It is so important, as Realtors, to be respectful of other agents at all times. This past weekend I had a couple of experiences when taking buyers to see different listings and want to point out a couple of scenarios thinking this will help a lot of us.
I will raise some important questions for you to think about:
- -how do you greet other agents when they show your listings?
- -Do you direct your attention to their customer directly or do you ask the agent for permission to address them?
- -Do you let them walk around the property or do you grab their hand and show them in the order you deem necessary?
I was showing a property of an agent I had not met before; he is not a local agent and does not live in the area. This guy greeted my customers without greeting me, and introduced himself very aggressively, without ever shaking my hand. He proceeded to show the property and to talk directly to my customers and show the house without ever giving me eye contact or even asking if I mind. He even began telling them about the area without even asking if they were interested in his opinion (granted- the guy doesn't even work the area, what expert could he be?). A lot of you are probably reading this thinking, "sooo, what's the big deal?" - Here's my answer:
Common sense dictates that if a customer is working with an agent, it's because they feel comfortable with them, it is not good business sense to push your aggressive personality without first introducing yourself to the buyers' agent, and without first asking the agent if it is ok to show the property. I have never understood why some agents have a fixation with walking people around a house saying "this is the bathroom, this is the kitchen, this is the pool", isn't that obvious? I like to follow the customers and answer any questions they may have and in the process point out features like "Limestone floors, Philippe Stark fixtures, Carrara Marble, hurricane impact windows......etc". The worst part is that if you have many listings in a particular area and you don't make a buyers' agent feel comfortable, what are the chances they will bring buyers back to your listings? The other negative aspect is that buyers might be so turned off by the listing agent's personality that no matter how perfect the house may be, many will not be able to get past the pushy personality.
I like to do Broker's opens to expose our listings to agents, so that when they come back, they feel comfortable showing the home and seem like the expert they were hired to be. I'm there to answer questions, not to steal the show. Trying to steal the show is rude and shows no class.
So what have we learned from this? Always address the other agent first, they are the ones bringing you business, you need to make them feel comfortable if you plan on working with them again or at all. There is no room for vanity, it is not a battle of the egos, think of the customer and the transaction. Be respectful, show some class, you will be more successful in your business, I promise.
Some people are REALLY SPECIAL aren't they? Wouldn't it be fun to "turn the tables" on that agent and do the same to his clients. I bet you'd hear about it!
kk
Ines,
Thanks for the post. I must say that I will sometimes show a property during a public open house. Usually the listing agent will ask if they can be of assistance and I always decline. The focus is the property and the relationship is between me and my customer. Period!
The listing agent was rude and unprofessional.
We rarely have listing agents present when weshow homes but I did run into this with my very first buyer (seller was an ass made the listing agent be present for everything inspections and all, Buyer was also an ass). The listing agent and I were the only ones who got each other through the sale.
Why alienate the only other person in the transaction who understands your job???
Ines - what a jerk that guy was! I periodically run into something similar up here as well. We do mostly accompanied showings here in my area, and it never ceases to amaze me when agents act like this. I sometimes think the only cure to that kind of behavior is to turn the tables on them.
Ann
We have a fair number of listing agent must accompany homes in our market, all at the high end. Recently I showed some new condos and the LA (from my office) was there. Even though I had been in the condos before, it really did help me to have her there in this case. She is the complete picture of professionlism and would never have done ANY of the things the LA you are talking about did. But she answered a lot of questions about amenities right on the spot, so that I did not have to call back later to find the answers. Fortunately, this has been my experience with most of the agents who do the high end in my market.
On the other hand, I do have a horror story from a listing agent who called me after he was present at a listing that I showed to some well known celebs. He called me on my cell right after we left the house and said, "If you don't get their autographs for me, my wife will kill me." I wanted to KILL HIM! I was still in the car with them. They were not impressed by him.
Great post. Lik you I never understood why the obvious had to be pointed out, I assume my client has a working brain. I too allow my client to walk around, but I am there to provide answers to their questions and to make them aware of any unique features .
Wow - thanks for the response everyone!
Stefan - that.....THANKFULLY......has never happened to me....I would put that agent in their place in front of the customer.
Mariana - Your way is definitely the right way, things are done a little differently here in Miami, but it should be about just opening the door and sitting back unless they have questions.
Gary - thanks for stopping by, in Miami we wait for the buyer's agent to ask if they want to be shown around, if not, good etiquette says to stay behind.
Eric - why don't you tell me how you really feel? That was GREAT!
Kristal - the worst part is that it was a Luxury Property (1.2 million) - where are the manners?
Angus - ....and making you late to your next appointment
Rich - after reading a lot of the blogs here in AR - it's obvious we handle things differently here in Miami, but we should learn about other markets. For the most part, not even lockboxes, sellers ARE overprotective and think it is the role of the listing agent to "SELL" the house.
William - you are absolutely right - but at least the listing agent asked.
Chris - I hope he reads this post and figures out it's him.
