Vancouver Wa Real Estate - Elite Realty NW

Great tip! It never hurts to be nice. I guess the Golden Rule still applies even to agents :)

Excellent. We each have a reputation that we build with our fellow Realtors. In the go-go days of multiple offers my buyer's offer was chosen over another buyer because the seller's agent did not want to deal with the other buyer's agent. We are or should all be cooperating agents!

Mark:  Even though what I am about to say may sound a tad selfish... being courteous to other agents can get a lot of homes sold, and help make everyone involved lots of money.  It just makes good sense to treat others well... and go beyond what THEY normally experience from other agents.  It's all a part of the ABC's of closing.  Always Be Closing.  And, in this case... a big part of the "Closing" process... is simply being nice, courteous, and professional.  Great post !

By the way... it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get on to Active Rain this morning.  My comment above took me at least a dozen tries... getting kicked off, not getting in, messages of 500 Server Errors, and stuff.  I think AR is broken again.

Excellent point. I think we all have agents we prefer to avoid for various reasons.

Mark,

Many of us are driven to succeed. That is one of the reasons that we are in this business. It is wise to put our egos aside for the greater good of helping our clients to achieve their goals. There are agents with whom we enjoy working and there are those with whom we would not like to work. We should try to be in the "enjoy working with" group. It's better for us and for our clients.

I also wrote a post about this. So many agents miss out on how important this is. They just don't get it.

I would add to Karen Anne's ABC: Always Be Courteous!  Great post/reminder for us all.

That's terrific advice Mark.  We do have to conduct business together and we must treat them with respect and honor.

THere are certain agents I avoid like the plague and it all has to do with thier ethics and attitude.

I once had an agent say, "I'll do my very best to get this deal put together. It will be great working with you." I had never done a transaction with this agent, but I really wanted to at that point. It is rare that you work with an agent who is willing to "do what it takes" to get the deal closed with a positive attitiude. When you find them, you really want to work with them again. There are even a few agents that I specifically keep an eye on when it comes to new listings, just because I know that the deal will get done and they will make me feel cheerful in the process.  Why aren't there more agents like this?

Hi Mark -

Kindness - don't leave home without it!  Being nice is its own reward and can positively impact your financial bottom line....especially in real estate! Great post.

You are so right. It's been a few years since I quit selling, but I remember trying to avoid certain agents' listings - and groaning inside when they wanted to see mine.

I write about this in my FSBO and Expired letter sets - that it's important to choose an agent who has a good reputation with other agents, because it will result in more showings.

No one wants to admit to it, but I think all agents (consciously or unconsciously) "steer" their buyers to listings held by agents who are easy to work with. And in a multiple offer situation, steer sellers toward accepting offers from those pleasant agents.

There are a few "dragon ladies" in our area. Phil Faranda recently wrote about the hypothetical"Ethyl Broomhandle." We've all met them. Agents that are enough to drive us to the bottom of a bottle of Cabernet. I don't know how their listings ever get sold and I have no idea wh clients call them.

Dear Mark:

Great Post. So far I've met different agents from Jupiter, FL and  I like most of them.

Of course I have my favorites but there is a BIG reason why.

Treat the others .. the same way you want to be treated.

I'm also working on my skills to be a better Realtor every day.

Best of luck to you all!

Mark:  Outstanding perspective.  I've always referred to this as your Realtor® Reputation.  The better you treat other agents, the more they respect you and will want to do business with you.

I do believe in ABC, but... the other agent is not your "client".  Perhaps a very important part of your customer service sphere, and integral to you reaching the goals of your actual buyer/seller client.

I believe that getting the other sgent and party motivated to do business with you is an art form.  And often courtesy is part of that art.

I can't agree with you more Mark!  I know that at least a couple of my client's offers have been accepted over anothers due to the fact that I always call to build rapport with the other agent before and after submitting an offer.  Especially if it's a good offer.

I want the other agent to know that I'm on the ball, and will do my best to work together to a smooth and speedy COE.  It can't hurt, and sometimes it what makes the difference.

Mark - it's so true that the other agent is a client too and should be treated with respect. I honestly shudder every time I have to show a listing from an agent here in town because she is just so incredibly unpleasant to work with.  I would never let that effect the deal if it was the right home for my clients but am probably less likely to include that home if it's just a 'maybe' instead of a definite fit for their criteria.  Surely I'm not the only agent who feels this way and it has to have an effect on her bottom line.

Have you ever noticed that agents from a particular town stand out from the rest.  I work the Oakland Berkeley Alameda area in Northern CA.  All the agents have been excellent to work with but those from Alameda (which is actually an island) are just awesome.  Pleasant, helpful, easy going, a joy to work with - must be something in their drinking water! 

