What are some things that other Realtors are doing right that make you happy?
“I get really happy when Realtors attend the home inspection with their buyers. It is amazing to hear how pleased buyers are when the Realtor is there to support them during the inspection. It is even more amazing to hear what buyers say about their Realtor when the realtor is absent! I get happy when Realtors are at the home inspection because it makes my customer happy. Happy customers just make me happy too!”
— Wally Conway,
Florida HomePro, Inc.
“Answer to feedback, have someone answer the phone when trying make an appointment after 5 p.m. and on weekends, have a Multiple Listing Service lock box when trying to show a home instead of cheap lock boxes that you have to call the agent when the agent doesn’t have a phone for after hours.”
— Todd Arnold, Kent and Associates Realty Services
“I love Realtors who remain loyal. It’s also very helpful when they return phone calls promptly.”
— Carolyn Minor,
Countrywide Home Loans
“I am just happy to get a referral from a Realtor.”
— Jacqueline Parrillo, BB&T
“I appreciate it when agents in my company refer tenants to me but especially when agents in other companies refer them to me. This is just one of the many benefits of the Multiple Listing Service even on the rental side of the equation.”
— Wayne M. Jones, Watson Realty Corp
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“What other Realtors do right? I have been pleasantly surprised by the professionals on Amelia Island who have offered from their experience much knowledge and coaching. I appreciate all of the wisdom embodied in these experts.”
— Brittany Michaels,
Realty Executives,
Amelia Island
“It is a pleasure when agents completely fill in the information sheet with room sizes, take pictures, etc.! Makes our job so much nicer! Keeping appointments or if they must be canceled, letting the listing office know, staying in touch with the co-op agent once an offer is accepted to be sure all the loose ends are tied together for a smooth closing and saying ‘Thank you’!!”
— Kathy White,
Re/Max Professional Group
“Return phone calls as quickly as possible to confirm appointments for showing their listings. Use lockboxes with no codes. Share information in addition to what is listed on data sheets. Advise customers to leave the property during showings. Allowing a window of time instead of a specific time when advising seller of showings. I appreciate the listing agent who emphasizes the importance of willingness and readiness of sellers to show their home with reasonable notice.”
— Nancy Taylor,
All Pro Realty Specialists, Inc.
“In the ‘do’ category, I love it when Realtors respond to requests for feedback when they’ve shown your listings. It’s so valuable to know what they and their customers thought, and what improvements they’d recommend.”
— Clare Berry,
Berry & Co. Real Estate
“The difference between a quality agent and a not-so-quality agent is communication, management of the transaction, following up and following through. Bringing qualified buyers/sellers to contract, having the financing in place, being ready for inspections etc. makes the process professional.
Scrambling around to find financing, repair people, etc. creates additional stress for everyone involved. Keep everybody informed, stay on top of details, and get it done!”
— Jeff Kern,
Embassy Realty Services
“This one is easy. I think a lot of Realtors go the extra mile. Realtors who make me happy are ones that really do their job and then some, complete the contract, are professional and are a person of their word. Remember that the happiness of the customer is worth more than commission! Only refer someone if you should. Here are a few examples of Realtors who really do their job and then some. Being involved with the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, I have had the chance to meet many brokers and agents who I have sent referrals to, and who have sent referrals to me. Two of those people, who I trust totally, are Dee Bumbarger of Buck and Buck and Sandy Holdren of Watson Realty. They are more than just doing their job. Both have a huge network of people they know, and it has been a great benefit for many buyers and sellers. In relation to completing the contract, I sold a Glenda Southern of AllSouth Realty listing. It was such a pleasure to deal with someone who understood that every little detail was important to the seller and the buyer, and the title company and all the others who have their hands in the transaction. Glenda followed every detail so that the job was done right the first time and there was no room for seller or buyer to feel uncomfortable. The buyers are investors and were extremely pleased with Glenda, as we had previously had a listing agent that did not complete the contract and the deal was worth walking away from! JoAnn Lyons of Re/Max sold a listing of ours a few years ago. The contract was clear, concise, came with an informative cover letter and pre-qualification letter. As far as being professional, honesty is still the best policy! I could name many people that come to mind, mostly those professionals who are involved with NEFAR and Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service That’s where it’s really happening! As far as being a person of your word, sellers and buyers and other Realtors know if they can trust what you say. It does not take long to know if this is true. If you say something, mean it and follow through. And if you don’t know, say so. This is why it is so important to be involved with the local council. The Beaches Group has Debbie Dermody as the office manager and she does a great job. Liz McMahon of Watson Realty in Jacksonville Beach, who is our 2004 council leader for weekly MLS meetings, is active. You get to know affiliates, Realtors and people in community who are the people you need in a transaction. If you tell someone something, then it must be believable. Who do I know is a person of their word? Lots of Realtors including Gene Jones, Phyllis Staines, Sandy Holdren, Jeanell Wilson, Don Chamblin, Pat Jones, Mark Dillworth, Nancy Edwards ...and let us not forget our NEFMLS executive officer, Ron Stephan. These people say what they mean, and mean what they say. Remember that the happiness of the customer is worth more than commission! Just do it. It’s worth it. I have sent Sandy Holdren sellers and buyers in Mandarin. Also, ex-tenants of ours bought from Sandy. She has also helped me place several referrals including Lynda Wood at Watson Realty in Amelia. I have sent several referrals to Tampa. Keeping the customers best interest at heart, and networking really means getting the job done right.”
