Lately I have posted or written a series of articles and videos on real estate agents. Just like any other profession, there are both good and bad real estate agents. It is up to you as an informed consumer to take some time and ownership in the selection of that your agent – rather than one snatching you – a really bad idea!
Early in my career, I was working for a subdivision developer selling new homes. One day, a Husband and Wife real estate team came in with a young couple to view the model home. While the agents were busy registering the Clients, the young couple slipped out the front door running for their car. The Agent yelled at the her Husband, “Bob, catch them, they are getting away!” Okay, this is an extreme example, but have we not we all felt like running from a bad salesperson at one time or another?
It is really all about the match. There is no way for me to define what your ideal real estate agent would be. Each of us has different expectations of what they would look like, and it is best to find someone that fits your personality, expectations, and response/communication expectations. Some may prefer a rather aggressive sales type, while others prefer low pressure. It is up to you to define and search that out in the agent that you select.
With that said here are some fundamental considerations to keep in mind during your search. Remember you’re going to be spending some time with the person – might as well make it a pleasant experience.
One very important component in a relationship with a REALTOR® is ease of use. The Notorius R.O.B. who blogs on real estate issues said it best in a recent post quoted below:
Ease of use must encompass communication. Communication must be relevant, at the frequency at which the client achieves peace of mind, and by a method the client wants. If I want to be called, then don’t email me. If I want to hear from you every day, then contact me every single day. Contra Depeche Mode, words are most definitely not violence, and clients do not enjoy the silence. (Unless they really do for some bizarre reason….)
Ease of use must encompass guidance. Clients recognize that they need help; otherwise, they wouldn’t hire a realtor at all. That help then must be authoritative, educated, and capable of being explained. “Because I said so” or “Just trust me” are not good responses to a client who wants to know why you are recommending that he repaint his living room from fuchsia to white. Explain the advice so the client also understands.
Ease of use must include anticipation. The best client service is proactive. It anticipates the client’s need and addresses it, often making recommendations. One of the best salesmen at Bergdorf Goodman Men I worked with would go find a suit for the customer, but at the same time pick out a couple of shirt and tie combinations that matched that suit perfectly. Then he would ask the customer how the rest of his wardrobe worked with the suit the customer had just selected. More than half the time, the customer would want to see what the salesman had in mind. (It didn’t hurt that this was an extremely effective way to cross-sell merchandise.) In real estate, anticipation can take many forms. Perhaps the buyer client was looking for homes in a good school district — anticipate her need and ask if she’d like to do a short tour of the local elementary school. If you know that a client is going to ask for something, don’t make the client ask; just do it for her.
Lastly, but not least, ease of use encompasses delivering the result the client is seeking, or at least helping the client understand why that result was not achieved. If what the client wants is not something you can deliver, and won’t change his mind even after you’ve explained, then ease of use dictates that you send the client somewhere else. Link to full post here
Secondly, the importance of choice. Kris Berg who writes a wonderful Blog at The San Diego Home Blog said it best:
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone has an uncle who is a licensed agent or holds a license themselves. And I am writing to all three of you. Picking the right agent is important. Note that I have italicized the word “important” to underscore just how important it is. And you have so many, many choices. In California, “many, many” approximately equals the population of Wyoming. (Now that I think about it, what if we just reserved Wyoming for agents, like a holding tank? Then, when you needed one, you could simply combine the selection process with a family vacation to the Grand Tetons. If would be so efficient, but I digress.)
Weeding through the thick field of job applicants can be a daunting undertaking. Sure, you can make a beeline to the “Neighborhood Specialist,” but we are all neighborhood specialists if you believe the bus benches, the shopping carts, and the leaflets in the flowering shrubs outside your front door. You could just pick the one with the most attractive glamour shot on their yard sign, but then Steve and I would be living out of your guest room or selling our kidneys while the really pretty agents represented you in your transaction. No, the process needs to be more scientific. You owe it to yourself. Link to Full Post.
The third is competency. Jay Thompson of The Phoenix Real Estate Guy has some good advice on his blog:
So there is the primary reason there are so many bad agents out there. People get their license, make NO EFFORT to learn thier profession, and the next thing you know you’re trying to get a tricky deal closed with an agent who is completely clueless.
A total lack of common sense seems to also be the norm in this industry. I can’t begin to tell you how many agents I’ve dealt with that didn’t have a lick of common sense. OK, I’ll admit that the language in the Arizona Residential Real Estate Sales Contract can be a little tricky. It was written by attorneys in that way that only attorneys can write. But here’s some freindly advice for real estate agents out there:
READ THE CONTRACT! When you are done reading it, read it again. Then, take a highlighter (that’s a thing like a pen that you can color over printed text and still read it. Available in many colors at any office supply store) and READ IT AGAIN, highlighting the parts you don’t understand. Then take your highlighted contract to your broker and sit down with him and have him/her explain the colored parts to you. What, your broker doesn’t have time for you? Find another broker. They are everywhere and some are horrible and some are great. Find a great one. You’ll know they are great after a 2 minute conversation.
It’s incredible, unbelievable, amazing how many agents haven’t read the dang contract. Ever! That contract is your lifeblood. You should understand EVERY LINE OF IT. Wouldn’t good old-fashioned common sense tell you that if you’re going to take a job that involves filling out a bunch of paperwork, THAT YOU SHOULD AT LEAST READ THE PAPERWORK??? Apparently not… Read Full Post
There is no doubt that the times are changing in real estate as we know it, both for the Agents and the Brokers. How that all shakes out is beyond the scope of this post. If I can leave you with anything today, it would be the idea that it’s up to you to carefully select the REALTOR® to represent you in your next real estate transaction. Rather than having some agent trap you into a relationship that may not be in your best interest, it’s really too important of a decision. Besides, do you really want to wear running shoes each time your with your agent?
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