The Renters Guide - Do's and Don'ts - Renters Etiquette

I recently wrote a blog about how to make money your first year in real estate, which included working with renters. What I DIDN'T touch on, were the real reasons why most agents don't like to work with them. 

1. A majority of the time, they are window shoppers, just looking to see what all is out there with no
   real intent to move. That is fine if that's the case! Just do your own searches via Craigslist, Zillow etc to compare and don't involve a Realtor.
2. Some renters don't have the income or the credit they need to purchase, which is a reason why they are renting. There is no great pre-approval process in place because most aren't willing to fork over the money for a credit check beforehand. We are simply doing things based on their word. Next thing you know you've spent hours researching, setting up appointments, wasted gas driving around town showing them listings only to find out they either cant really afford it, have a pit-bull that they lied about, or have the credit score of a monkey.
3. Some listing agents are offering a commission of $100. This is a topic for an entirely different blog which I plan to write later, but some things are just not worth the amount of effort you have to put in. Now before you say "100 bucks is 100 bucks" you should consider what $100 is worth to you. AT LEAST half a day of work for researching listings, calling to make appointments, time driving to and from appointments, plus gas, plus follow up calls/texts/emails to the client and other agents for questions, negotiations etc... All with the BIG risk of everything I referenced in reasons 1 & 2.

 However, there are awesome clients out there who just need a little education on how the process works. I am hoping to share some knowledge with you and please feel free to share it on your own social media pages and help to spread the word. I had no idea what it meant to use a Realtor® when I was hunting for new homes to rent in the past, prior to having become an agent myself. I have made these mistakes and I am not here to complain or make fun of anyone. Sometimes it's an honest mistake and the client doesn't even realize they're making it.

1. When you speak to a Realtor® and they put in time and effort to do a search for you and send  you listings, THAT IS NOW YOUR REALTOR. It is poor etiquette to jump to another real estate agent. All you've done is waste the original agent's time, which is money, and no one likes to work for free. You see, we get paid on the back end. Our service to you, the renter, is FREE. We don't get paid until you have signed a lease and exchanged money with the homeowner. And even then sometimes we must wait 30 days and SPLIT a percentage of it with our broker! So now we are REALLY talking about working for peanuts. Does this mean you can't do your own searches on Craigslist or Zillow as most people continue to do? No. Keep looking if you want. But shoot your Realtor over the info and let them do the negotiating, the paperwork, etc. 
2. If you DO continue your own search and decide to call the listing agent yourself, the appropriate thing to do is mention that your Realtor will be in touch. This lets the other agent know you have someone representing you, and you are not cutting out the person who has been working with you for hours, days and sometimes weeks. They deserve to be paid for their time and effort. Just because you found a new listing that popped up on Zillow does not mean your agent has not be diligently working to find you a great property. 
3. When they tell you to choose 5 of your favorite listings out of the choices they sent you, it's for good
   reason. Things are off the market as quickly as they are listed. Rentals are HOT right now, especially in Naples. Send me your favorite five and two of them are more than likely already gone by the time we see them 24-48 hours later. It is best to have backups so that your time and your realtor's time is not wasted driving to view one property. The chance of you liking it based on a few pictures you saw online is pretty slim. What if it has a smell? What if there is mold in the shower that they didn't show in the photos? What if the neighbor has a windowless van with the word "CANDY" spray painted on the side? You just never know! 

Hopefully you're reading this and now have a better understanding of how the process works. As I said, until I became a Realtor® myself, I didn't understand that concept of time = money and I honestly never thought to ask. To all my fellow Realtors: Before we get aggravated with leads for "leading you on" we should come armed with the understanding that most people just don't know enough. I'm considering adding this link to my email/MLS signature for rental inquiries. What would your thoughts be on that? I'm curious from a renter's perspective and from other agents. Thanks for reading! Would love to hear stories and/or input/opinions.