Virginia - I don't agree in alienating, it's about having common courtesy. Ultimately, if there is an executed contract, you will be working together to coordinate all the details for the closing.
Scott - and there are so many of them and don't even know what they are doing is wrong.
Ann - it depends on the customer. If I REALLY know my customer and know they will not be offended, I will speak out and tell them to step aside (in a nice way).
MF - Would it be great if someone could invent a "RUDE METER" and a loud bell would go off? I have to tell you that most agents in my market are not this way. It definitely helps when the listing agent is present when I show a condo I have never visited before, but I try to do my homework before the showing so I can have most bases covered. BTW - there was a big lawsuit not long ago by an agent that used a celebrity's name for their marketing without getting their permission.
Jennifer - you slipped in when I was writing responses - One time I had an agent walk us from room to room saying "this is the kitchen, this is the dinning room, this is the living room"...my client went past a chair and asked her "is this a chair?" - I could not help but to burst out in laughter.
Bill - your analogy is perfect --- LET'S AVOID THE CAR LOT STUFF!
Bryant - We open all of my listings, as I said before, no lockboxes, I ask for a card from the buyer's agent, I inform them of non-obvious stuff like date of roof, a/c, and any other features and usually sit in the living room and tell them I'll be there if they have any questions. Our sellers here like us to be inside the house, it IS Miami afterall.
I'm in agreement 100%.
My earlier years, I used to do that until someone pointed out to me how silly it was to say, "here's the kitchen, here's the bathroom". Walking with the buyers, I now do more observing and listening when they enter a room; looking for signals of interest.
Flashback: I remember a listing I had(around 2001), the owner wanted me present for all agent showings. An agent shows up with his buyer I greet them and extended my hand; the customer shakes my hand, the agent just walked by me, no acknowledgement. After the showing I said my goodbyes and the customers again acknowledged but not the agent. The homeowner turned to me and said "whats his problem?"How rude was that. I still remember you, Tony M.
Interesting market difference, as Bryant said. Dmitry and I use lockboxes (combo) on almost everything. The only time we have agreed to "LA must accompany" was on something close to $2m. We strongly feel it discourages showings, and most sellers have understood that fortunately. We did have a guy with a $150k home demand it, but his house was filthy and he wanted too much so we politely declined the opportunity.
Tony - I truly believe the buyer needs to focus and no distractions - that's the only way they can really SEE the property.
Jeff - It is one of the most aggravating things - it drives me absolutely up the wall as well - but now I just laugh - laughter is good. I showed a modern property not long ago where the listing agent tried to do the point and tour thing and I sat in the living room (my customers followed) and I pointed out the "modern classics" - "This is a great Wassily Chair, although not as comfortable as the Barcelona chair you are sitting on...would you like to try?" - the agent got the picture and my customers were able to see the house in peace.
Tyler - That would make our job so much easier!
Bryant - "buy one get one free" that's hilarious!
Peter - I'll help you out: WE'RE WATCHING YOU TONY M.!!!
MF - The higher the price range, the ruder the agent - it's a pre-requisite here in Miami! And don't even think about asking for feedback....they will hang up the phone and think you are from Mars.
Another great post! In that situation I would always go for the agent first and look forward to a formal introduction as if they were introducing a family member or good friend. Where are people's manners?
I have shown much new construction as a buyer's agent and this is EXACTLY how I introduce my clients. I go as far as previewing the new construction or giving a phone call to the agent to introduce myself. This way I know the agent's name before I even get there. This makes me look professional and gives me the upper hand. People like to hear their names
Hi Ines, Great topic!! In my area of NH pretty well no one accompanies a co-broke showing but when I’ve gone to other areas to show I've encountered some of what you describe. Pretty poor behavior!
Renee - if we establish good relations, everything would be so much easier - maybe we should have a manners class requirement for all agents.
Monika - this past weekend, an agent that I know well, works the area and lives here as well jumped out of his car and greeted my buyers first and proceeded to go open the door. I turned to him, and said " What am I chopped liver?" His eyes opened up the size of golf balls, he apologized, gave me a kiss (that's what we do here) and went on to open the door. Sometimes it just takes a little slap in the face.
Jeff - The bottom line is that we are all busy, but we need to stop to be courteous - we would be doing our customers a disservice otherwise.
Sean - That's exactly what I felt from this one agent I described - it was beyond showing the house - it felt like he had an alterior motive.
Suzanne - It's good to have a team - we can be in two places at once. (it's not that bad)
Great post.. isn't always strange when the agent comes in and is expecting you to show their clients the home? As in, 'you know the home beter than me'.. It astounds me.. Well, I will admit that I took a listing that was agent must acompany. It was very close to my house, where I work from so I agreed. not high end, nothing special.. they just refused to use a lock box. When the agents come, we would exchange cards and then they looked to me to show it. -Dude, the room with a bed is a bedroom. The one with the fridge is the kichen.. hello?? I'm going to stay quiet like Bryant... and sit in he car. After all, I have all those hidden microphones planted thoughout the house.. say something and I know about it.. (sorry.. couldn't resist a little humor). -thanks for posting Ines. I think I got the first questions right!
