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How Much Is Too Much When It Comes To Serving Your Clients?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843

I'm sure this question has been asked a million times before.  Recently I have found myself asking this question more times than I would like.

Last year we had a listing that was a TOUGH sell.  The sellers were getting relocated because of a job transfer and they weren't happy about it.  The home was nice but in a very competitive area, and they weren't very happy with the listing price we suggested.  They also weren't very happy when we told them that the house needed to be ready to show within a 2-4 hour window if needed. 

I got a call from another agent on a Friday afternoon two week after we listed it.  She had some buyers that were VERY excited to see the home, were only in town for 2 days, and wanted to get in the next day around 12:00.  When I called Susie Homeseller and told her that we had a showing request she panicked...

"Holy bleep holy bleep!!  We are in Kentucky for the weekend and our home is a mess!  I didn't think we were going to get a showing this weekend!!!  What are we going to do Jared??  Can you and Amanda go over and clean the house for us????  That should count as part of your commission.  You are earning a lot!!"

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Last spring we took on a listing for a friend of a friend.  Lazy Larry was a little behind on his payments but had a lot of equity.  He had recently lost his job and had almost become a hermit.  We explained the conditions he needed to meet for us to list his house and away we went.  

2 days later we had our first showing request.  My assistant called to set it up with Larry and not long after that my cell phone rang.  Larry explained to me that a showing at that time wasn't convenient.  When I asked him why he answered with the following...

"Um...  the Colts are playing during that time and being a loyal fan I wouldn't miss it for the world.  Tell them to reschedule for another time."

I almost jumped through the phone.  I told him that if he wasn't going to allow showings I would pull the sign that afternoon.  He agreed to do it and then an hour before the showing he calls me again...

"Uh yeah Jared, listen man, since you work for me I need a big favor.  I don't have anywhere to take my dog during the showing.  Can you come over here and sit out back with him while they are here and then let him back in when they leave?  I'm going to the bar to watch the game.  This can be considered part of your commission right?  You are earning quite a bit."

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WHAT WOULD YOUR RESPONSE BE IN THESE SITUATIONS? 

 

 

Posted by

 

 

   

Fort Wayne Realtors Jared and Amanda Christiansen with Century 21 Bradley

Amanda Christiansen is an award winning Realtor with Christiansen Group Realty.

 

Jared Christiansen is a business partner and in charge of marketing and taking care of things behind the scene.

 

Enough about us...

 

Tell us what you want your real estate experience to be, and we will do it YOUR way.

 

Buying a home in Fort Wayne? Tell us your wants and needs. Let us know how you envision your family living.  Tell us what's important to YOU, and we'll find the community and home that fits.  

 

Selling your home in Fort Wayne?  Our job is to make you the most money possible in the shortest amount of time. We offer our sellers professional staging, professional photography, and more internet marketing than most. 

 

We are committed to giving you everything we have to offer.  We are both full time agents and will work around your schedule.  Do nights and weekends work better for you?  NO PROBLEM. We are here to help YOU at YOUR convenience.

 

Amanda can be reached at 260-704-0843, and Jared can be reached at 260-704-0842, or you can email us at JaredChristiansen@gmail.com, or Amanda427@gmail.com.

 

 

Comments (7)

Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

I think we have to have clearly defined boundaries and that we should cover these type of things up front when we first start working with a client.  I wouldn't have a problem watching the dog... after all showings used to be accompanied.... however, I would have a big problem doing house cleaning....

Nov 06, 2010 08:00 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Jared:

YIKES ....what my responses would be and what I would like to say, would be two separate things.

My responses to both of these sellers would start with "oh, I'm sorry but...."

I'll check back to see how others comment about this. 

Jared, you need to let us know how your responded as well...

Nov 06, 2010 08:02 AM
Kevin Henry
Henry Realty - Fort Wayne, IN

I would tell him that I only get paid when this property sells. I have an investment in your home at this time with advertising cost out of my pocket and my time also counts for something. Would you work your job without proper compensation? At our listing appointment you were told what you would receive from my services. Anything beyond this is something we can agree to at an hourly rate. You may not want to say this because I may be a jerk!

Nov 06, 2010 08:13 AM
Maggie Dokic /Indialantic | 321-252-8696
Magdalena Dokic - Indialantic, FL
Selling the beach in Florida's space coast

Jared, wow.  Like Joan, I would have no problem with the dog issue, but that is because in our neck of the woods, listing agents accompany 98% of the time.  I know there are parts of the country where that is not the case.

As far as the cleaning goes.  I know I would not do it.  How I would respond to it deserves some thinking.  Kevin's on a good start.

Nov 06, 2010 09:09 AM
Margaret Goss
@Properties - Winnetka, IL
Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate
@#$%^&*

That's what I would say!
Nov 06, 2010 12:00 PM
Barb Szabo, CRS
RE/MAX Above & Beyond - Cleveland, OH
E-pro Realtor, Cleveland Ohio Homes

No I wold not clean the house and I MIGHT go sit the dog, but probably not. Easy to say but a lot less easy to explain to the sellers. Maybe on our list of what we will do for sellers, we should also include what we will not do (tongue in cheek of course).

Nov 07, 2010 01:33 AM
Amanda Christiansen
Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843 - Fort Wayne, IN
Christiansen Group Realty

Joan:  I may be naive in thinking that I don't need to explain to my sellers that I don't clean houses.  I wouldn't even know how to bring that up in a listing appointment.

Kevin:  I don't think your being a jerk at all! 

The house cleaning was a quick NO, but I did offer to make a phone call to a friend of mine that cleans houses for a living.

The dog sitting was also a quick NO.  He lived across town and wanted to go to a bar to watch a game.  Simply ridiculous.  In Indiana the listing agent is rarely there at the showing.  I couldn't imagine living in a state where that is required.  With 20+ listings and 10-15 showings a week I would never get anything done with my buyers!

Thanks for the comments!

Nov 07, 2010 02:54 AM