Everyday I get calls from part time agents that are getting ready to out and show their clients homes that they found on my website Atlanta Best Homes. They usually call before 8 AM, around lunch time, and at dinner time. They are working another job full time, and expect someone else to help them in real estate. They need to hold that thought and discuss that with their broker. More often than not, they cannot figure out basic information about the home the buyer is looking at on someone else's website, and want the agent to just give them what they need. God forbid they ever put 2 + 2 together and realize the Internet is not the MLS. Broker reciprocity is not a new concept. It is real estate 101 for those that are not learning challenged.
With the MLS systems we all have access to real live time data that is real. Perhaps we do not belong to the systems, or were just too lazy to attend the free training seminars that would take up a couple of hours of your time. Sorry losers! Do eveyone a favor and tell your would be clients you cannot help them. YOu do not even know where to begin. If you had real character you would stop wasting your buyer's time. Let's face it, you aren't even smart enough to talk to your broker. You must understand that the Internet is not the MLS! In Atlanta there are over 84,000 listings. We have 2 MLS systems. We have about 40000 agents and about 3000 single family home sales a month.
I cannot help it if your clients are on my website that I have built over 10 years. My main website which ranks pretty high in web placement receives anywhere from 700 to 900 unique visitors everyday. So when you add in broker reciprocity to a great website I have a lot of viewers looking at listings that aren't mine. Their part time agents that do not know how to look anything up in our 2 multiple listing services want us to do the work for them. I won't do it. Even if I am looking directly at the data, I will not tell you if it is active or expired. You will need to sit down and log into the MLS and look it up yourself. You need to earn your own keep. First of all real estate is a profession, you need to earn your way. Long hours of research, web design, and sales experience does not mean I will just hand over all I know to an agent that calls me on their lunch hour or after 6 PM when they are in a fix and cannot answer their clients' questions. Do you really think I can answer questions of part time agents all day without compensation? Do you really think all 88,000 listings are mine? Visit Atlanta Best Homes and let me know.
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Jim...
We are on the same wavelength today. This happens to me all of the time, and when I tell them that I am not the listing agent, they ask me to LOOK IT UP for them! What??? Why did you get into real estate if you don't want to do the job?
A buyer that called yesterday said that she had an agent that has a job, so she was doing the legwork for her. What? I just told her to get a real agent, and to quit wasting my time!
As usual Jim, you Tell it like it is....thanks for the great read!
Frustrating. What's even more frustrating is instead of dropping like flies, it seems subpar agents are getting part time jobs here. They're not hanging it up--they're getting a 2nd job. So they're even HARDER to get a hold of now. Today, for example, I had an exchange with a former full timer who now holds down 2 jobs. His buyers attended an inspection on Sunday and Monday they were to write up a reply to inspections. It is tuesday almost 10 pm and i"m still waiting. He verbally said he'd do it Monday, then he emailed me he was on the computer Tuesday. Tonight, I called for the reply and he said he still has to write it up. HE's kind of busy with 2 jobs. I don't care and my seller doesn't care. We just want it in writing. Unbelievable. I wish they'd just cave and hand in their licenses so full timers can take over.
Richard Weisser Coweta Fayette Real Estate ERA United Realty We get those calls too! What else can we do? If they have an agent, the agent needs to be earning their commission. Some people will actually get nasty. I used to help a few people, but it gets abusive.
Steve Harless "Your Las Vegas Real Estate Connection" (REALTY WORLD LUXURY HOMES - 702.217.1680) Life in the trenches! LOL! Have a great one Steve, thanks for stopping by!
Erica Ramus - Realty Executives - 570-622-6006 I've even had a few part times that were so busy with their other life they forgot to get the inspection amendments to us in a timely fashion. That is great for my clients.
Wow Jim, I went to your website and you have a ton of properties listed! Lol. Someone called me Saturday to ask for directions to a house. They were out looking without their agent.
Jim: Your a panic, lets clean house and have professional agents. The Buys, Sellers, and Realtors deserve it. It will be good for our self esteem to work on a better level.
Richard
LOL....I know this isn't a funny topic, but I am laughing because we see it here, too, and it never ceases to amaze me how many agents are, indeed, hanging on against all odds. How? How is it possible? I, too, thought they would be dropping out, but they seem to be multiplying!
We all have to make our way in the world Jim. There is nothing worng with partnering for a better position, but that requires work also. I wish I had a good answer for you on this one. Good luck
Bo
Erik Hitzelberger, --Louisville-Bullitt County Real Estate (RE/MAX Alliance) LOL! The problem is it is getting old.
Richard Stabile Bergen County New Homes Builder Realtor (REMAX real estate associates) Thanks Richard. That would be a great change for all!
Susan Haughton Alexandria, VA REALTOR® (Long & Foster REALTORS® Old Town Alexandria) They're not ashamed to have someone do all the work for them.
Bo Hussung/ National Title Agent (Cogent Closing Associates) I have an answer, and it is "No!" I get at least 10 calls like this a day from agents that are nasty, and cutting corners. They are too lazy to do the work themselves. If I answered all of them, I would be short changing our own clients.
Wow, that's a lot of listings and a lot of agents...we complain at having nearly 2000 agents here! I got a call yesterday from someone who came across my website...he was frustrated at having called several agents just to have them not return his calls. Lucky for me because now I have a buyer, but I did apologize a lot on behalf of those who have caused him to have a sour taste in his mouth toward Realtors.
Jim,
Thanks for the post. While there will always be the part time agent and some are good. Those that don't measure have up have numbered days. It just ain't easy my friend.
What Jim you mean you don't really have 88,000 listings - LOL
I have a number of web subscribers that they insist that they have a realtor. . my question is why they are not going to their realtor's website to search for homes>>
IMO 2009 it might just be the end for many more part time agents, wannabees, discounters, rebaters and all other sorts of looters in it for of what they think is easy money.
