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I know this wasn't the intent of this thread, but the first thing that occurred to me when I heard the title of it is 'they need to stop assuming their clients are stupid.'
Nothing turns me off a realtor faster is when they assume I dont know what Im talking about, and try to educate me despite my having explained that Ive bought and sold over 11 houses. In most all cases it's something like a 'recommendation' for a mortgage broker (kick-back, anyone?) or to tell me I cant find what Im looking for at a certain price, when I know full well I can because it's then obvious that Im more familiar with the market Im looking at than they are because I spend more time looking at it, so I end up feeding them realtor.com & realty trac links....etc, etc...
Fauve, we deal with so many clueless people that are either new to the area or seldom buy a home I can see where an experienced buyer like yourself would be semi-offended by someone treating him like a rookie buyer.
That's where having an existing relationship with a good agent comes in handy, someone who knows you and knows your expectations.
With that said, in a large area like DFW the market can change pretty rapidly and one area maybe going a different direction than another side of town. Even we agents can have trouble staying on top of the market since what was happening a month ago is not where the market is this week.
Even now, when listing agents are being instructed that they may not speak to the appraiser and everyone involved risks ramifications if they do?
We cannot discuss the details of the appraisal with anybody but our client which, if the purpose of the appraisal in a mortgage, is the lender. However, we are free to discuss the property with the listing agent.
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The appraisers in this area have Supras so that they can get in. An appraiser from far enough away that doesn't do enough work in the area to justify a Supra likely wouldn't know the area well enough to do a good appraisal.
That generalization is just not factual. Whether or not an appraiser has a Supra key has nothing to do with that appraiser's geographical competence.
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The buyer can speak to the appraiser, and thus their agent can. Everybody's pretty jumpy about that right now, though.
The buyer can talk to the appraiser in general terms but NOT about the appraisal. Neither can the buyer's agent.
About the difference between Stupid and Ignorant...and Assuming!
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Originally Posted by fauve
I know this wasn't the intent of this thread, but the first thing that occurred to me when I heard the title of it is 'they need to stop assuming their clients are stupid.'...
fauve, please take no offense - I don't know you, or what you actually KNOW about real estate...and I'm only speaking to your comment from the point of view of my experiences. that said...no one in this job should EVER make you feel like they assume you're stupid...but we DO have to assume that you may be ignorant (stupid -no capacity to understand as opposed to ignorant - just don't know).
I have worked with the full spectrum of buyers and sellers...from 1st timers who know nothing (they are admittedly ignorant) about how real estate works...to investors who buy and sell very often and know...(well, some just don't RECOGNIZE their ignorance).
Here's the rub. Our job as AGENTS comes with a set of legal obligations and fiduciary responsibities. I don't believe that I am in a position to "assume" or take at face value what my client knows. It's my responsibility to explain things and to do my best to make sure they have all the information they need to make a good decision.
Lastly, We ALL must understand that we don't know it all...yep, even an experienced real estate professional doesn't know everything either. Thank goodness I have great resources around me (other experienced agents I trust, my Principal Broker, etc...) and I use them frequently. But, I've run into some agents who perhaps weren't comfortable saying they didn't know and SADLY try to fake their way through.
I'm not a Real Estate Professional but let me jump in onn this question. I am getting used to the fact that when I deal with a "Real Estate Professional" what I get is a part time employee who knows nothing about the market or the property, when I ask a question which requires an answer she will either tell me what she thinks I want to hear or try to gloss over it as unimportant. Then comes thinking I'm stupid because i won't believe what she is telling me because I know better.
To the OP. I live in NJ and my realtor is awful. She told me I should do a short sale if I wanted to really get out..We are not desperate! credit is good too! I canot believe she even went there thinking she would make a commission that way????? She is clueless and isn't even computer literate. THe only way I found that out is one day I asked her to change something on Realtor.com and didn't know how! that the secretary would "make the changes!". The last one we had was lame too. She never returned calls and if we had a showing she would EMAIL me instead of picking up the phone! How lazy....
Yes, more training is needed for some of these dim witted people. Some not all!! Not trying to make a blanket statement here!We just ran into losers!! 500 days on market and this agent doesn't know her head from her aszzzz!!!. Just ask C21 lol..
I hope they tighten the reigns for people who want to become agents!! I have never seen such lazy people here! in this state !
I would just like agents to be up on the latest ways to market a house, to not get snippy with me when, after 4 or more tries, they still don't get things right, and to actually do what they promised on their "interview" with me!
