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I am in Ft Myers right now looking at properties - rental and sales, I have ran into a few who have not returned my calls/email. I have not found a local database yet and have been using realtor.com, the problem I am running into is when I call, the houses are already under contract or have already been rented but they have not been pulled yet from realtor.com.
In Maryland we have a local database called homesdatabase.com and it is updated every 12 hrs (it is also the agents responsibility to pull or change listings asap too).
Does anyone know of a local database for SW Florida?
You know...I recently had some buyers call me that have their home listed with a different agent. Buyers are pre-approved. They wanted to see five homes and agreed to meet in the office. After I got off the phone I realized that I wanted to find out if they made an offer if it would be contingent.
I called them back and asked them about contingent offers the day before out appointment and the woman got kind rude and her voice started to raise. I doubt she even knew she acting that way. She hints at there are other agents that are willing to show them homes but they wanted me too. I calm her down and tell her we'll discuss it at the appointment.
Appointment day arrives. They get here. I sit down to discuss agency policies as is my state law to do so. She wants to know why, none of the other agents did this (I apologized that the other agents didn't do their job).I asked how many different agents they were working with. They ask what I'm getting at and tell me it's none of my business (in a nasty way again). Long and short, they wouldn't sign a buyer agency protecting my time working for them, even on those 5 homes.
At this point I had already decided I didn't want to work with them anyway, informed them they would probably be better suited with a different agent, and suggested they try their listing agent. Who was wrong, me or them? It's a all a matter of perspective. If you go back and ask that buyer about me, I'm sure she would say I'm the worst agent in the world and there are plenty of starving agents willing to work their way (be it right or wrong).
Brandon, you've hit the nail on the head, my friend. There are plenty of good agents out there, and I'm sure there are ones that won't call you back. Agents are having to work twice as hard for the same money, and it's tough times out there, I imagine. Agents are people, too. They have families, they have responsibilities.
I was actually surprised that my agent didn't require me to sign a contract w/ her. I still haven't. But I'm betting if she came across someone who was difficult, she'd either drop them or make them sign something.
Tagylyn, try to call an agent again. Being that you are from Baltimore and want to move to SF, you NEED an agent. You need to be set up on one of those automated email alerts that are updated constantly. I'm going to ask my agent if she knows anyone for SF or at least find a database for you and let you know.
I just received a call on my work phone from someone with a very thick accent and you could absolutely not understand but every 5th word. I know he wants to see one of our listings, I got that part.
What made it even worse he was on his cell phone and subscribes to the every other word plan. He even repeated his unintelligible mumbling 2 times.
I guess I will be one of those sorry agents that does not return his call.
Brandon and Rakin, thank you for doing a better job of explaining what I was trying to get at.
I know I have had mumbled phone numbers or they go so fast after listening to it for the 5th time I give up trying to figure out the name and number.
There was another thread about someone who sent out an email to 40 agents and got 1 response. He posted his email and it just read like spam. I would have deleted it in a heartbeat along with the ones from the princes and orphanages.
People are often unaware of their own behavior or how they sound and instead of looking at themselves and saying "did I talk too fast so they couldn't get my number" or "by the time I called the 4th agent I was so irritated you can hear it in my voice" they think the agents are just being lazy. (I concede that some are)
We get a lot of crap from not so real buyers to solicitors on a daily basis. Make sure you sound like a real buyer that we want to follow up with.
WHY on Earth don't realtos return calls? It's a BUYER'S market! You tthink they would be dying for business!
I am not a realtor but never assume a realtor wants, or even needs, your business. I have bought and sold property with the help of realtors in good and bad places and the greatest lesson I have learned is similar to the lesson American business and the military has learned when hiring and recruiting, i.e., choose people without much age or experience. The assistance you will get will far outweigh any advantages of having a realtor with experience. At the least, a younger realtor may know how to use the internet. I have found that realty webpages are some of the worst on the 'net but, if you are trying to advertise to a large market, pick a realtor who knows what a keyboard is.
I am now trying to sell a commercial property in a small town. For the listing, although the choices were extremely limited, I chose a newer realtor who was hungry for business and even he seems to have now abandoned me. My recent calls have gone unanswered. Barely able to find my property on the internet after two years of being listed, I constructed my own webpage this year. My next strategy is to remove my realtors' pitifully small sign and replace it with my own 4'X8' "For Sale by Owner" sign. I doubt he will not mind as he has picked up several commercial listings in the town after he took on mine.
