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<abbr></abbr><abbr>Mark A.´s last blog post..Remember Me - A Memorial Day Tribute</abbr>
Tell the showing agent to stop by your place for the info, and sign a contract stating you'll get 1% of the sale for your assistance.
That will keep them moving along. :)
Purely for entertainment purposes Drew. ;)
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Paula Henry´s last blog post..First Time Buyer Opportunity in Indianapolis</abbr>
Change or this will be you!
Really. If your clients are spending time calling other agents you haven't been doing your job well. If you start calling other agents (not in your office) to help you out of a jam it's probably time to consider a new job.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Will´s last blog post..New Canadaline Skytrain Trial Run</abbr>
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Kristina Cusick´s last blog post..2009 Hurricane Supply Sales Tax Holiday</abbr>
I'm assuming that the reason they are sending their clients to "check out the internet for homes that interest" them is that these brokers aren't even understanding what a broker's website does, how it functions, let alone was IDX is.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>James Wheelock´s last blog post..$90,000 :: 24130 Skywing Ct, Spring TX, 77373</abbr>
Occasionally when they just ask if it's okay if they can show the property I'll answer "you bet, go right ahead". I do add that it might be courteous to speak with the listing agent prior to accessing the lockbox. :-)
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Ken Brand´s last blog post..The Woodlands Community Update - May 29th, 2009</abbr>
<abbr></abbr><abbr>MaryAnn Knell-Peoria Real Estate´s last blog post..Help for Peoria’s Homeowners</abbr>
We have two main MLS's in Atlanta, and I used to get calls and emails from this one agent who didn't belong to both - but wanted me to get him the information from the MLS of which he did not belong. After a while, I finally told him that if he called me again about a listing that I did not have - I would call his broker.
I still can't believe I had to go there.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Doug Quance´s last blog post..In Observance Of Memorial Day</abbr>
Hopefully the clients will begin to realize that they should just call you in the first place!
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Dale Chumbley´s last blog post..Getaway Sunday: Port of Danger Bay</abbr>
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Thesa Chambers´s last blog post..The Questions That A Short Sale Bring</abbr>
Humor does arrive from human suffering.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Tom at the Real Estate Bloggers´s last blog post..$1 Million Real Estate Coupon - Thinking Outside The Box</abbr>
Caller: "I'd like more information on xxxx"
Me: "That's a great house... in a wonderful neighborhood... blah, blah, blah"
Caller: "Sounds good, I'd like to see it"
Me: "Great... Oh, before I forget, who's your real estate agent?
Caller: "Jane Doe" [They always answer honestly!]
Me: "Thanks - you're in great hands. I always like to treat people the way I want to be treated, so it's best to call Jane to have her show you the home"
Caller: "Can't you just show it to me?"
Me: "I can't... I don't want to jeopardize your representation."
or, depending upon their response and tonality, or my mood.
"If you've been delighted with Jane, it's best that she shows it to you, if you're planning to change agents, would be happy to meet with you to show you how we work. Which do you prefer?"
Caller (Frustration in voice): "I just want to see the house!"
Me: "I understand. Good luck in your search"
Other dialogue "We always meet clients for the first time in the office.... I'm available at x or y. Which is better for you?"
That is a very well thought out, EXCELLENT dialogue. You have really honed it -- just tremendous; keep it up! Thank you for sharing it!
Jim
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Jim Zirbes´s last blog post..Open for Business</abbr>
McKinney Real Estate
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Ted Jerningan´s last blog post..Gamers on the go</abbr>
The scary part about this is, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ACTALLY CALL...
do you know how many agents are running around with printouts from my websites? with clients who have probably been signed up on my IDX for years? and DONT CALL?
Thats the scariest part about providing a good service or website to the public is...you cant stop and there will always be abuse.
I get calls for Directions, Listing info, Lawyers...even sports scores...
