Re: ‘Rookie Realtor doing ‘floor time’‘ (July 7)
Dear Rookie:
I enjoy your column, and sympathize with you in your floor-time jail. However, I have some advice. I didn’t hear you mention anything about answering e-mails for potential buyers. Ninety percent of all buyers now use the Internet to look for homes and a Realtor. I work for Homestore but do not work for Realtor.com , so I have nothing to gain here, but I am just wondering if y’all have a heavy online presence? That is why it is so slow on the phones these days. Yes, people still look at the weekend homes section, but the Internet is where they are at!
May I suggest you digging in a little deeper in that pond? It is much deeper and full of many more fish!
Best of luck!
Carol Andrews
Regional Sales Director
RENTNET
Dear Rookie:
If your company has a policy that dictates what you will do and how you will do it, then it sounds like you are an employee rather than an independent contractor. If that is the case you must be paid for your time, as employees cannot be forced to work and not be paid. In my shops, agents are encouraged to use floor time to their advantage and not wait around for a fish to jump into their boat, to continue your metaphor. Why not prospect, prepare mailings, call past clients, update Web sites or otherwise use your time wisely? Or simply decline to take floor time and enjoy your weekend – maybe your attitude and outlook will be brighter on Monday.
Allan J. Bernardi
CEO
RE/MAX Dolphin Real Estate
Half Moon Bay, Calif.
Dear Rookie:
It’s a major mistake if the Rookie thinks surfing the Web is the best use of his time during slow floor time. No wonder most rookies never make it. He should be spending that time sending out notes to friends, prospects, follow-ups, working on farming materials, working on a business plan, or at least using the time to better educate himself by listening to tapes or training videos. That two- or three-hour period of floor time might and could turn out to be some of the best time spent that week, even if it doesn’t generate a prospect off the phone. Seasoned agents would love to have an extra 2-3 hours for personal use. Ever hear of multitasking? Wake up, Rookie, and get off your butt and off the Web!
Virgil Mathias
Coldwell Banker King Thompson
Dublin, Ohio
Dear Rookie:
I’m still sort of a rookie myself, just finished my first year in the business and I’ve wrote in a couple times on this rookie subject before.
This Sunday was a holiday weekend! Now I’m sure a few people were house hunting, and thanks to people like you, my cell phone wasn’t ringing of the hook like usual. I left the office early Friday to get out on the boat, spent the entire weekend living aboard with my wife and kids, and came home Monday night to be back to work Tuesday. I had two offers over the weekend and set two listing appointments for Tuesday morning. I listed both of them and both offers were accepted Tuesday.
I do not do floor time, tried it a couple times and hated it; I had no sales in my first six months in the business and no additional income in the home, so I concentrated on listing property.
I listed 38 homes in my first calendar year–8 months–in 2003. This year with six months gone I’ve listed 47 homes and I’m shooting for at least 100.
I’ve only closed about $4 million in transactions, mostly seller-side deals; my 2004 goal is $10 million…I’m running a little behind my goals this year but I’ve taken almost every weekend off.
I am a listing agent. I believe if you have the inventory then the sales will come. I concentrate on marketing my listings, which create a lot of buyers, but I really don’t work with buyers, just a few qualified investors who buy often. I refer the majority of buyers to the floor agents in the company.
I added an assistant two months ago to handle my office work; I hate paperwork and am not very good at it and to handle my marketing coordinating. That allows me to spend more time with my clients and take a few days off here and there. I was about to burn out and my production was starting to fall before adding an assistant. It was a great move.
I’ve read many times about your lack of enthusiasm for working with dead-end buyers…maybe you should switch your efforts to being a listing agent.
List it and the buyers will come!
Good luck and hang in there.
J. Goscinski
Realtor/Builder
GMAC Real Estate The Kee Group
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Got tips, ideas or advice for the Rookie Realtor? Send them to Rookie@inman.com.
