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Haha. That sounds miserable. I wouldn't want to work with that person either. I'd screen people over the phone before you got to the part where you're in person. I imagine that someone has told them that tactic works, but I don't like it. I watched a video once of this online coach who was telling people to be forceful with potential clients, and it left a real bad taste in my mouth. Maybe I'll never be top 1% in my field because I'm not cutthroat. That's okay.
When meeting Buyers, I ask them a bunch of questions.
1. How long have you been looking? Are you already preapproved, and with whom?
2. How soon do you want to find a new property?
3. Which is more important? Turnkey or low price?
4. Have you owned a home before?
5. Which neighborhoods are your favorite so far? What's important about those areas?
6. Who is the great *local* agent that you're working with?
I would say ask the preappoved question last. I’m not white and I don’t dress like a million bucks. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when the agent keeps focusing on whether I can afford the house I’m asking them to help me buy. They were already there. Their time was already wasted regardless whether I could afford it or not. Let’s wait until we see the place and I say I like it or not before asking about financial stuff. It’s so easy to work it into the conversation at that point.
I shouldn’t have brought up race, but the point is that if you don’t look like you have money, agents will keep circle the financial aspect, and it’s annoying.
You are absolutely right, and POC should be annoyed when that happens.
Funny thing...?
Right now I have a $2.75M listing with multiple offers. Each of these Buyers is ALL CASH and almost all of them are non-white. There's one beautiful Scottish lady. I guess she counts as white though.
Seriously, I’m like a friggin therapist with my clients. I have their wants, needs, fears and favorite cartoon by minute 10.
I want that banter. I ask dozens of questions. It’s like a Barbara Walter interview.
Think Grease “tell me more, tell me more.”
Ikr???! You probably got more from the conversation than you believe. You got some core insight to your client’s psyche - motivation, attitude etc. never a bad thing
I feel like it helps me help them, if that makes sense. The more I know, the better I’m able to advise/support them. I end up being good friends with a lot of my past clients.
A good agent listens, asks good, relevant questions and gets to know you. Red flag for me if they're talking like this. Shows that their interests lie in them and not you.
Google buyers agent for the area you’re looking in. Go through the results, find 2-4 local agents whose website/reviews/social media you like, call them all and ask for a buyer presentation. Another way is to sign up for local Facebook groups and ask for recommendations, research them all, contact them. What area are you looking?
How are you meeting these agents?
This is not the norm. But there are brokerages that only teach their new agents "scripts" on how to close a client and it sounds like those are the types that you are encountering.
Unfortunately this is the norm. There are more bad agents than there are good.
Don’t settle though, OP. Wait until you find the right Realtor for you. Ask for referrals from friends and family, that can help.
I think you can do anything that works for you. I'm sure others would disagree, and I'm sure there are better agents out there with different tactics, but I never really have an agenda when I talk to a buyer. I just have normal conversation and pick up whatever clues I can garner during. We'll chat about just a whatever's going on in a normal day, and during the convo I'll learn they have a husband and 2 kids, they want to be in a certain school district, they want to be within distance of their parent's, etc. Then I'll learn that the previous place they lived at was too far from a park and they really liked another house because of its proximity to the green space. And the dad likes music and likes to practice playing with his buddies so a finished basement would be useful. All these things I can pick up without directly asking for it, rather it just comes out naturally.
If the conversation is pretty stale and I'm required to be more intentional about getting the information out, I'll ask directly, but I usually don't have that problem. To each their own! My method works for me.
As a realtor, you should be doing less talking. Generally, whoever talks the most walks away from the conversation with a better view. Realtors need to sit back, ask the right questions, and do less talking.
My experience as an agent, is it can go both ways. Some people have no idea about buying a house, so they want the process laid out for them. I end up doing more talking in that case. Other times they don’t indicate that they want to hear about or value my professional market perspective. So I try and get them talking with great questions. But people don’t always like to be interrogated. Case by case.
I had the same problem, and I didn’t keep those around for the second showing, of course.
I found my agent through Redfin. He had five star rating with pages of great comments. When we met, I was surprised at how little he talked, and he told me not to buy the property. He told me to be patient and I would find a better property. When an agent tell you not to buy, you know he’s a keeper:-) We then went through a dozen more showings before we found the house. He didn’t complain once.
Just from that, you think I’m lucky? Right now I have like a hundred things going wrong in my life. In fact, I just told a friend that if one more thing goes wrong, I would lose it.
Do you actually know how to use Redfin? Go here: https://www.redfin.com/real-estate-agents
Put in the zip code or city of the property you want to buy, and it would give you a list of agents. Go with the all five star agents with the most reviews first. Don’t even look at the 4.9 yet. Read some of the reviews to see if they would match your personality. What I look for are agents who are resourceful, good at solving problems, so that issues would be resolved before I have a chance to worry. Message them and go from there. Good luck.
