“It is my belief that cell phones need to be turned off at times when your complete attention is reasonably expected by the people you are with. This can be difficult for people to accurately gauge who do not have high empathy, have a more driven and forceful personality.”
—Jeff Agar, Ryland Homes
“I have a pager and my cell phone. When with prospects, I turn off my cell phone [unless waiting for a real estate office to call back on an appointment] and turn my pager on ‘vibrate.’ That way, there are no needless distractions. I can discreetly check to see if the pager message is urgent. If not, I return the call after the showings.”
—Jeanell Wilson,
All South Realty, Inc.
“Since I have voice mail and everyone is so accustomed to using it now, I allow my calls to roll into voice mail while I am with another customer. When I have a break such as lunch or when the buyers talking are with a site agent, I check my voice mail and return urgent calls at that time. I explain to my customers that I would appreciate their leaving a voice message as I may be with another customer and want to give all my customers my undivided attention when with them. They appreciate that I want to stay focused on the customers I am with because I did [and will do] the same thing for them. When operating like this, it is imperative that I return calls as soon as I am available. Regarding incoming calls when I am on the other line. I hate to be put on hold! Usually my business calls only take a few minutes and to continually put someone on hold during that conversation says to the person with whom I am speaking that their call isn’t as important as the incoming call. I never realized how rude being placed on hold was until I was speaking with a REALTOR® friend who put me on hold four times to take incoming calls during a two-minute conversation. I vowed then that I would no longer place my calls on hold to take incoming calls. With caller ID, voice mail, ‘star 69’ and the other sources we have to retrieve calls, it is easy to respond to those incoming calls even if they don’t leave a voice message. By the way, if someone doesn’t leave a message, it is my opinion that the call wasn’t that important to start with.”
—Sandy Holdren,
Realty Executives of Jacksonville
“I always answer my cell phone with my full name and try to speak clearly so they know they have reached me. I always have it on when I am out of the office, so I am reachable. I think it rude to chat when I am with one person, and talking with another, as if it is a ‘bigger name’ on the line. I try to eliminate that as much as possible.”
—Jenet Cattar, Cattar Realty, Inc.
“I am still a bit behind by most peoples’ standards. I do not keep my cell phone on all the time, especially when I am on an appointment, but I always have my pager. Since I don’t put my pager number on my business card, I know that if I am paged, it’s something urgent that requires me to excuse myself from whomever I’m with and answer the page. Only the office and the MLS [my listings] have my pager number. I like this control of the communication flow, since if I don’t write it down, I may forget it! And this allows me to stay focused on the task at hand.”
—Clare Berry,
Berry & Co. Real Estate
“As far as normal cell phone procedure, when I am with a client I feel like they deserve my utmost attention and unless it is an emergency I will not take calls until we are done.”
—Mike Pellicer,
Century 21 Mann-Pellicer Realty
“While in an appointment, I turn it off. I do leave it on while showing property because an agent or office may return a call about a showing or change of plans on instructions.”
—Julie Thompson,
Vanguard Realty, GMAC Real Estate
“I never answer my cell phone while I’m out showing property if customers are in the car with me. They deserve my undivided attention. I feel that it is a sign of respect to turn it off. I do check it periodically while I am out with them.”
—Teresa Mercurio,
Re/Max 100 Realty
“My cell phone seems permanently attached to my ear. It saves me a tremendous amount of time and keeps me in constant touch with my clients. I have one rule: I turn it off when I go to lunch with someone or when I’m in a meeting. It’s sad and hilarious to watch people in restaurants talking on cell phones while the person they’re with sits idly waiting.”
—Cynthia Montello,
The Montello Agency
“When I am out with a customer, unless I am expecting an urgent message or have something working I can’t ignore, I do not answer my cell phone while showing property as a courtesy to my customer.”
—Connie Mabry, Coldwell Banker Walter Williams Realty
“I use a lot of etiquette because I think it is embarrassing and annoying for it to ring in meeting places or while with clients unless it is very important. A call while with a client that is more casual or during a general type of meeting on the cell is ok. When I go to certain locations like church, a evening with family or such I leave my cell phone in the car.”
—Sandra Brown,
Prudential Network Realty
“I don’t answer cell phone calls when I am out on a call. As a matter of fact, I leave the phone in the car.”
—Bob Hillis,
Easton Sanderson and Company
“I don’t take calls or return calls when I am showing property or on a listing appointment, unless it is an emergency. I try to devote my attention to the client I am with at that time.”
—Linda Pankake,
Re/Max on Park Avenue
“I usually leave my cell phone on during appointments and answer, asking if I may return the call later. Most people understand.”
—Elke McMenemy,
Florida Home Realty
“When with a client [unless expecting a call relating to the business at hand with them] the cell phone is off and I let them know I will check messages en route between houses. This policy actually enables them to understand better why they cannot reach me when I’m with another client. For the most part, they appreciate the undivided attention and are more understanding of the circumstances when they reach my voice mail instead of me. You’d be surprised that more of a distraction is the client’s own cell phone ringing off the hook while we’re viewing property.”
—Terri Fitzgerald,
Prudential Network Realty
“Although I am not a REALTOR®, my cell phone etiquette is as follows: they should be turned off at any formal meeting [business related function or social engagement]. There are few things worse or more rude than a cell ringing in the middle of a speaking engagement where people are trying to listen to the program. When in doubt, turn it off — not on vibrate — off. Heaven forbid you did forget to turn it off, don’t answer it. Turn it off and leave it off.”
—Portland Stuart, Sales and
Marketing Council of the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
“As for cell phone etiquette, while on sales or listing calls, it depends. Most of the time I send it to voice mail since I firmly believe whoever you are with should have your undivided attention whenever possible. If I am waiting for a call with a definite objective in mind from a doctor or someone I’ve paged, I excuse myself and answer it with a brief apology and explanation.”
—Toy Scott,
Norville Realty