Signs you have a bad Realtor

This post came about in the most interesting way. Couple of days ago I wrote about Things to do not to sell your home. Which came about from some frustrating moments when showing homes recently. At about the same time, Dru Bloomfield and Jay Thompson where also talking about some of their frustrating moments. Next thing I know, a search that led to my blog was Realtor doesn’t return your call. This lead me to think about all the bad Realtors out there and some of the things that they do to drive business to me. Here are some of the things that I hear when I learned that you had a previous Realtor and I ask why you aren’t using them.

Realtor didn’t return our call. Believe it our not, this is one of the biggest complaints against Real Estate agents at the Arizona Department of Real Estate. This just amazes me. Here is a Realtor that has created a relationship with you to help you either buy or sell a home and they can’t return your call? I’ve created a communication plan that is shared with each of my clients to specifically address this. I set the expectations up front. Yes, I have other clients, yes, I have a family, and yes, I do have a life outside of Real Estate. When you call me between 8 am and 8 pm, you can expect a call back within 4 hours. I make a point on a listing to send a summary eMail once a week.

Is High Pressure. Agent expects you to purchase something right there on the spot.

Doesn’t review documents with you before signing. You should be aware of everything that you are signing and have all of your questions answered before signing. At the end of the day, you are the one signing a document accepting or promising something, so you should understand that.

Doesn’t work with Title and Mortgage and Inspectors and Insurance Agent and the other Agent and … There is a lot of coordination going on once a home goes into Escrow and the agent should be aware of all activities. This will help spot potential problems before they occur and resolve them before the transaction is at risk.

Doesn’t follow up on your concerns or questions. Agents don’t have all the answer at the tip of a finger, we wish we did, but there just things that we won’t know right away. Sometimes it requires making phone calls or additional research. In any case, all of your questions and concerns should have a follow-up.

Selling agent doesn’t follow up on house showings. If your house is listed for sale and it was shown, than your agent should call to see how that showing went. What the buyers thought, what the other agent thought and all of that information should be shared with you. This is an opportunity to learn more about the market that is out there looking for a home like yours.

Selling agent, doesn’t keep you up to date on your market. Markets change and recent sales and new listings will have a bearing on the price of your home, either good or bad. You should be aware of these situations, again to help you be in a better position to sell your home.

Selling agent, doesn’t provide pictures on the MLS. This is a pet peeve of mine because it is also an annoyance to my buyers. I send them homes that fit what they are looking for and they would like to see pictures of that home before deciding to include it on a tour. All too often, we go and look and it doesn’ t work out, which could have been determined by a simple picture. All listings should have several pictures that help to convey the home’s characters.

So what does all of this boil down to, you are trying to achieve a goal (buy or sell a home) and you have a relationship with your partner the Realtor. If that relationship is good and there is good communication, you will be successful in achieving your goal Anything other than that, you can expect frustration or worse, not achieving your goal.

Related posts:

1. Should I call on a house or have my Realtor call?
2. More Bad Agent Habits
3. What to do with a bad Realtor
4. Agent won’t return phone calls
5. Importance of Photos