I've come across many types of buyers in my 15 years as an agent but these buyers are wearing me down; what's worse is that these are very lovely and loyal people.
It's hard NOT to think, 'maybe the next one ...'. And the other thing my head tells me in these situations is, "SOMEONE is going to get that commission, I want it to be me!" I know a lot of agents will come on here and tell you it's time to fire them. But I've never 'fired' a client, and I'm always glad when I'm depositing the commission check.
Joetta, I once fired a friend who insisted on working with me but refused to let me educate her nor would she listen to my professional advice. She was all over the place. I chose the friendship and referred her and I told her that I thought the homes she was making offers on needed too much work and I cared too much to help her get in over her head.
Part of me wants to complete what I started and part of me feels that it's going to end up costing me, even after they close on something. Sometimes you need to cut your losses. Choosing to do so and when is what's hard.
Alyse, why not enlist the help of a rookie agent, as a referral, to assist with the showings, but still stay involved, let's say from the contract stage up to closing.
Hi Bette, I thought of this in my last sentence and I'm about ready to do it. Sometimes you feel like you're almost there, ya know?
Aly Tough call and I see this blog is fairly old. Is there an update with a happy ending? I know agents that have instructed clients after so much alloted time the require a retainer fee. You might suggest he/she gets a RE license! It comes across looking at RE has become a hobby and you are the tour guide. Good luck and enjoy your day
KEEP BLOGGING!
Hey John. I met them for lunch and tried to figure out why they couldn't decide. They never explained why they would pass on properties that they had me research (I have a folder of 5 properties that I did CMAs on and made calls to get many questions answered; offers were made on at least 2 of them.
It turned out that he was more concerned with the lot and she was most concerned with the interior layout. They just couldn't agree with each other. They wanted the perfect combination of their different desires for below market value. I showed one or two more and then I told them that they really needed to come to an agreement or combine their wants/needs before resuming. I got an email asking if they would still have to pay me if they didn't buy a home and I said they did not.
A few months later I was looking in the MLS and they had just listed their home with an agent I knew. I didn't mention before that the buyer teaches at a special school, doesn't drive and I picked him up every time to meet the rest of the family. I emailed the agent. He told me that the buyer had gotten a promotion to head master and the school gave the family a house to live in on the school grounds. They responded to a postcard mailing and they had him list their home. I could NOT believe all the work these people let me do and all the gas and time I spent on them. I should send them a copy of this blog.
Aly We have all experienced this situation and it sucks! Their email was probably a hint as to things to come. We can only suck it up and move on...and be polite to the uneducated. I try hard to educate my buyers but it happens to all of us. Enjoy you day...and keep blogging.
Thanks John. I wish the "hint" had come a year earlier. I was always sweet to them and I will remain sweet to all. By the way, I did have a new agent show them one time. I was just floored to see that they hired and paid another agent to sell their home while I donated at least a hundred hours and a few tanks of gas. The only possible thing I could have done in retrospect was to collect a retainer fee from them up-front but who could have ever predicted this.
HOWEVER, 2013 was still my best year thanks to the good clients who did NOT take advantage of my good nature. I love the clients who respect my time and expertise and it will never change. Thanks for your attention, John!
CDE, Core Driving Emotion is what I look for. To me it sounds as if they love the process and it is their fun. It is our work. I am not sure how you turn this around. Personally I rarely go to a home the first time with any of my Buyers. Since the internet can deliver so much information and Open Houses are plentiful I suggest they do the preliminary work and allow me to come in and help them with the price and negotiations. It is quite possible they enjoy spending time with you. I wonder if you can get other referrals from them. Not all clients take this long, you know.
OH man...These people have kinfolks here in Austin Texas and I am working with them ;-O
Seriously, I like it when folks take a little time to check out a home but then it can get ridiculous. After previewing, they then begin to pick apart the home for all manner of reasons. I actually told them that we should stop because they were just unable to make decision to actually BUY a home. No really. Anyway, like you I always think that the "next one" is just around the corner. I am either very stubborn or just stupid...
Well, Russell, I was torn and I let them run me because I'd also get their listing...but did you where I posted above that they didn't buy a house AND listed/sold...with another agent? I wish I could send a bill.
Aly, Dang...I just read that. What a despicible...no really, people who use and waste other peoples time are just unbelieveably ___________ (fill in he blank)
Insensitive? Inconsiderate? Mean? Ignorant? Russell, in retrospect, I should have quit a long time before but I went against my gut instinct which I'm not going to do again. I had a buyer agreement but they didn't buy and we discussed the listing on more than one occasion. This one was the doozy of my career. I've been dissed by buyers before, leading to my policy of always getting a buyer's agreement but this time things went awry. Every time I pass his place of employment which is on my way to many places, it reminds me of this couple. While last year was a great year, I can only think of how much better it could have been had I spent that hundred hours on people who were truly as loyal to me as I was to them (or on myself). Guess my honesty with them turned them off. Lesson learned.
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