Let's just get one thing STRAIGHT about property-showing protocol....
OK, this has happened too many times to the point where I have to put my foot down.
When another agent is showing a vacant property, DO NOT walk in on the showing and trample all over the place with your client.
Proper protocol is to wait until the other agent is finished showing the property.
Why? Because each client is rightfully due a private, quiet showing on the property. It's very important that they have those few minutes not only to see if this could possibly become a home for them, but all agents know that there are private conversations between client and agent that occur discussing their concerns about the property.
I had an instance a few months ago where I was showing a vacant, flipped property. In the middle of the showing, another agent just barged in showing the property to clients, yapping all over the place. When she left, I locked the front door so that my clients were not disturbed again during their showing. They really liked this house and were spending an extra few minutes there.
Lo and behold, this Lame-O agent comes back 5 minutes later with yet another set of clients! Since she could not come through the front door, she went to the side of the house, shimmied through the side gate, and once again came trampling through the back yard with her clients. As she passed me by, she informed ME how rude I was for locking the front door.
I had had it at that point, and my clients knew it. So I basically let her have it in front of her clients with a lesson on common courtesy.
And yesterday, I was showing a property. I locked the door behind me. A couple of minutes later, I heard a knock and then the door bell rang. I answered the door, knowing that it was probably another agent, and kindly informed her that I was showing the property and that we would be finished in about 2 minutes. She looked a little stunned, and then said "OK".
Upon leaving the property, in front of my client and hers, she states very sarcastically "Ooooh,....there must be some big secret in there". Once again, not wanting to cause a scene or embarass her in front of her client, I let it go.
But one thing I do know, I won't be letting it go any more in the future. If you're that badly trained on courtesty and protocol as an agent, then I suppose someone needs to take you to school.
And I'm going to be there waiting with the ruler in my hand just like Sister Bernadette, ready to whack!
This isn't the Wild, Wild, West, people. We have a certain amount of integrity to uphold in our industry.
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