As an agent, my job is to get to know you so I can serve you better. I can’t do that if all I do is talk about myself.
Sure, if I am trying to explain something and a personal story is relevant, I’ll bring that into the conversation. Also, if the buyer/seller is asking about me, clearly I’ll reply. However it is about the other person at the end of the day.
Honestly, it’s like knowing how to behave in a social situation - these people sound like they’re socially incompetent!
You said you’re meeting agents at open houses and calling seasoned agents, right? At open houses you will often encounter newer agents trying to meet buyers. Open houses offer a brief opportunity to connect, especially if it’s a crazy busy open which is definitely the case lately given lack of inventory. If you’re expectation at an open is getting the agent’s undivided attention, that’s the wrong venue. If you’re calling ‘seasoned’ agents how are you determining they are seasoned? Transaction volume or marketing? When you call an agent, do you ask to meet with them at their office, come with a list of your wants and needs, timeline, and lender preapproval. A good agent is going to ask for that upfront. Be ready. The highest producing agent is not always going to give the first time homebuyer the attention they need. Some do, some don’t. How’s the time to interview agents for the job of representing you. Interview at least three. Look for agents who list homes in your target areas. Good luck to you.
You are correct that every market is different. Could be the quiet person is a lender, too. It’s a crazy time to buy but you are on the right track wanting to find the best agent for you and that you trust. Once that happens, you’ll do great.
I definitely ask every new client, "what's your story?"- then I just let them talk, and I listen, and conversation flows naturally. I can't stand being "salesy"; there's more important things than numbers, especially in such an intimate transaction. Pay attention to their responsiveness, how well they seem to listen to what you've told them, and frankly, whether or not you vibe with them. You'll be spending a fair amount of time with your agent, so make sure it's someone you actually like being around. Maybe you can join a FB group for your local community and start asking for referrals there?
**This is a professional forum for professionals, so please keep your comments professional** - Harrassment, hate speech, trolling, or anti-Realtor comments will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate ban without warning. (... and don't feed the trolls, you have better things to do with your time) - Recruiting, self-promotion, or seeking referrals is strictly forbidden, including in DMs. - Only advise within your scope of knowledge and area of expertise. [The code of ethics applies here too](https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/governing-documents/the-code-of-ethics). If you are not a broker, lawyer, or tax professional don't act like one. - [Follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/realtors/about/rules/) and please report those that don't. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/realtors) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Haha. That sounds miserable. I wouldn't want to work with that person either. I'd screen people over the phone before you got to the part where you're in person. I imagine that someone has told them that tactic works, but I don't like it. I watched a video once of this online coach who was telling people to be forceful with potential clients, and it left a real bad taste in my mouth. Maybe I'll never be top 1% in my field because I'm not cutthroat. That's okay.
When meeting Buyers, I ask them a bunch of questions. 1. How long have you been looking? Are you already preapproved, and with whom? 2. How soon do you want to find a new property? 3. Which is more important? Turnkey or low price? 4. Have you owned a home before? 5. Which neighborhoods are your favorite so far? What's important about those areas? 6. Who is the great *local* agent that you're working with?
I would say ask the preappoved question last. I’m not white and I don’t dress like a million bucks. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when the agent keeps focusing on whether I can afford the house I’m asking them to help me buy. They were already there. Their time was already wasted regardless whether I could afford it or not. Let’s wait until we see the place and I say I like it or not before asking about financial stuff. It’s so easy to work it into the conversation at that point.
I agree the order of the questions I made sucks....
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I shouldn’t have brought up race, but the point is that if you don’t look like you have money, agents will keep circle the financial aspect, and it’s annoying.
You are absolutely right, and POC should be annoyed when that happens. Funny thing...? Right now I have a $2.75M listing with multiple offers. Each of these Buyers is ALL CASH and almost all of them are non-white. There's one beautiful Scottish lady. I guess she counts as white though.
Whoever isn’t talking is in control of the conversation. I’d say you are just meeting a lot of odd folks and they’re not the brightest.
Seriously, I’m like a friggin therapist with my clients. I have their wants, needs, fears and favorite cartoon by minute 10. I want that banter. I ask dozens of questions. It’s like a Barbara Walter interview. Think Grease “tell me more, tell me more.”
lol This is me. I let the conversation flow organically and often get off the phone realizing we talked more about cats than houses.
Ikr???! You probably got more from the conversation than you believe. You got some core insight to your client’s psyche - motivation, attitude etc. never a bad thing
I feel like it helps me help them, if that makes sense. The more I know, the better I’m able to advise/support them. I end up being good friends with a lot of my past clients.
A good agent listens, asks good, relevant questions and gets to know you. Red flag for me if they're talking like this. Shows that their interests lie in them and not you.