— Jenet Cattar,
Cattar Realty, Inc.
“With regard to what Realtors are doing right, I would have to say...everything! There is no better satisfaction than working with clients to fulfill the ‘American Dream.’ We wear many hats during our day representing either buyers or sellers as educators, counselors, advisors, and often times we do this with the real possibility that we may be taking a loss in terms of actual income received if the transaction does not close. Do we let this deter us from continuing in this field? No way...we pick ourselves up and go out there and do it again. If you ever sit down and analyze out what a Realtor does in his/her day, you would be amazed at all we are required to do to help our clients [or customers] attain their goals. Whether buying or selling, we often times focus on the one thing that went wrong, rather than the 99 things that went right. I don’t think that the general public, or our own profession and industry, gives us enough credit and respect for all the things that we do, and ultimately do...right!”
— Phyllis Staines,
Re/Max Coastal Real Estate
“When Realtors communicate regularly with their customers, keeping them up to date about their property, is when we all should be happy. It especially sets the tone for the transaction, when everyone is on the same page. I love to work cross sales with other professionals that communicate to their buyer or seller much needed information. I personally and professionally think communication is the key to any relationship. People can’t read minds!”
— Kim Davis,
Ponte Vedra Beach Realty
“What are we doing right? Having patience, getting the best mortgage rates for customers by referring them to several different brokers, making appointments in advance, contact the listing agent/office when you are going to cancel an appointment, have a sense of respect for fellow Realtors, trying to be on time for appointments and making other agents aware of problems in a listing when showing it.”
— Josie Deal, Coldwell Banker Jasinsky and Associates
“Not follow up on referrals”
— Andre Van Rensburg, Steer Commercial Realty
“I’m always pleased when I see some of our more experienced realtors taking the time to work with new agents. At our office, we have a regular training program that allows experienced agents the opportunity to address a specific area of expertise in seminars with new agents.”
— Tom O’Connell,
Watson Realty Amelia Island.
“Realtors who return phone calls for feedback on showings really make me happy!! In my opinion, it is the mark of a true professional to return all phone calls no matter how busy they are. I think you will find that the top producers are often the most reliable in giving valuable feedback because they understand the importance of communicating the market comments to their sellers. New agents should learn this early on in their careers!”
— Selby Kaiser,
Prudential Network Realty
“All right, I’ll bite. I appreciate a cooperative agent cross sale. Of course, you would expect this, but it doesn’t always happen that way. It certainly makes this job pleasant if you have two people working to make it happen. I also appreciate it when a Realtor has done their homework and anticipates answers that may come up on their property [example: a lot for sale next to theirs, seller’s disclosure handy and a willingness to find out answers on their property quickly]. Those are what make a transaction even better. On the whole, I would say my experience is usually good, with very few bad eggs in the basket. Thank goodness for all those wonderful agents.”
— Carol Mabry,
Coldwell Banker Walter Williams Realty
“They subscribe to the Code of Ethics when they become a Realtor, and by doing so, they agree that we will ‘police our own.’ They lock doors and turn off lights after showing a listing. They negotiate offers in a courteous manner, and don’t do anything dishonestly to the party they don’t represent. They purchase a four-door car when they might prefer a two door, in order to accommodate their customers and clients. They wash and clean out their cars in respect for their clients and customers. They work in their communities on homeowners association board and on legislative issues that affect their communities. They wear smiles even when they’ve shown 100 homes to the same buyer, and given up their weekends with their families to work with clients and customers. They spend their hard-earned dollars to purchase the best technological devices to facilitate business issues. They host brokers opens so their colleagues will be tempted to come view their listings. They deliver offers and contracts to my office [and others] when I’m not able to go out and pick it up. When they drop their expensive digital camera they rush out and buy another one so they can put digitals of their listings up on the Internet. They work late nights after buyers get off work, and sometimes end up showing property in the dark. They eat a lot of fast food so they can keep all their appointments. They take advanced educational courses to keep them on top of their game. And they pay annual dues to keep the designations they earned.”
— Susanna Madden,
Re/Max Elite, Tampa