Realtors, What is your pet peeve with clients

If I have buyer agency with a client, I expect my client to be open and honest about what they are looking for. I will go out of my way to find homes that should appeal to them - price, location, # bedrooms, condition, etc. and they find excuses why it's not suitable. I usually spend about an hour before we start explaining the process, getting them pre-approved and going thru the MLS to find homes that might be suitable. They pick them out but then find excuses why they can't go forward.

I didnt think I had any, until yesterday. Been looking for a client for about 2 months. We found one they liked a while back in an established area with many large trees. They did not get their offer accepted, but stated they would like to find a home in that area, because it had many nice big trees that provided privacy.

So, last week the house across the street came on the market, and I went to show it yesterday but they didn't like it because it had too many trees! Sigh

I've had some of those too!  I've also had the ones who can never be made happy, or the ones that belief that everything about this process is imperfect and it's all our fault!

But then, I've been very fortunate to have some of the best clients that have become long time friends.. so trying to find a balance is key..

Justyn

 LOL The quirky public. I feel for the people who have to deal with us on a daily basis. Been there and done that.

I'm curious.

Do you think the always-look, never-buy clients are looking for the millionaire's home on a baker's budget?

Or do you think this is about the marriage? The reason I ask is that I've had a couple of friends who kept finding perfect homes, but their spouses would get cold feet. The friends later learned their  husbands had been having affairs with co-workers. Buying a home feels like getting married a second time to the same person. You're signing papers to remain in debt almost the rest of your life in Calif. and N.Y. where the average home can cost 700k or more.

How many clients use real-estate as a weekend hobby? Many years ago, before I could afford to buy, my husband and I looked at model homes. One reason was to know the market for when we could buy (and get decorating tips! In Calif. new homes are staged well!) But these homes were open all day, so we were not taking up an agent's time. We also would say we couldn't afford a home that year, but were looking at the different neighborhoods and homes in case we could afford to purchase one the next.

Don't feel sorry for us. We choose to do this for a living and shame on us for not telling client/prospects to get real. The know it all lowballer just loses out to somebody else, the unrealistic seller keeps their home and life goes on. I sometimes cannot believe I get paid so well to drive/ride around all day long listening to the music I like and shooting the bull with people. It's like being 16 again with better pay.

Sure there is some work involved but the reality is I/we control our own destiny. I'll show folks all the homes they would like to see, but they are going to see the homes I want them to see as well.

Representation is BS. What do we really do that can be considered representation. Here's a house for sale and here's a willing and able buyer.

As for the people who bad mouth us... Can't do much about that. I have no problem with them knowing more than me, blaming me for the housing problems or suggesting I am a used house salesman. Some do know more than me, yes I sold over priced homes and yes most of the homes were used. I never held a gun to anybody.

Bottom line... I am not a salesman, sure that is what the belief is, but I don't sell property, people buy it and I happen to be part of putting it together.

Great post jkonstant. When thinking about a retirement gig, I thought about what was a great time in my life previously. It was cruising around listening to the tunes. With that in mind I took a courier job. It was so much fun I kept adding hours. Mrs. Rockinblu had a hell of a time getting me to quit,  and get the house ready to sell.

jk you definitely speak to what I feel is the real truth. There are so many agents that think they are holier than holy and do nothing to support that. Some of this seems to stem from the marketing and perception they are trying to relay. You facilitate transactions and assist to help things go smoothly so it can close. You don’t claim to be the answer to all their problems or get them a deal they could have never arranged on their own because they are to fickle or naïve.

There are agents today (very few) that live eat sleep and breathe RE or were ambitious enough to do more than take the minimum number of education hours to pass the test.
** Note: statement was not intended to only apply to higher education.

I feel that I have a slightly above average knowledge of local RE ( some may disagree and feel that I know a lot while others feel that I know less than average.. which is fine with me either way) .
When I talk to someone who I would consider an “average” agent it seems that more often than not I end up informing them about local trends. It’s all about finding the clients and closing the deal rather than being the knowledgeable consultant that most buyers/ sellers are seeking when they contract their services.
If someone (me) who has been to about a dozen closings for personal sales has to explain the schedule of fees to the agent they should be outright embarrassed unless they started yesterday. How would I know proposed zoning of new High schools that the agent didn’t know were being built? How can an agent call themselves an expert of an entire metro area (not that it isn’t possible) but very unlikely. If An agent that claims to be the number one specialist in a particular suburb … wouldn’t you think they would be able to quote median incomes and other various statistics? This is all we ask... be knowledgeable about the product you sell. Be marginally knowledgeable about the other items involved in the transaction such as financing, inspections, home warranties, PUDs, CDDs, etc.