Mark:  Couldn't agree more! We want to be known as Realtors others enjoy working with and not the opposite.  Nice perspective.  Carrie

I own a discount brokerage firm and I have heard that some agents have a tendancy to steer away from our listings even when they are offering a co-broke which most of our listings offer. I know that it is not due to the way I treat other agents. Because of this issue I work double duty to treat other agents with the upmost respect and go far and beyond what they may expect from our company and train my agents to do the same. I know that many agents have been surprised at the service and the pleasurable smooth transaction completion. And many agents in our area have never completed a transaction with us and have no reason for this prejudice. It bothers me a great deal when agents have a pre-conceived idea about a company and do not educate themselves on the actual services that are offered and lie about our services to their clients. I can understand steering away from agents, however, do not allow yourselves to fall into misconceptions that may not be true. Personally, I will work with any agent even if I don't like them. Our ultimate duty is to find the best home for our clients and if we are not showing homes listed by other agents or peticular companies then you are not giving your clients the full representation of what is available on the market. That is a dis-service to your clients. Especially when the inventory levels may be low and you need to find just the right home. Remember, Steering is not ethical and remember your integrity Counts!

Excellent post.  I can't tell you how nice it is to be treated with courtesy and respect from other agents.  I always strive to make a good impression and my goal is to make the other agent my friend, no matter the circumstances.  Great to see others agree!

I find it important to have a good relationship with the other sides agent. They help make it a win-win.

It's a small world - especially in the real estate world! You will most certainly run across the same agents over the course of your career. I always strive to be the LO that always responds to calls/emails and with a smile and positive attitude.

I couldn't agree with you more!  I've worked in the past with some very "difficult" agents.  You know the ones that want to make a deal difficult and combative, even when it doesn't have to be that way.  I learned at an early age (my mother would be proud) that you make catch more bees with honey so no matter how the other agent behaves I make sure to count to 10, take a deep breath and continue on politely and as though they are my new best friend.  Then I hang up and rant and rave to my husband (sorry Phil).  However, the next time that agent shows one of my listings, I groan at the thought of them sending my client an offer.  I still hope they do because even their offer is better than no offer, but I know I'm going to spend a lot of time praying someone else will make an offer first!  There are agents out there who need to remember this process is a negotiation not a war.

It's always refreshing to hear from other agents who are hoping to co-op on a transaction and to hear a pleasant greeting on the other end of the line.  There's no reason to be a grouch with other agents if you want to do a good job for your clients.

Hi Mark,   The other agent really is a customer !  Not only do they have a lot of influence over potential buyers they can also make a transaction a whole lot smoother.

Good idea but it's a 2 way street. 

wonderful post, I have seen countless deals fall apart becasue an agent couldnt get their ego out of the way!

Mark,

 Great post. I always try to treat people the way that I expect to be treated. Courteous, informative and professional at all times. I answer my phones 7 days a week until 9 PM. 

I think we all have a list of agents whose offers often don't make it to closing. I have the name of one agent taped to my computer because she often doesn't show up for showings, especially annoying when the owners insist on being there to open the door for the agent. If I can't get her to send her clients to an open, I have to call her 15 minutes ahead of the showing to be sure she doesn't "get busy and forget". 

So true - great attitude!  My momma always taught me to treat others how I want to be treated and it really works! (well except for the occasional jerk, but that's their own problem!)

Most of my transactions I have been lucky to have had really nice and competent agents on the other side. However the last couple of years there have been some REO listing agents that have been horrible to work with. If my client wants to write an offer on one of their listings, I'll do it. But if they see the house is listed by the same agent that ignored their offer on a previous house they will usually opt not to even view that listing. I just can't understand how an agent has no time to confirm receipt of an offer either by email or phone call within 3 days. We take hours to show and write up and offer only to remain in limbo. I have gone through a transaction where I never even talked to the REO listing agent. Meanwhile other agents have that smile in their voice and are such a joy to work with. I am happy we now have a larger percentage of short sale listing agents than REO listing agents. 

Remember the Golden Rule (even if it is an REO agent)!  You never know when your paths will cross again.

Mark, I agree wholeheartedly that being pleasant and wanting to do a transaction is a strong point among fellow REALTORS.

tY

Awesome post Mark!! I always treat the other agent with respect and do my best to help anyway I can.  This business is about relationships with our clients and  just as well with our fellow co-workers. 

I totally agree!   I have often showed homes or requested other homes from agents that were courteous and appreciative.  The better we work together , the more we will sell.  Some agents you can't even reach them to show their properties,  with those, I just move on.

Glad you posted this Mark. I just called another Realtor yesterday and I can't tell you how rude she was. I have her named burned into my mind and will think twice before I ever show one of her listings. It amazes me how some Realtors treat their colleagues. 

You are absolutely right Mark.  I have been saying this to anyone who would listen since I started in Real Estate in 1985.  It applies as much or more today then it did then!  Thanks for a great post!

I totally agree. The best transactions I have are with agents I have worked with in the past. They know what to expect and so do I. They are almost always the best in their area. If I'm trying to sort through listings I try to find homes listed with agents that I have dealt with in the past. That way my client will more than likely have a smoother experience and get the house he/she wants.

You said a mouthful and, the way agents come and go, this new agent friend could end up referring to you at some point in future.   

Great comments that are so very true.  Niceties can only be faked so much as the "true" person will eventually show up.  I love those who are genuine.

And I thought I was the only one who avoided "those" agents. what a great post and so deserving of a feature! thanks - 

Mark, this is a lesson learned, better late than never... I, now, really try to accomodate every agent whose path crosses mine.