public open houses are very rare.

Jul 25, 2010 02:12 AM
Rita Fong
RE/MAX REAL ESTATE TODAY, Executive Broker 901-488-9590 - Marion, AR
Realtor - Marion Arkansas Homes for Sale

Keisha, when someone told me they are working with so and so, I will not get in that kind of mess.  If they want to fire their agent and want me to work with them, then we need to make it formal.  They need to respect me and their agent.

Michael, that's right.  And consumers say we are not honest, as a matter of fact, many of them are dishonest with us up front.

Wallace, I will only do it if I know for sure they are not working with anyone, my experience of doing open house kind of help me in this area.

Charles, I remember you told me there is only broker's open house in your market.  But you know what, I think I am addicted to open house.  lol.  I like doing it, if I have things to do, I won't do it, but there are only handful of times that I can't do an open house on the weekend.  I have met many of my clients by doing open house and I like the interaction with others when they come to "visit" me. 

Jul 25, 2010 03:02 AM
Maya Thomas, Broker
Tampa, FL
Please see my client recommendations.

Isn't that awful!  Last week I killed my self to research 2 properties for 2 buyers who happened to be the same person with 2 alias names.  They had a buyer's agent and had me look up all kinds of information, go to the property, make them a virtual tour and then they confessed that they have been working with an agent for a year.  I make it a point to ask every buyer the moment that I talk to them if they are working with another agent.  The real buyer said the reason he used the alias names was because when he told a listing agent that he was working with a buyers agent the listing agent always asked to have his agent call for information.  He thought he would be better at getting information.  I explained that a real estate agent is like a lawyer.  They keep things confidential that will help their buyer.  What a waste of time.

Jul 25, 2010 10:11 AM
1~Judi Barrett
Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK
BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

Rita,

You were doing your job and they wanted you to stop what you were doing and do someone else's job.

Maybe they should find another agent.

Jul 25, 2010 11:00 AM
Rita Fong
RE/MAX REAL ESTATE TODAY, Executive Broker 901-488-9590 - Marion, AR
Realtor - Marion Arkansas Homes for Sale

Maya, that is absolutely deceiving!  I can't believe some people will actually go that far to use people for their own good.  I know even if I ask them if they are working with another agent means nothing, they can still lie.  I just use my open house experience and find out from the conversation.  Your incident just can make anyone screams.

Judi, selfish and disrespect, that's what they are.

Jul 25, 2010 02:51 PM