Interesting concept.... in real estate, we are always looking for our next buyer, renter, investor or seller.... or at least we should be. Our mind is always on the prize... at the supermarket, sporting events, and everywhere else we go. We throw ourselves and cards at people in the hopes they will need our services.
But what do you do when you have a client and they are just too much to handle? You know who I mean.. the buyer who wants to spend next to nothing but wants to live in a palace.... or has been looking at property for a year with 35 agents and still not found anything. Or the seller who wants to overprice their home, sell it in 20 days, and pay you 2%. Now these may be exaggerations but sometimes you have to determine when "enough is enough."
Oftentimes, real estate agents sell themselves short when it comes to clients already in their grasp. But think about it - every hour you spend with one of these "impossibles" is an hour you can't spend with another client or looking for one. Value your time and your professionalism.
I have been in many situations in my career where I have had to sit a client down and give them the cut. And, to be honest, I have never had an issue with it. I respectfully explain that I think their needs could be better serviced by another agent (in my office who I already worked out a tip-fee arrangement with). I will explain to sellers that I need to devote my time to clients who are willing to work with me and be realistic regarding price, etc. And to my buyers, a similar explanation that sometimes people are too picky and you have to realistically examine the state of the market and your own finances before you bring an agent into the mix.
I have seen great success with this - and clients really step back and rethink their position as well as your professionalism. More times than not, I either save them as a client but with new expectations that I am willing to accept or I am able to move on to bigger and better things.
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