Right on Ines -
Here is what I do as a listing agent who accompanies showings. I first give the buyer agent my card and any other info about the property. Then the buyer agent give the info to their buyer.Second I ask if they want me to show them the property or would the buyer agent prefer to do this. I am there to answer questions and thank them for viewing the property.
NO ONE SPEAKS TO MY BUYERS. NO ONE.
If an agent or builder's rep tries to address my buyer/clients directly, I interrupt them with
"Excuse me, xxxxxx, I'm not a potted plant" Please don't try to sell yourself to my buyer.
Of course, I always counsel my buyers that, if anyone tries to speak directly to them about anything except to answer a direct question from the buyer, they are to refer the agent, representative to me, their agent.
My buyers are very thankful to me for taking this responsibility. They know I know what I'm taking about. I have warned them that any thing they discuss with a seller's rep may jeopardize their negotiating position.
THEY LISTEN TO THAT.
Lenn
Hi Ines, I have a listing now that I have to accompany and I always approach the agent and introduce myself and hand the agent the listing package and tell them to feel free to look at the home. I will just follow and try and stay out of the way.
I will point out features that they seem to overlook as they are leaving the room and I will make sure I am available for any questions.
Thanks Jay
WOW.
Incredibly unprofessional AND rude!
Reading through some of the other comments, it's no wonder that our profession seems to get bad press on occasion.....I'm certain the 'bad stories' spread like wildfire, but the monumentally-larger percentage of perfect transactions are 'nothing special' worth talking about in the eyes of the public.....
Nick - Dude! I always love your comments and glad to see you're back to the first person.
Rick - your way is the right way - some of us are a little more involved than others, but it's important to alwyas address the buyer's agent. Depending on the complexity of the property, I sometimes offer to show the house to the agent.
Lenn - I LOVE your strong stance.....that's exactly what some of these people need, someone to come right out and put them in their place.
Jay - this particular guy, gave his flyer with all of his contact information, directly to my buyers. They turned around and gave it to me (that should have been his first hint) - at the end of the "touch-n-feel-tour" he said "let me know if you have any questions after we leave" - my customers responded "do not worry, we'll have Ines call you" - I did not have to defend my territory, my loyal customers did all the work.
Jim & Maria - Merry Christmas to you - Maybe NAR should hand out a basic set of rules to agents when they get licensed and when they renew as a refresher.
Michael - I will have to borrow your idea, that would definitely crack anyone up!
Sharon - thanks for stopping by, I think for the most part, our profession is good but there are always a few bad apples that make the rest of us look bad.
Don - I'm glad all of us here are on the same page - how do we distribute our opinion to those that continuously make the same mistake.
Dena - wouldn't it be funny to lift a "BACK OFF" flag to those that break the "unwritten rules"
Kaushik - pushy is not good - pushy is bad - that's why you should never sell your own property.
Marisa - I'm starting to wonder why Miami is different than the rest of the markets around the US. Why is it standard here to have the listing agent present at showings? I can tell you that in the lower end properties, lockboxes are more common (I'm talking about properties priced at $250 and below). Thanks for stopping by, and glad to hear you agree.
Agents need to work together...not engage in a battle of egos to see who shines the brightest or looks the best....
=-P
The BEST agents I have worked with WORKED with me to get a transaction done...not with themselves....
;-D =-D
Alexander - that's exactly what it is - it's a battle of egos.....and we have HUGE egos here in Miami...sometimes they are so big, they don't fit through the door.
What's the big deal?
Common courtesy. Courtesy, especially has always been a big deal to professionals. This is a great post and a timely reminder. I know I have stepped on professional toes at times because I temporarily forgot my courtesy.
Mark - it takes a big man (or woman) to recognize his errors - I'm sure we can all think back on at least one occasion where we have overstepped our boundaries. Let's be aware and correct.
Ines maybe it's a Cleveland thing; we do have people who can be rude, but they are very much in the minority. Truly, there is a real camaraderie among agents here. Now there are a few offices that tend to hang with each other because they are in the same company (this affects which homes they tour) but most of us get along with each other, are courteous to each other and professional.
The only real issue I can think of is not getting calls back when I want to show the home, and the MLS says 'call lister.' THAT aggravates me.
As to Jeff's comment about 'this is the bathroom, this is the kitchen?' lol. These are the same agents that say in the mls description 'seller wants to sell'
Carole - just last night I had an agent ask my buyers if they had seen one of his listings. The buyer turns around and says, "Why haven't we seen that one" - It is so frustrating because not only does it make me look bad, but now we're back to square one with an undecisive buyer. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM TALKING TO MY BUYERS!!! My brother-in-law lives in Cleveland (Avon), and my mom and dad lived there for 4 years not long ago.
Caron - I'm glad you have had good experiences and I truly hope you never have bad ones.