Tools of the trade
There is no single piece of equipment more essential to the life
of a Realtor than the phone. We spend so much time on the phone we
should start our own phone company
…except we’re too busy making phone calls!
Tools of the trade
There is no single piece of equipment more essential to the life of a Realtor than the phone. We spend so much time on the phone we should start our own phone company…except we’re too busy making phone calls!
Many years ago, cold calling was the accepted standard of practice for the industry. But Realtors resent our time being wasted by people soliciting us with offers of unwanted services, so it seemed to us there ought to be a better way.
And, too, the Do Not Call list was created.
So guess what? We started bombarding your mailbox with “Just Listed” and “Just Sold” postcards. The good news is that they inform you of market activity and pricing in your neighborhood. The bad news is that most of the time you don’t really care, and you dump it immediately into the trash. However, the practice continues because it truly does work to generate business.
Generally what a Realtor does is contact the title company of preference. They generate mailing labels from the tax records (available because of the freedom of information act) and an area is blanketed around the house either listed or sold by that agent. Oftentimes information is sent directly to a company to print, address and mail the cards so the agent never sees them.
Invariably there is an individual in each neighborhood who objects strenuously to receiving such information, and calls demanding that their address be removed from the list. Though the Realtor would never intentionally set out to annoy someone, it is – sometimes literally – out of their hands. So if you’re annoyed and calling you’re unlikely to make any head way. Sorry about that.
Personally, I like to receive them. I get a kick out of seeing who is doing what, and who is saying or claiming this or that. And I figure the competition is spending their money on me without even knowing it! ( Heh, heh. Sometimes that frisky side of me can’t help but leap out.)
But back to the matter of phones. For awhile there was a trend towards Realtor pictures taken with phones. I guess the agents thought the phone made them look successful. It actually reminds me of people who annoy me in public places talking loudly on their phones, so I wouldn’t do it and wouldn’t use a Realtor who had a picture like that. Picky, picky.
Recently I had a transaction with an agent who did not believe in the phone. When I printed out the transaction notes after the close of the deal, there were many e-mails reading like this: I left you six phone messages. It is urgent that you contact me regarding blah, blah blah immediately. Very frustrating. Most Realtors return all their calls promptly, even if they have no additional information on the situation. Communication can go a long way towards making sure issues don’t arise.
There are some phone calls that are a joy to make. These include, “A new property in your price range just came up, and I know you’re going to love it” and “Your home closed escrow this morning.”
And then there are the other ones. “We got the home inspection, and the foundation has several significant issues” or “The buyer’s agent just called me and they are cancelling the contract” or “The estimate for the repair of your roof is $6,000.”
Whoa, doggies. I learned early on in my career to make the difficult calls immediately, lest I fret and stew over it all day. No matter what business or family issue you’re facing, it’s a good policy.
One of the biggest challenges for Realtors is people who call and say, “Hi, it’s me. Could you call me as soon as you can?” Arrrghhh! Me who? Another good one is getting a message from a client or plumber or inspector while out of the office and there’s no phone number.
However, my personal pet peeve is people who leave a number, but rattle it off so fast that you have no time to write it down, assuming you can decipher it at all.
Changing horses here, the market is pretty much putting along as it has been all this year. There are lots of new listings, a lot of great inventory, and low mortgage rates.
The upper end of the market is more challenged than the more affordable segment. This makes sense….there are fewer buyers who can afford the million-plus dollar price tags of the luxury home market.
If you’re a seller, be patient and be flexible. If you’re a buyer, be happy. And no matter who you are…be kind to your Realtor.