Is that really too much to ask ?

My Pet peeve is dishonesty. I do not think a pet peeve should include unrealistic pricing, discount shopping, messy house keeping, etc  because we as agents have a choice to either Do business or Not do business with every potential client that come are way. If we sign the listing agreement and their price is to high at the beginning that is what we signed up for. On the other hand if a condition of listing you have the seller in writing agree if the market does not agree with the price thay have selected then they will reduce lets say in 2 weeks down 5% and after 2 weeks they have selective memory and start blaming you and want to cancel that is a dishonest gesture. So many examples of dishonest gestures can lure you into a relationship and if you had a clear picture at the beginning you could make a good decision either to DO or NOT to do business. Good Qualifing and solid direct questions usually get the truth but every once in a while there is that slippery deal that hope overcomes reason.

 You hear/read that sellers. Great post Jerry.  Thanks.

I don't have any pet peeves about clients...

they're all individuals, they're all different, and it's so much fun to come to work each day, and work with new and exciting people.

I've said, before, I'll say it again "this is the best job in the world... we get to drive around in nice cars, work with nice people, look at nice homes... and if we've done our job well, every now and then someone writes us a big check... how bad is that?"

I have a question from a sellers perspective.  As an agent representing a potential buyer, do you feel you are obligated (as a good business practice) to follow up when the seller's agent calls and asks for feedback from the showing?  My agent has had other agents hang up on her, ask her why she is 'bothering' to call them for feedback if they didn't write an offer, 'obviously' they weren't interested, etc.  I work for the Federal government, consider myself a professional and yes, I do expect the same treatment I would give to any of my customers.  ANd I give them the best whether they are my favorites or not.  Its called common courtesy and I just wonder where it went?  I am not picking a fight with anyone, but would it be that difficult to respond to a call or an e-mail?  How long can that take?  It gives closure to all the parties concerned.  Am I off base?

ELV!S

I remember you posting that before, however its hard to believe that there isn't something. Heck, your rose coloered glasses must be better than mine ever were!

Nauntie

Ask Azrob sometime about feed back.

good point of view Jerry .. thanks

Every agent must find their own way. I don't believe the educational opportunities offered to us are very good or better yet, taught very well. I recall sitting is a class and being told that a 10% annual increase in value for a home worth $100K today would be make it worth $150K in 5 years. I walked out of a class after an instructor actually said, "It's important that you keep your car clean."

We would all be better off (public & agents) if education requirements focused on things that had an important use.

Every agent should be required to participate in the following during a probationary period before being let loose.

1. Attend and participate in 3 home inspections.

2. As an intern for 7 days work in a title office preparing setlement statements, doing title exams/searches, coordinate with all parties and take a few deeds to the county for recording.

3. Complete several property (land) surveys.

5. Complete 3 appraisals under the guidance of an apprasier.

4. Learn the differences between pre-approval, pre-qualification and loan commitment.

And finally sit in a classroom for as many hours as it takes to fully understand all the possible parts of a contract, how to write addendums. Just because it is a 10 hour class and you learned how to spell "inspection" doesn't mean you passed.

Ok, I knew it would come to me. My pet peave is clients who choose to work with incompetent people who managed to pass a few classes my dogs could pass if they had thumbs.

That's too damn funny, but probably speaks for a lot of true professionals that many times have to go in later and clean up the mess.

Thanks everyone!  I appreciate your honesty and forthright responses.  Have a great Mom's Day!

Hi Rock,

Knowledge and experience in the real estate industry to acquisitions and sales is absolutely necessary for accurate representation by a realtor. The more knowledge and abilty on the part of the realtor, the better the outcome in representing clients and working with customers. This statement is general and may seem obvious, but it's the bottom line.

Forty eight months ago when the market reached it's peak there were 34, 000 Long Island realtors paracticing real estate on Long Island. Today there are less than 23,000 and only 10% are doing real business.

I'm not talking about companies, I'm talking about the individual agent. I don't want to talk about companies. The individual agent is ultimately responsible for time and outcome to every real estate endeavor by principal clients and customers they represent or work with.

A principal can never be blamed for a realtor's representation.

Great Topic!