Should an Agent list homes in a neighboring town?

You made me laugh. My state is so small that some agents cover the whole state. I don't feel comfortable driving 2 hours down to the beach, but they do it. I used to be in 3 states and now only cover 2, but they both have lots of historic homes!

I chuckled reading about this incident, then realized, how inept some agents are in this business. Funny yet scary, isn't it? 

Scott, in my market, which is the Greater Los Angeles area  we have many different zip codes and cities too many to name for starters, for your convenience... Santa Monica &  Beverly Hills and the list goes on and on.... I find Real Estate is a relationship business first and then it depends how familiar and knowledgeable one is of the various markets.... I am always amazed when I hear  that in different states  agents who cover two to three hours distances..... It is all about time management and skill sets with that said I do not begrudge them I applaud them. We have over 10,000 agents in my market and everyone manages to make a living, some better than others... Michael Jacobs  you are funny and spot on:)Enddre

What a rude call! You handled her with grace and charm - I hope she learned a lesson.

I do list in neighboring towns as I know the areas and the market.  I do not list homes when the area is out of my area of expertise.  You handled that agent extremely well. 

Our county is filled with little neighboring towns, we are all selling in them. The only time I don't love it, is when an agent from Portland tries to sell over here, especially when they haven't taken the time to research the market. It's obvious when somebody doesn't have a handle on the values.  
Nice job taking the high road, by the way. Good for you. D

I like your style! We are state licensed agents and can sell anywhere in the state, if we choose to do so. I'm like most agents who don't want to drive 2 hours to sell a house and prefer to know the area, which can take me up to an hour away, since I've lived and worked in a variety of central Virginia counties. It all depends on the client! Your response was spot on.

If I get an inquiry about listing or buying a home in an area I am notfamiliar with--I try to refer it to another agent. Often I am just not comfortable trying to 'wing it'.

Chuckle of the day, thanks!     What a silly agent she is!    As long as one knows the subtleties of the area including key developments and factors that will impact a new homeowner or the market value, I say go for it.    

I will gripe about people who cover enormous statewide regions though, even though they are licensed, since they're not really available to service the property quickly in the event of a door malfunction etc.

Good for you.  Take the high road and keep listing and selling those homes!