I think some people think we are Chamber of Commerce site and we give FREE HOME TOURS and LOCAL INFO out for free and then get some salary check in the mail.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to better eductate the clients to this? Is it our fault for in some ways presenting the MLS via our IDX via US?
It's not an easy thing to avoid...especially when you are very findable.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>brian culhane´s last blog post..Looking for Investment Property? Check Out The Bargins In San Tan Heights</abbr>
I get calls from people wanting to pay (or contest) their property tax bills. (Stems from a couple of posts I've written on property taxes). If I wouldn't lose my license (and go to jail) I'd just start using paypal to invoice people for their taxes... ;)
"Anyone have any suggestions on how to better eductate the clients to this? Is it our fault for in some ways presenting the MLS via our IDX via US?"
Great question. I've tried via this venue to educate people. And we always explain things to our clients. But reaching the general population is difficult. That difficulty is compounded by *agents* that clearly don't "get it". It absolutely floors me how a LOCAL agent willingly refers their clients to another local agents site. How does that conversation go?
"You should search for homes on this guy's site, because frankly I either 1) don't have a web site; or 2) my site sucks."
???
And if I'm a client, and my agent sends me to another agent's site, wouldn't I take a moment to say, "Hmmmm...."
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Daniel Bates - McClellanville Realtor´s last blog post..2009 Hurricane Season Begins…and I need your help</abbr>
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Matt Stigliano´s last blog post..Spring Vistas Subdivision - San Antonio TX</abbr>
Southlake Real Estate
To use my daughter's vernacular... "OMG" you had me cracking up at "Can you tell me the lockbox code for..."
However, there really is a much more serious problem here...
There really should be a much stringent requirement for a real estate license or at least an mls key....seriously if this agent doesn't even know the basics would the public want him opening and going through their house? Having their alarm code? What if the homeowner is home and doesn't want an agent at their front door - or worse in the shower when the agent comes barging in their house without an appointment or heed to showing instructions? These 'agents' don't know the first thing about our code of conduct or ethics or standards they should NOT have a license.
Thanks for the chuckle...sort or...wish it didn't happen.
Tony Arko - you have a new follower on twitter...that was also hilarious! (see above)
I would never give the access code to another agent's listing. There are scammers out there....
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Cindy Knight´s last blog post..Happy Mother's Day</abbr>
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Brewer Caldwell´s last blog post..Brewer Caldwell is the BEST</abbr>
Sure, there are thieves and scammers out there. But there are also a LOT of agents and brokers that simply don't get it. See James Boyer's comment below (#45). I too get calls from irate brokers that I'm "advertising" their listing. Then I explain how the IDX works, and some of them STILL don't get it.
Believe me, many of these calls come from other agents. I've gotten calls from brokerage offices that are very similar...
Besides, if a thief wants in a house to steal appliances, the simple fact is they can put their foot through the front door faster than they can get in with a lockbox code. It'd be silly to call for a code, leaving their number on my caller ID. Of course, there are plenty of stupid crooks out there too.
Maybe IDX can put a little caveat on all the listings, and say something like.
"This listing is being brought to you via an agent who is NOT the listing agent!"
Its tricky, because in AZ we almost encourage dual agency via having listing agents put signs in yards, but any caveats or conditions we place on the front of a conversations with a buyer with us as buyer agents, puts us at an immediate disadvantage. Or gives the Consumer the impression that we do not have knowledge of that home or that certain market.
We are having to overcome this hurdle all the time with our team.
I am coaching my agents to have the DUAL AGENCY conversation at the very begining of the rapport building process...but its always a subtle conversion to go from "the perception" that we are the listing agents...to explaining that we are BUYER AGENTS...and actually represent their best interests.
Tricky stuff....Jay, I think you have opened up a HUGE can of worms today!
<abbr></abbr><abbr>brian culhane´s last blog post..Looking for Investment Property? Check Out The Bargins In San Tan Heights</abbr>
Usually they give up at that point, but sometimes they are still a pain about it and I usually instruct them on how to change their listing in the MLS so that it will not show up like that anymore. Of course I also tell them that if they do this their listing will not show up anyplace other then the Realtor visible part of our MLS, to that they just say OH, can't do that, and I say have a great day!!!