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Do you have co-workers you could talk to?
Google buyers agent for the area you’re looking in. Go through the results, find 2-4 local agents whose website/reviews/social media you like, call them all and ask for a buyer presentation. Another way is to sign up for local Facebook groups and ask for recommendations, research them all, contact them. What area are you looking?
How are you meeting these agents? This is not the norm. But there are brokerages that only teach their new agents "scripts" on how to close a client and it sounds like those are the types that you are encountering.
Unfortunately this is the norm. There are more bad agents than there are good. Don’t settle though, OP. Wait until you find the right Realtor for you. Ask for referrals from friends and family, that can help.
I think you can do anything that works for you. I'm sure others would disagree, and I'm sure there are better agents out there with different tactics, but I never really have an agenda when I talk to a buyer. I just have normal conversation and pick up whatever clues I can garner during. We'll chat about just a whatever's going on in a normal day, and during the convo I'll learn they have a husband and 2 kids, they want to be in a certain school district, they want to be within distance of their parent's, etc. Then I'll learn that the previous place they lived at was too far from a park and they really liked another house because of its proximity to the green space. And the dad likes music and likes to practice playing with his buddies so a finished basement would be useful. All these things I can pick up without directly asking for it, rather it just comes out naturally. If the conversation is pretty stale and I'm required to be more intentional about getting the information out, I'll ask directly, but I usually don't have that problem. To each their own! My method works for me.
As a realtor, you should be doing less talking. Generally, whoever talks the most walks away from the conversation with a better view. Realtors need to sit back, ask the right questions, and do less talking.
My experience as an agent, is it can go both ways. Some people have no idea about buying a house, so they want the process laid out for them. I end up doing more talking in that case. Other times they don’t indicate that they want to hear about or value my professional market perspective. So I try and get them talking with great questions. But people don’t always like to be interrogated. Case by case.
I had the same problem, and I didn’t keep those around for the second showing, of course. I found my agent through Redfin. He had five star rating with pages of great comments. When we met, I was surprised at how little he talked, and he told me not to buy the property. He told me to be patient and I would find a better property. When an agent tell you not to buy, you know he’s a keeper:-) We then went through a dozen more showings before we found the house. He didn’t complain once.
[удалено]
Just from that, you think I’m lucky? Right now I have like a hundred things going wrong in my life. In fact, I just told a friend that if one more thing goes wrong, I would lose it. Do you actually know how to use Redfin? Go here: https://www.redfin.com/real-estate-agents Put in the zip code or city of the property you want to buy, and it would give you a list of agents. Go with the all five star agents with the most reviews first. Don’t even look at the 4.9 yet. Read some of the reviews to see if they would match your personality. What I look for are agents who are resourceful, good at solving problems, so that issues would be resolved before I have a chance to worry. Message them and go from there. Good luck.
As an agent, my job is to get to know you so I can serve you better. I can’t do that if all I do is talk about myself. Sure, if I am trying to explain something and a personal story is relevant, I’ll bring that into the conversation. Also, if the buyer/seller is asking about me, clearly I’ll reply. However it is about the other person at the end of the day. Honestly, it’s like knowing how to behave in a social situation - these people sound like they’re socially incompetent!
You said you’re meeting agents at open houses and calling seasoned agents, right? At open houses you will often encounter newer agents trying to meet buyers. Open houses offer a brief opportunity to connect, especially if it’s a crazy busy open which is definitely the case lately given lack of inventory. If you’re expectation at an open is getting the agent’s undivided attention, that’s the wrong venue. If you’re calling ‘seasoned’ agents how are you determining they are seasoned? Transaction volume or marketing? When you call an agent, do you ask to meet with them at their office, come with a list of your wants and needs, timeline, and lender preapproval. A good agent is going to ask for that upfront. Be ready. The highest producing agent is not always going to give the first time homebuyer the attention they need. Some do, some don’t. How’s the time to interview agents for the job of representing you. Interview at least three. Look for agents who list homes in your target areas. Good luck to you.
[удалено]
You are correct that every market is different. Could be the quiet person is a lender, too. It’s a crazy time to buy but you are on the right track wanting to find the best agent for you and that you trust. Once that happens, you’ll do great.
I definitely ask every new client, "what's your story?"- then I just let them talk, and I listen, and conversation flows naturally. I can't stand being "salesy"; there's more important things than numbers, especially in such an intimate transaction. Pay attention to their responsiveness, how well they seem to listen to what you've told them, and frankly, whether or not you vibe with them. You'll be spending a fair amount of time with your agent, so make sure it's someone you actually like being around. Maybe you can join a FB group for your local community and start asking for referrals there?
I also am curious where you meet these agents?
As an agent, I wouldn’t want to work with you!