First agent, we interviewed 3, was picked more by my husband because he thought she knew the area the best. When I asked if she was going to put it on Craigslist, she said "What's that?". I asked if she was going to put on any of the big internet sites such as Zillow or Trulia and she said, we put it on the MLS and that goes to realtor.com and the realty site. She said that they mostly rely on the published booklet because that is what the people use most. Excuse me, this is 2008! I asked if I could at least put it on Craigslist and she told me to go ahead. Didn't even offer to learn it so SHE could do it. Then after putting on the MLS, it took THREE WEEKS for her to get the listing right! She only did something about it because I kept calling her and finally took myself down to the office. I found out who in the company she should call to solve the problem and when I told her, she got nasty with me about it. Excuse me??? Then she never called to update us on things, never bothered with any type of showing herself, never had the agent showing like she promised, etc. At the end of the 6 months I followed the letter of the contract to cancel it. Mailed a certified letter, return receipt requested to her office and gave her 3 days after receiving to take down the listing off the MLS and pick up her signs. The kicker is that the post office is 1 block from her office, but I didn't dare just deliver it myself so that she could say we didn't follow protocol. We interviewed new agents, picked one and was waiting for the listing to be taken down. FIVE days after receipt acknowledgement, after the new agent told me that the listing had only been suspended and NOT cancelled, I pulled up the signs that she hadn't gotten and hauled my butt down to the office, dropped them loudly on the floor and demanded that she cancel the listing immediately. Again, she got nasty with me, gave me every excuse in the world, and had the secretary do it while I waited. Excuse me again???
Second agent, well actually agent team, promised all this internet exposure, agent showing, weekly updates, etc. etc. After 9 months we have maybe heard from them 5 times, other than for showings, and only after we have initiated contact first. Finally had the agent showing after about 5 months and just about a month ago I discovered that the house did not show as being for sale on Zillow! I had put it on Zillow from the first agent, but I suspended it when we signed the new agents. So I had to reactivate the listing and change the agent contact.
Both took their own pictures, which are rather poorly done. Neither one offered a virtual tour. Yes, I realize it's not a high priced house in the general sceme of things, but it is a higher priced one in the immediate area. But come on! If you don't want to be bothered making a phone call to update us on things, don't want to be bothered to get feedback, or don't want to bother getting decent pix, then tell us up front and we'll find someone else!!
Oy! There's just so much wrong here I can't stand it.
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Originally Posted by njsocks
To the OP. I live in NJ and my realtor is awful. She told me I should do a short sale if I wanted to really get out..We are not desperate! credit is good too! I canot believe she even went there thinking she would make a commission that way????? She is clueless and isn't even computer literate. THe only way I found that out is one day I asked her to change something on Realtor.com and didn't know how! that the secretary would "make the changes!". The last one we had was lame too. She never returned calls and if we had a showing she would EMAIL me instead of picking up the phone! How lazy....
Yes, more training is needed for some of these dim witted people. Some not all!! Not trying to make a blanket statement here!We just ran into losers!! 500 days on market and this agent doesn't know her head from her aszzzz!!!. Just ask C21 lol..
I hope they tighten the reigns for people who want to become agents!! I have never seen such lazy people here! in this state !
I think I am going to write a "Hiring a Real Estate Agent for Dummies" ( insult not intended) book, this winter.
Look at the quality or lack thereof, of the applicant's actual work. If the pictures/presentation for his/her other or past listings are non-existant or crappy, more than likely history will repeat itself.
Is the applicant going to do anything different than any other agent working the area?
Is the applicant a full or part time time agent?
What happens when this agent goes on vacation?
Are Broker tours common in your area? When will a broker tour be scheduled? How many agents will visit?
Does the applicant know the closed sales and the competition ....meaning have they seen these homes or are they relying on paper comps? If you know one of the comp homes.....ask their opinion of the basement with the 5' ceiling and listent to what they say.
Did the applicant give you a specific marketing plan, in writing?
If the applicant does not initiate a discussion about frequency of and media for communication going forward, don't be too suprised when there is none.
If you have a preference, phone, email, text or in person....say so.
If you expect a call back in X, say so. The sooner you get your expectations on the table , the more likely they will be met.
And remember, the best marketing in the world cannot overcome a property that is not priced to sell, based on the facts of the local market.
Last edited by middle-aged mom; 10-04-2009 at 09:23 PM..
Nothing turns me off a realtor faster is when they assume I dont know what Im talking about, and try to educate me despite my having explained that Ive bought and sold over 11 houses. In most all cases it's something like a 'recommendation' for a mortgage broker (kick-back, anyone?) or to tell me I cant find what Im looking for at a certain price, when I know full well I can because it's then obvious that Im more familiar with the market Im looking at than they are because I spend more time looking at it, so I end up feeding them realtor.com & realty trac links....etc, etc...
A kick back is a violation of RESPA. Any person who violates RESPA’s provisions may be fined up to $10,000 or imprisoned for up to one year, or both. Additionally, the person violating RESPA is liable to the person charged for the settlement service for three times the amount paid for the settlement service. In addition to criminal penalties, RESPA violations are being combined with other private lawsuit claims such as antitrust violations, exposing violators to additional civil liability.
Feeding them links after they tell you that there is nothing in your price range reinforces laziness. A better response would be to hang up and find an agent who knows the local dirt.
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About the difference between Stupid and Ignorant...and Assuming!
. The last one we had was lame too. She never returned calls and if we had a showing she would EMAIL me instead of picking up the phone! How lazy....
. Just ask C21 lol..