Recently one of these geniuses decided to show one of my listings that he 'drove by' with his client. Skip the MLS. Skip talking to the seller. Skip the instructions. He went ahead and decided to use his Supra lockbox key and let his client in. He found himself standing in a home with the burglar alarm sounding and police on their way. Nice.
Best part - he called the alarm company to assure them he wasn't breaking in - he's just a real estate agent. 'Oh well of course...since you say so...."
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Linsey´s last blog post..The Home I Rent Was Foreclosed - When Do I Have to Move?</abbr>
Do they not have staff at the office that can look this up for them, or another friend that is an agent? I really think the best is when they call you BEFORE they go out and look. "Hi this is John Doe from XYZ Realty, and my client has a print out of this home they want to see, your listing ID is 1234567 Could you tell me more about this home" Oh well Lazy Agents make it easier on us in the long run, because we look good when we simply do our job.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Karen Geselle´s last blog post..Homes Sales - April 2009</abbr>
<abbr></abbr><abbr>David Lorti - Ahwatukee Real Estate´s last blog post..The White House Wants to Paint Your Home White!</abbr>
that would make for a good ending to this story!!
<abbr></abbr><abbr>brian culhane´s last blog post..South Chandler Real Estate</abbr>
I have had agents that call like this ask about joining our brokerage. Funny, I've never hired a single one. I mean if they are making a call like this, do I want them in my brokerage? (no need to answer that question...)
I stand by my comments made on your earlier article, "Where to Search for Homes Online" (sorry, I don't know how to make that a link back to it). I just never realized an agent could sit in front of a house and NOT call the number on the sign when customers seem to do it every day.
I too have gotten, and still get with my shared listings on P2A web site, calls like that. And, like your other commentor, I have been asked to look up and provide data on the MLS that they don't have access to because they don't pay for it. So, they can "have comps to show their client". Most recently it was from someone who works at the agency that claims to "sell more real estate" than anyone else. I guess this is why the folks at Zillow think so highly of our profession.
My initial reaction was that this was perhaps someone trying to scam their way in. Not necessarily a crook but just someone who wanted to get in to see the property.
Do you have centralized showing service or something similar in your area? I my area most listing are serviced by CSS, call them with your agent password and your get showing instructions.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Ned´s last blog post..Help! My Home is going to tax sale.</abbr>
Sadly, given the volume of similar calls we receive, I'm inclined to think it's clueless agents making these calls. With most, you can tell they are agents, albeit agents without a clue.
I can certainly envision during a long day of showing, a client saying, "Oh, by the way, last night we found this home online we would like to see, too."
That's always a tough situation to handle. My responses to my own clients run along; "That home didn't come up in the search we did together so it doesn't meet your criteria." "We can't show a home without looking it up in the MLS, it may already be under contract so the seller doesn't expect any more showings and she could be in the shower... alarm codes, pet instructions, etc." "I can take 5 minutes to look it up in the MLS on my Treo but it likely does not meet your search criteria, even if it is still available."
When that happens to me, I always think that I didn't do a good job when I first met the clients in explaining how the system works and how we can't do on-the-fly showings. "Hey, there is a for sale sign over there, can we see that home." (A clear "sign" the buyer is not serious.) Usually, my mistake was I assumed they knew the drill and I didn't explain the system the way I would to first-time buyers.
But some Realtors - no doubt very nice people - are worse than I am about explaining the rules of the game to their clients.
The more annoying and more frequent calls are buyers who have a buyer's agent but call wanting the listing agent to show them the home. (I got one of those calls while writing this.) Again, the buyer's agent didn't do a good job of explaining the rules of the game to their client.