Joddie Roberts - Your Spokane Realtor - Spokane, WA (Tomlinson South Spokane) There is a lot of competition in Atlanta, I will not do another agents work.
William Collins, Broker Associate (ERA Queen City Realty) I agree! Have a great one!
Bill Gassett Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate (RE/MAX Executive Realty) LOL! 8 listings are too many to handle in this market.
Fernando Herboso Real Estate Maryland, DC and Virginia (Choice Real Estate ) LOL! I usually mention that to the other agent. They go postal! "Why aren't they on your site?"
Mary Strang, Viroqua, WI Real Estate (RE/MAX Hill Country) I agree, but 2009 may be the end of the road for many full time agents whose patience is being worn thin by other acting very unprofessionally.
Jim, I love how you know your numbers so well in your area. Those agents that are not committed to being professional in their field as you are waste too much of your time and I understand your feelings exactly.
Gary Woltal - REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty)I never mind being helpful These calls are belligerent. If the agents took the time to read the printout - the name of the listing company is right in front of them. The price, the zip codes are all there. The subdivision name is there. The agents are just too lazy to log into the MLS and look up someone else's listing. To top it off they can get nasty with me when I try to explain things. I usually just mention they should sit down with their broker and discuss "Broker reciprocity!"
Jim--what you're describing seems normal these days. Wish it was the exception, but it's not.
Jim take it easy on those part timers. I think most agents started this way. Many women have income from their spouses and can dedicate more time. At least they are hustling and not looking for a hand out. I give them some credit.
John--I am not personally against part timers, unless they CANNOT get the job done. This is a serious profession. Many part timers don't carry their weight or take this seriously. In my experience.
Erica Ramus - Realty Executives - 570-622-6006 It is the norm. I can guarantee this call every day of the week.
John Walters (Specialized Real Estate) I will not give them credit. Years ago we hustled going to the courts to read records, made appointments the day before, previewed the properties...how is this benefiting the client and their investment? I would suspect many homeowners today that are in foreclosure worked with agents that placed themselves before the clients. I have received many calls from sellers that are desperate that I cannot help. They were in over their heads and and purchased a home with a buyers agent that perhaps was a co-worker with a license that did not warn their clients about any risk. How does that serve anyone? Where is their broker? Why are they not working with a mentor? Why is their broker hiring part timers that have no training, or supervision? As an industry we cannot cover up persons that do not care.
I have nothing for a part timer that is a professional. These are not.
Maybe you should give them some friendly advice since they clearly aren't getting it from their brokers.
It's their brokers JOBS to supervise/train their agents. It's not my job.
Sorry to hijack your post here, Jim, but this is a pet peeve of mine. This week an agent from another firm brought me a contract that was poorly written, no desposit check, and she apologized...."Sorry if it's not 100% filled out but I wasn't sure what to do."
This agent is relatively new (6 months!) and at a large firm. So I asked her to come to my office. I went over the contract page by page with her and helped her fill it out. Why? Because it was a good offer and I wanted my seller to get the deal done. That was not my job. Her broker is over an hour away. Her manager is never there when she needs her. She told me all this, as an apology. I replied "So maybe you're at the wrong firm."
How can brokers like that stay in business???? How can agents survive as part timers if they rely on the kindness of other agents to get by? THey'll never survive.
(PS--Jim, the agent in my above post--the one who was to get me a check and REPLY to inspections I wrote about on 11/25, still hasn't replied to my request. He's busy with his other job, he was sick on Tuesday, and now I guess the holidays are upon him).
Amber Noble-Garland @ Weichert Realtors - www.AmberLovesRealEstate.com - NJ (I offer 30% referral fees to ActiveRain agents - Call me!) This is clearly not my job. Some days it can be as much as 20 calls. My phone number is not "Information central!" Also, the information is clearly out in the open. It is on every page and printout from my site who the listing company is. I will not waste my time any longer.
Erica Ramus - Realty Executives - 570-622-6006 Thanks Erica...you have not hijacked my post. Thanks for sharing.
Jim - You're right on target. With MLS all the information they need is right at their fingertips. It just sounds like another case of someone not knowing how or not wanting to do the work themselves.
Jon Wnoroski, Summit County Realtor (Geneva Chervenic Realty, Inc.) Thanks. I am in the job of helping and assisting others. Why call me at the last minute or when you have a cleint in the car, and have not done any work previously? Before I meet cleints, I check availability, perhaps even preview the listings.
Jim, this is a subject that drives me crazy. I can understand the general public sometimes being confused, but, when an agent calls I get bent out of shape. I tell the general public it is against the code of ethics to discuss the property, I tell the agent, well, something else...
Get Us A Home Realty - Frank & Jodi Real Estate Brokers LOL! On Thanksgiving Day, we received no less than 20 calls in a row from someone that has to see a property immediately. They had an agent, but said they did not want to disturb them on the holiday.
Geez Jim, what a load of crap. You answer your phone on the Holidays too? Welcome to successfull Real Estate class 101. Happy Holidays!
Get Us A Home Realty - Frank & Jodi Real Estate Brokers Life in the fast lane. At least I know folks are still finding my website!
Yeah, us too, hang in there Jim, we have been seeing a lot of light at the end of the tunnel lately. It is amazing to see how many visitors you have at your websites to produce a sale. I honestly do not see how some agents make it....
Get Us A Home Realty - Frank & Jodi Real Estate Brokers I could never do it without the web. Impossible.
Jim, You and I are all over the internet, how the heck does anyone else get by??? Agreed, hence these desperate folks out there, you and I will survive. Impossible without the the web? ? You are absolutely correct!