"Sorry, I'm late," he says plopping down on the seat opposite, "I was closing another sale and got busy doing up the paperwork. Give me a second to grab a coffee and we can get to work - Jane right?"
He heaves himself up out of the seat again before you can mumble "No, it's Susan" you wonder how you can make it out the door while his back is turned ....
You would think I made that up, but truthfully I actually witnessed something very similar one day at a Tim's waiting for a client. We as Realtors are often at odds trying to get from one appointment to another, balancing the needs of one client against the need to give service to the next. Sometimes it means we run ourselves ragged trying to get from one appointment to the next and we forget the adage "You only get one chance to make a good impression". So in this case we have an agent who most likely has been referred to this lady by a past client who was given service that she felt was exceptional and wanted her friend to have the same expertise; who then blows it by not taking the time to mentally shift out of his last appointment and refocus his attention to this lady. She will most likely be polite and have a chat, but honestly I could tell by watching the first bit of the conversation before my clients came that she had already tuned out and was running a script in her head on what she was going to say to her friend who had referred this guy to her. This is going to probably cost him more business as he has lost this client and the referrals in the future from the past client.
--
So should you avoid getting advice from your friends and family when choosing a Realtor? Not a chance! These are the first people you should turn to as they are most likely going to give you honest opinions about their experiences. Now the guy above is probably a great Realtor - he could be just having a bad day and in the end things might have worked out; but in my experience having either been the frazzled agent, or have them relate these kind of experiences to me in my office, people don't want to work with someone they think is going to add to their stress.
REALTORS this is for you - SLOW DOWN AND CONCENTRATE! Stress and bad time management are killers and cost you; your clients refer you to their friends and family because they like you and think you are good at what you do, don't disappoint them by treating their friends or family like strangers!
Once you have a recommendation, conduct and interview - don't go jumping into your car and start looking at homes. I know you have probably already been looking online (studies show most Buyers have already been looking online up to 9 months before they actually start stepping into houses), but take the time sit down and have a conversation with the agent about what you are looking for, where you are looking and your price range. Much like a job interview, you want to be sure that the person across the table from you is a good fit for the task at hand. You should be making a judgement on his ability to work with you - does he know the product you want to buy? He could be a condo expert who made you friends purchase a breeze because that was in his wheel house, but doesn't know very much about acreages. It could be that he has 6 Buyers on the go right now and you don't feel he can devote the time you need to dealing with your purchase. Don't be afraid to ask for references! Ask if they have past clients who would be willing to talk to you (his Mom doesn't count). Remember as well that this is a two way interview - they will most likely be asking you questions as well and deciding if they can or want to take you on as a client. Personally, I ask the questions to myself "Does this person have realistic expectations, are they willing to listen and take counsel to change the unrealistic ones, do I like them"?
Be comfortable with your Realtor, here is a quick checklist to use:
- They should be KNOWLEDGEABLE about the market - not just in general, but with the area of it you need to be in.
- They should have the TIME to help you - sometimes the top producer who has closed 12 transactions that month isn't the person you need. Ask them about the turn around time for calls or emails and who will be getting back to you.
- They should have a level of EXPERIENCE to serve you - I am not saying that you need the person with 30 years in the business, but you need to make sure that the person you are trusting to find you your home and your biggest single investment knows what forms they are using and how to fill them out. Ask them about their education and how current it is.
- They should have an UNDERSTANDING of your needs - a good Agent listens to you and identifies your needs. They take the time to understand and identify your goals. They are honest with you and merge your dreams with reality. Finally, they maximize your time and work within your schedule as best they can.
- They should be someone you have good KARMA with. I know this is a bit Zen-like ... If you were referred to them, then your friend or family member already senses there is a bot of this, but trust your instincts, if you don't feel some level of comfort, don't be afraid to say so - you need to make sure that this is going to be as stress free as possible and a good Realtor helps do that.
I know that sounds like your Realtor should be some sort of superhuman house hunter crime fighter, in actuality, he should be someone who is focused on minimizing the trouble spots in a transaction, anticipating the areas of concern and offering constructive help and advice on how to resolve them and guide you on to the next stage of the process. He isn't an accountant, an inspector or a lawyer, but he should be able to pint you in the right direction to find the other experts you need to move forward.
Thanks for the read and remember, you can reach me at 780-919-7653 or email me!
Larry
No comments:
Post a Comment