<abbr></abbr><abbr>John Wake´s last blog post..“How much down payment should I make?”</abbr>
What's even more taunting is that if this caller (Realtor) called a like-minded Realtor and they collaborated and the receiver of the call gave the information they were looking for (revert to above paragraph)!! It's very possible that one knuckle-head could encounter another knuckle-head!!
I'm still laughing after reading the dialog again. But, in all seriousness, it's important to remember several things here:
1. Don't give out the code or information to another caller/agent over the phone.
2. Don't put comments in the public remarks of the home being "vacant" or the combo code (which some REO agents use) as I've seen a lot of lately!
3. If you don't know what a 'freakin' IDX is, then perhaps you should go back to Real Estate school and give it another shot (or not, get out of real estate all together).
4. If you are sending your buyer to other brokers sites, all I can say is "WOW"... move on now.
*shaking my head a second time of reading the convo*
I get a couple of calls like that every day. If I am at my desk I will give them the listing agent's phone number, but not the lockbox code. I figure it builds good will with my fellow agents, and it is worth it for that. I make a lot of sales from Buyers who initially think they are calling the listing agent. It's payback for that.
After talking to the buyers who call me, I find out that some are already working with a buyer's agent who may be out of town etc. I spend a minute, I am friendly and helpful, and don't try to swipe their clients. I actually will give them the listing agents phone number. Then I suggest that they if they call the listing agent, they should tell him that they have a buyer's brokerage agreement and would like to see the house if the listing agent will honor that. If the listing agent won't, I tell them to call their buyer's agent and see if he has some one else in his office who will meet them.
Why would I do that? I appreciate loyalty with my clients and I encourage it in others. I believe what goes around, comes around. After all that, every once in awhile the buyer tells me that they aren't happy with their current agent anyway, and if I would be willing to show them the house. (then I say sure!)
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Dan Connolly -Atlanta Real Estate Guide´s last blog post..Disclosure: What the seller DOESN'T have to tell you in Georgia</abbr>
We also get many calls from buyers already working with agents. I help them where I can and wouldn't ever dream of trying to steal them away.
I'm a big believer in "what goes around comes around". But when faced with utter incompetence, I'm not quite as generous.
We sit on the South Carolina border here, and many agents are licensed in both Georgia and SC, some aren't. I've had South Caralakee agents ask me to show their clients my listings in GA and then pay them the full Buyer's side as a referral fee. This with agents in their own firms licensed in GA.
My typical response is "so you want me to put your clients under Georgia Buyer Brokerage Agreement with me, then pay you the whole commission on that side while I do all the work? How about 25% instead?" That's if I can stop laughing long enough.....
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Joe´s last blog post..Tax Credit Authorized for 1st Time Homebuyers</abbr>
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<abbr></abbr><abbr>Steve´s last blog post..$615,000 :: 1442 E Caroline Lane, Tempe AZ, 85284</abbr>
That is some very insightful commentary on this subject....and no question the crux of the issue.
Educating and Informing our clients....is Job #1
<abbr></abbr><abbr>brian culhane´s last blog post..MountainBrook Village in Gold Canyon, AZ</abbr>
Steve
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Steve Lines´s last blog post..Top 10 Reasons College Graduates Should Use FHA Loans to Buy a House</abbr>
That person would be fired. I'm surprised that this happens multiple times to you...but wait...no, I'm not.
"Message:I have a buyer for this hosue....when can we see it?"
THIS JUST OUT
Hi xxxxxx – best to check the MLS for showing instructions – you’re on my IDX site and I’m not the listing agent
Good luck
Ira
Yes - out of area agent from a very expensive area. Wait till her buyers find out the neighborhood is zoned M-60.
As in machine gun.
Really - not far from it there was automatic fire a few nights ago.
Just another reason why buyers should use agents who know the neighborhoods.
I've even had a couple of idiot agents sign onto MY idx to get addresses, and when I "cancel" them, they sign back on! One "lady" went back and forth like this 5 times! I'll tell you, she was DETERMINED!
<abbr></abbr><abbr>Jim Gatos´s last blog post..Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Jackson</abbr>