Would You Get Mad If Your Realtor Pulled Up In A $75,000+ Car? (best, MPG)

[AndrewMensch]

ok... what about the other extreme? What if a Realtor was driving a 1989 Hyundai? Would that communicate that they are not successful, and would that change your outlook on them?

As a Realtor, I spend lots of time in the car and want to be comfortable in my "mobile office." The car... not only the brand and price, but the cleanness and lack of dents, rust, etc say a lot about the person driving it. Same for clothes. You don't have to wear an Armani suit, but you should be neat and clean and at least reasonably stylish.

I had a client once who sold replacement auto parts for a living. He said that he could tell how good a house was going to be by the car in the driveway.... not whether it was a Ford or Audi, but whether rust showed or the windshield was cracked. I've always looked since then and he is about 95% correct.

I drive a three-year old Audi A4 for the record. AWD for the snowy hills, great seats and reasonable gas mileage. Was the brand of the car a factor in the purchase due to my profession? Absolutely.

[ferretkona]

Originally Posted by DodgeViper01

Just wondering what your thoughts would be in your realtor pulled up in a $75,000+ exotic car?,,,,

I think we all missed the clue here, the original posters name is Dodge Viper.
He/she is wondering about selling from their Viper.
I think as most mention here it depends on the market of homes you are selling.

[DodgeViper01]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

I think we all missed the clue here, the original posters name is Dodge Viper.
He/she is wondering about selling from their Viper.
I think as most mention here it depends on the market of homes you are selling.

Ironically that is not what I asked. Just wanted to see what the general consensus was for fun. I have showed up in my car on appointments before when the weather is nice and often it is not even and issue that is even mentioned. Mostly the kids go crazy if anything.

[M3 Mitch]

Would depend on if I am buying or selling, and the values of the houses involved. If I were buying at the big money level of say 400K +, though, I would be buying a big property out in the country, so would more expect a Gelandewagon than an exotic.

If I am selling, yeah, a high-end car would tend to make me think they are making a lot of money, which I would assume means they are moving houses.

If I was buying, I might be just a bit put off, thinking they were maybe a little *too* good at selling houses.

[SpeedyAZ]

When I was in the real estate game a few years ago, I drove a GMC Yukon. I've met realtors that drive old Ford Crown Vic's as well as some that drive a new Mercedes S-Class. It all depends on what LEVEL of real estate you're selling. I sold mainly in Scottsdale on homes that ranged from $400K to the priciest home which was a hair above $3 million. I only received a nominal commission of 1.0%-1.5% sometimes 2% if it was a big sale.

If you are selling multi-million dollar homes, you better drive a nice car and wear a designer suit or more than likely you won't be hired to list the property. Likewise, if you sell homes in the $200K range, you should probably drive a more modest vehicle in order to not give the client an impression that you are better than he or she is.

[car54]

Originally Posted by DodgeViper01

Just wondering what your thoughts would be in your realtor pulled up in a $75,000+ exotic car? Something to the likes of a Porsche, Lamborghini, or Ferrari....

My first thought would be....where's my wife going to sit?

High dollar car could mean "successful" or "crook"....but since I thoroughly check out any realtor (or lawyer, etc) that I may do business with...I'd know which he or she was from the gitgo.

My realtor has a Rolls and a Bentley, but he's legendary around these parts....He's an ERA agent that sells hundreds of houses a year. He has a "team" of about 50 helpers that work directly for him...he pays them, and collects all those commissions. I'll never understand why the hell he has never started his own brokerage...

Real estate is a tough game....the vast majority net very little considering the time and effort required. During the boom, everybody and their brother got a real estate license around here....they're all back to flippin' burgers now....leaving just the part-timers and a handful of "superstars" in the game...

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Why judge someone by their car? Maybe she's married to a man with money.

Agreed! I would think it would be wiser to judge on their past sales performance and reputation. If you are a top-notch realtor with a stellar sales record and great reputation, I could care less if you drive a Porsche or a Yugo.

[GrandviewGloria]

If it was a dangerous car, I'd insist on taking mine. I'd probably assume the realtor was somebody's trophy wife or fancy man. Nothing wrong with that, but that's what I'd think. And if the realtor was ugly and male, I'd wonder if he was selling drugs or trafficking women on the side. But it's the type of car, not the pricetag, that would scare me.

But here in Madison, Mississippi, Range Rovers, G-Class, X5s, Lexus SUVs are the standard conveyance for realtors. A woman in a Bentley brought the buyer for our old house, and a man in a Phantom brings people by this new house, and tries to get us to list the place (we're stayin' put, but it's nice to feel wanted).

So, if you're wondering what to drive.... A luxe SUV or big, safe, quiet, sedan is considered part of premium service from realtors. A scary two-seater, regardless of price, invites scrutiny.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by DodgeViper01

Just wondering what your thoughts would be in your realtor pulled up in a $75,000+ exotic car? Something to the likes of a Porsche, Lamborghini, or Ferrari. Would jealously ensue? Would you think he/she is good because of the car they drive? Would you not want to work with them? Just a friendly poll to see what the thoughts are.

SpeedyAZ is dead-on. If the realtor is showing $3M properties, I'd expect the realtor would drive an expensive car. From someone selling bread and butter properties, I wouldn't expect it. Depends on the niche.

[yo vanilla]

As a seller I'd hope a realtor who can afford a nice car will sell a house fast.