Why Real Estate Agents Have A Bad Reputation
A couple months ago I received a phone call from a friend of mine. He was referring me to some customers of his to help them find a home. I quickly put together some information and went to meet them. I found out they were from out of the country and already had a contract on a local property. However, they were extremely upset with the level of service they were receiving from their current agent. They were closing in a couple weeks and ready to cancel the deal altogether.
The list goes on but included was:
Lack of Communication
Mis-information
Being told one thing, then another, then another…
Having to pull money out of pocket prior to a contract
Not having copies of the paperwork after asking multiple times
As much as I would love to have been their new real estate agent and told them to cancel the contract, I morally could not do that. They love the property they intended to purchase. Plus, the legal and financial ramifications of them cancelling the contract could put a bigger strain on them and a worse reputation on agents.
I ended up referring them to a local attorney who agreed to speak with them in regards to their situation. The end result is that they bought the property and had the attorney help them through their journey to home ownership.
I cannot speak for all agents, but I can speak for myself. Therefore, I am going to address the issues mentioned above briefly so you know what I can do for you and what other agents should be doing as well. I think of myself as an ethical and moral (as well as legal) real estate agent. I can offer to help with a lot of things but will not pass the moral or legal boundaries.
Lack of communication – If I am not calling you back, I’m busy. I could be doing a number of things including helping other customers, office meetings, researching something for you and the like. But don’t worry. Leave me a message and I WILL get back to you as soon as possible (generally within the day).
Mis-information and Lying – I strive to not give any misinformation. I actually pride myself on honesty and integrity. Obviously, in the example the agent or people they spoke with were lying, intentionally or not. If I forget to do something for you, I’m sorry but I forgot and I will do what I can to correct the issue. But I will not lie about it. If I don’t have an answer for you then I will tell you I do not have an answer but I will find out the right answer and get back to you. If I mis-spoke about something, I will apologize and correct my mistake. I will flat out tell you that I do not have the right answer or am not 100% sure what the right answer is but believe that I will get the information needed to make informed decisions and choices.
Having to put money out prior to a contract – This really should NEVER happen except in extremely unique circumstances (maybe). When you are writing up an offer, at that time you may be asked for an escrow deposit. You may be asked for it once the offer is executed. You may be asked for one a certain number of days into the contract. But rarely, if ever, before this time.
Not having your own copies of the paperwork you signed – If I haven’t emailed or faxed or mailed or hand delivered a copy of something, then I’m sorry. I forgot or it slipped my mind. However, all you have to do is ask and I will get it to you ASAP. If your signature is on a document then you have every right to have a copy of that document.
Most agents value our careers and our licenses to make sure that we do the right thing legally, morally and ethically. Not every real estate agent is bad. Not every real estate agent is perfect either. So please give us a break and remember we are human too.
