A call that real estate professionals must answer
Letter to the Editor
By Inman News, Wednesday, May 19, 2010.Re: 'Questioning real estate quantity' (May 19)
Dear Editor:
As I was reading the article about increasing the number of real estate agents in your multiple listing service, a very strong thought came to mind.
For three decades I have actively worked as a Realtor in Phoenix, with more than 700 successful closed residential real estate transactions. What we need, instead of more agents, are more tenacious, careful, professional, committed agents.
Every week I call on agents, and every week while calling a few to check on availability, I always (encounter) a few who "are too busy to return my call." Why is it? I always answer my telephone, and if not I always return calls -- normally within three minutes to 59 minutes.
If a police officer, or an attorney, or a doctor or dentist was as unprofessional as real estate agents, the public would go crazy!
Just one example: Take a look at the information on a few listings in the MLS and see how many mistakes you can find, (including) misspelled words in the remarks, information left out, inaccurate information. Someone really needs to set the standards in this business. If you can get the million-plus agents' attention, I would be happy to begin this mission.
Dan D. Mcginnis
HomeSmart Real Estate
Phoenix, Ariz.
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Submitted by Brenda Fox on May 19, 2010 - 1:31pm.
I totally agree-it is frustrating to call a Realtor to get info for your client and never get a return call. Of course, it helps when you sometimes get a client because the listing agent just would not call them back. Maybe some just have more business than they can handle!!
Submitted by Bruce Hahn on May 19, 2010 - 1:44pm.
American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance
Amen
Submitted by William Metzker on May 19, 2010 - 1:49pm.
The really bad one occurs when you try to leave a message and their voice mailboxes are full!
Submitted by J. Edwards on May 19, 2010 - 2:07pm.
While everyone in the world can agree with all your comments and I do, we can only start to hold ourself to such standards. As each of us raise the bar then hopefully our colleagues will too. It's a lead by example method or have MLS and all the other website out there have a higher standard for correct information posted etc.
J. Edwards
RE BRoker
Perfect Quarters
Submitted by Rachel LaMar, J.D. on May 19, 2010 - 2:30pm.
Dan,
Your words echo thoughts I have on a daily basis. I agree with you that professionalism is something that is achieved by actions and how we present ourselves. I too am shocked not only by the lack of attention by many agents, but also but the lack of ethics and the way many agents (even top producers) market themselves. I receive mail all the time with misspelled words, poor grammer and terrible quality photos. It not only makes the agent look bad, but is a reflection on the industry as a whole.
The bottom line is that we all must make efforts to not only service our clients well, but to also cooperate with each other, be respectful and take pride in how we portray ourselves. It not only makes us a stronger and well-respected profession, but also will build our individual businesses.
Rachel LaMar, J.D.
Realtor/Broker
Carlsbad, California
Rachel LaMar, J.D.
Broker Associate
Windermere Exclusive Properties
760.310.9466
rblamar@roadrunner.com
http://RachelLaMarRealEstate.com
Submitted by Kathy Judy on May 19, 2010 - 3:44pm.
Your mention of the MLS spelling mistakes remeinds me a recent one we had "stainless steal appliances"! This was a 400000 beautiful house. I left it up to her broker or other agents in the office to point it out but they never did!
Submitted by Kathy Judy on May 19, 2010 - 3:46pm.
see above and mentally correct my typo please
Submitted by Lisa Jennings on May 20, 2010 - 10:18am.
I used to work in marketing for a large, Fortune 500 company. I was in the beer industry. One of the things that set the company apart from others was the level of professionalism demonstrated. Everyone who worked there, as part of their initial first-day-on-the-job training read the standards, policies, procedures and "this is how we do things here" manual. From day one, the corporate culture was ingrained in your head.
I have often thought that the real estate business needs such a manual in order to lift the level of professionalism of this industry. It would be fantastic to have all realtors on the same page, demonstrating best practices, etc. Real estate is a professional business but sometimes you'd never know it. It's a business that is often stereotyped and that stereotype is really hard to work against.
Submitted by Mike McCutcheon on May 20, 2010 - 2:48pm.
Unfortunately, the industry seems bent on hiring more agents, not necessarily more professional agents. I, too, share the frustration of the failure to return calls/emails. It's amazing the turnover of agents in this business. With all the new legislation (usually predicated on lawsuits), it seems more vital that ever to hire (?) independent contractors who can read, write and speak intelligently. Let's not even get into the Short Sale aspect of the business.
Submitted by ProGold i2 & ViewMyListing.com on May 26, 2010 - 11:56am.
I agree as well. There are far too many real estate agents who are not interesting in Good CSR. It gets frustrating all the way around. I have the perfect example of how this goes way too often here:
http://www.mylistingblog.com/?p=10
Providing Technology Solutions to the Real Estate Industry since 1981.
Submitted by Carmen Brodeur on May 28, 2010 - 10:05pm.
I agree it is so frustrating when I encounter yet another unprofessional agent. It is true that there are bad apples in every profession, but Realtors in general get a bad rap.
Submitted by For Sale By Owner Guy on June 2, 2010 - 6:02am.
"Take a look at the information on a few listings in the MLS and see how many mistakes you can find, (including) misspelled words in the remarks, information left out, inaccurate information. Someone really needs to set the standards in this business."
And your just figuring this out?
"Realtors in general get a bad rap"
and the MAJORITY of REALTORS deserve every bit of the BAD rap!!!!!!!
www.forsalebyownerguy.com
"The Book That Real Estate Agents Don't Want You To Read"
Submitted by Lindsey Huntington on June 16, 2010 - 10:20pm.
I agree that agents should not give their potential clients the hard time to get information about listings. Though I believe that this incident can't be helped to happen. What the agent could do is just to make sure to have him/herself available as much as possible.
http://centralfloridarealestatedeals.com/
http://centralfloridaforeclosures.realestatevlogger.com/