The way I see it there are two ways to find a REALTOR:
A: Contact the listing agent of the property and see if they are a buyer's agent and willing to represent you; or
B: Contact a local REALTOR agency and inquire.
Seems the OP did the latter...nothing wrong with that, but I agree...the message is a little weird. You're asking about properties that likely aren't theirs. A better message would be something along the lines of:
"I'm in the market to buy a home. I would like to be represented by a buyer's agent who will help me. I have already selected a few properties which I would like to research and get feedback on. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to set up an appointment..." etc etc etc.
For me though, I just walked into the local RE/MAX office, walked up to the front desk, and said essentially the same thing I said above to the front receptionist, who assigned me to one of the guys who specializes in first time buyers; I've been with him ever since. My only complaint is that he clearly doesn't care for the "home search" part; apparently that's not uncommon amongst REALTORS, so I would suggest being quite definitive about what you want, unlike me who is extremely picky.
The way I see it there are two ways to find a REALTOR:
A: Contact the listing agent of the property and see if they are a buyer's agent and willing to represent you; or
B: Contact a local REALTOR agency and inquire.
Seems the OP did the latter...nothing wrong with that, but I agree...the message is a little weird. You're asking about properties that likely aren't theirs. A better message would be something along the lines of:
"I'm in the market to buy a home. I would like to be represented by a buyer's agent who will help me. I have already selected a few properties which I would like to research and get feedback on. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to set up an appointment..." etc etc etc.
For me though, I just walked into the local RE/MAX office, walked up to the front desk, and said essentially the same thing I said above to the front receptionist, who assigned me to one of the guys who specializes in first time buyers; I've been with him ever since. My only complaint is that he clearly doesn't care for the "home search" part; apparently that's not uncommon amongst REALTORS, so I would suggest being quite definitive about what you want, unlike me who is extremely picky.
No. These were the realtor's OWN LISTINGS. That's what was strange to me that they are too lazy to get back to a prospective buyer *that is preapproved too!
Rakin, I understand and know there are still good realtors out there. I wasn't trying to bash all of them!. It is just very frustrating that I never had any calls returned. It is not professional when they are their own listings! No one elses. Why does everyone assume I was mumbling? Can you hear me through here? LOL. I think Silverfall thinks he knows me and assumes that I did everything wrong lol..You know what "ass"uming means. I was very professional,friendly and even had the MLS listings of their own properties they were selling.
Needless to say... I am a happy camper now going with my realtor that we dealt with when we bought here. She will sell our home and be our agent so we could buy a home also.
I think Silverfall thinks he knows me and assumes that I did everything wrong lol..You know what "ass"uming means. I was very professional,friendly and even had the MLS listings of their own properties they were selling.
Talk about making "ass"umptions. First I am a she, not a he. Second I did not assume you did everything wrong. Your first post stated that you called and left a message with some MLS numbers that you wanted to see. I stated I thought that would be weird. THEN you clarified that it was their own listing that you wanted to see. If you don't want people to disagree with you, then you should be clear about what you are venting about from the get go.
Failing to call back on your own listing is a different scenario. Then you went on to say that it was a buyer's market and essentially agents should be drooling to have your business.
While I agree that the agents should have returned your calls to show their own listings, good agents are still busy and don't need to jump at every buyer.
I didn't assume you did anything wrong at all. This isn't about right and wrong. Some people are oblivious to their own behavior. I was just asking you to check yours to see if you CONTRIBUTED to the fact that no one called you back. Some people are just unaware of how they present to other people.
...i.e., choose people without much age or experience. The assistance you will get will far outweigh any advantages of having a realtor with experience. At the least, a younger realtor may know how to use the internet.
Very good point. We previously had an older, excellent very experienced realtor we stayed with for years when we bought or sold.
We were looking in a new area and called a real estate office and got a young agent- I was really skeptical because of his age but we gave it a try. He did a fabulous job. He returned all calls promptly, was professional, listened and negotiated our deal.
You have a point- younger agents can have a lot of energy and want to make money- as well as being very technology-savvy.
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Young and hungry realtors
. It is just very frustrating that I never had any calls returned. It is not professional when they are their own listings! No one elses. Why does everyone assume I was mumbling? Can you hear me through here? LOL. I think Silverfall thinks he knows me and assumes that I did everything wrong lol..You know what "ass"uming means. I was very professional,friendly and even had the MLS listings of their own properties they were selling. 
