What a week. A week of bad manners and downright inconsiderateness emanating from other Realtors and buyers alike.

This blog was prompted not as a rant, but a plea to those who may not understand the significance of their actions, and maybe, just maybe, someone out there will read it and change their habits in the future.

This morning was the catalyst. One of our sellers dropped me an email stating that the buyers and accompanying agent who had booked a showing yesterday failed to show up. They know that for sure as they spent the day at home.  Interesting  that the agent, (who shall remain nameless,) bothered to send feedback.

“The condition was the problem”. She typed. How would they know I wondered? They hadn’t even bothered to stop and go inside. Had she not responded with something when our automatic emails requesting a response as to the recent showing, she knew full well that we would have ended up calling and discovering the real truth… Well we already do. You didn’t go in, Ms. Realtor, nor did your clients and they actually have no idea what the condition this house is in. It’s actually in immaculate condition both inside and out, a reflection of the current owners’ many years of TLC.

Then yesterday,  I received a call from a couple who were anxious to see a property which isn’t listed on the MLS, but is a FSBO (For Sale By Owner.) I asked them all the usual questions regarding their ability to purchase, pre-qualification, agent representation etc. and decided to change my family’s afternoon plans in an effort to help this young couple. They had just had their first child and were hoping to find a new home soon. They lived quite some distance away, so I went to work and found the owner of the property, called him up and worked out a deal that if these young folk were to put an offer in, I would be compensated.  I called them back and a time was set to meet them. My family was disappointed, but we have been in this business long enough to know this happens on a regular basis. So I met the couple at the house. I had got there half an hour early to meet the owner, check out the house, and sign the necessary paperwork.  The couple, who had been very chatty earlier, barely spoke to me however, and when I asked them to complete the required Agency Disclosure they refused.  I patiently explained that NY State RE Law requires every agent to complete this document at first meeting.  They retorted that their agent, who they had been working with for several months, had never asked for this document to be signed! Hold on a minute, you have an agent you are working with? I had specifically asked them that question earlier in the day, and was told emphatically they were not working with anyone.  So I asked them why they said that. This was their response:

“We had already tried two other Realtors and they both asked the same question, when we told them we were already working with an agent, they declined to arrange the showing for us. So we called our agent, and she told us what to say to you!” I was shocked, and then they went on to say, “We really wanted to see this house this weekend, but our Realtor had family plans and couldn’t arrange it. It’s perfect, so I’m sure we will be putting an offer in on it.” And to add salt to the wound the husband said, “Well this is what you do isn’t it? You show houses.”  No sir, I sell houses, by arranging showings for people like you, and offering advice as to pricing, area information and whatever else you need to assist in helping you make one of the largest investments you will ever make.

This is a wonderful career I have chosen but people like this take the shine off.

I called the FSBO owner and gave him the good news that this couple would most likely be putting in an offer, but it wouldn’t be with me. He thanked me for the feedback, and demanded the name of their agent. I wasn’t given that information, and he was pissed with me!  Some days you can never do anything right it seems.

Back to the first scenario, there are many, many sellers out there who constantly tell me that they never get feedback. Well I can tell you it’s rather like getting blood out of a stone sometimes!  Some sellers insist on staying in their homes for showings in order to get feedback, and it’s always the same, “Lovely house, we really like it, you’ll be hearing from us soon.”  And of course they never do.

Many Realtors drive around and around for hours, days and weeks on end with potential buyers, and end up without anything but wear and tear on their car, a big gas bill,  and sore feet.  Sadly, we have a saying in the trade, “Buyers are Liars!”  And sometimes they are.

So now that I’ve got this off my chest, I’ll wrap up the holiday weekend (that wasn’t,) by up-loading  this to our GPS Newsletter.

Onwards,   and hoping for a better week ahead.