posted
A co-worker bought a house, and refurbished it to resell. He did his research well, but has gotten caught in the housing bust. It was under contract but the seller backed out at the last minute.
The house is in a largely Hispanic area, and he asked me to search online for him to find the highest ranked spanish-speaking realtor in the region, because he's currently paying 2 house payments (his own house, and the fixer upper) and it is killing him.
I did so, and found what appeared to be the ideal realtor. Her credentials were impeccable. She's been one of the highest ranked realtor's in the area for several years and recieved a bunch of awards for her work. He spoke with her and emphasized that he wanted to deal with her personally, rather than someone else in her group and she agreed.
He was having an open house over the weekend, and she was supposed to show up. She didn't. He called her back, and they were supposed to meet the following day, but instead an assistant showed up, and said "Oh I don't know if she's coming or not."
He was pretty angry at the rudeness. He realizes that it is a buyer's not a seller's market, but still... He has the owner of the realty group's phone number, and has thought about calling. But he's not sure what to say.
This woman is the highest ranked realtor in the area, and specializes in his target market. Despite the rudness he can't afford to tick her or her associated group off, because the realty group is also the largest in the market. But, he also doesn't want to get passed off to a subordinate. He sees the owner of the group, likely to jolly him along and do just that. But if he actually gets her, she could always put him at the bottom of the list of available houses, and "unofficially" blacklist him.
He could go to a different realty group, but none of the other groups have the market share that this first group does.
So if he does call the owner, how much should he complain about being treated so rudely, and what should he ask for so that he can actually get the house sold.
Any Ideas? He asked me what I would do, and I don't have a good scenario either.
posted
Talk to her. Explain what he wants/ needs/ expects from his realtor, and clarify: Can she do it? Will she do it? Is what she's willing to give him comparable with what he needs?
If not, ask her to refer him to a realtor who perhaps has more time, more energy -- whatever it is.
Just a guess, but it sounds like wires are getting crossed. If she's as reputable as you say, I'd imagine that the problem is not rudeness, but rather miscommunication.
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Well, she's not doing the job he needs her to do so I would definitely not let fear of losing her get in the way. Heck, HE's the customer, not the other way around.
I would call her and talk to her. Be reasonable. Explain the situation. Find out what's gone wrong and what will go better in the future.
If that doesn't work or she doesn't return his call within 24 hours, I would go over her head and talk to her supervisor.
Posts: 2392 | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
I suspect that the realtor has too many homes on her plate already, that aren't selling well, and doesn't want to take on another. On the other hand if she's the best of the best, his house is more likely to move with her than with anyone else.
But to not even look at the place and blow him off after saying she'd meet him seems pretty unexcusably rude.
I'm leaning towards telling him to get another spanish speaking realtor, but her sub-group is really the only major one in town.
posted
Tell him not to take it personally. It's just business. She's going to do whatever is best for her business. Right now it's a buyer's market, so that's just how it is.
I would look into the competition, and see if they try harder since they aren't the current market leaders, but I would not get huffy with this one, but just accept that her business is not in a situation right now where she can give him more time. He may end up having to take what he can get.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Yeah... that's what I'm kind of thinking. Maybe someone smaller will give him more individual attention. There is still the spanish speaking requirement though.
posted
As a seller, what you need is a reputable realtor, but not necessarily "the best". In one sense, every realtor in the district is working for you as soon as your house is listed. If you go with Ms X, she's going to list it and show it to her clients, but if she's really reputable, it's possible that your house isn't the best choice for her buyer clientelle. On the other hand, if it is just the thing her buyers want, she's going to find it and recommend it (if it's a good deal) regardless of whether she's also listing it or not. (Remember, when one realtor is repping the seller and one the buyer, both get paid, just not as much. But it's still a payday for both.)
In other words, I'd advise him to not worry about a realtor that doesn't have time for him and find one that does (and is reputable). The one who does is going to work harder to get the house sold. Find one that's going to list it, publicize it, put it on the internet real estate search sites, etc. Then it's out there for every realtor to find and recommend to the right clients.
posted
Additionally, what are the chances he could rent it? Is the rental market such that he could cover the mortgage with the rent and maybe have a little left over? (Of course, not everyone has it in them to be a landlord.)
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Karl, I've been kind of easing him that direction. However there is a limited pool of fluent spanish speaking realtors, and this particular realtor has the market cornered on the fluent spanish speaking realtors in the local area. I've found an 2nd choice, but she's not quite as local as the first group, and being local is Very Important in this area.
The rental market is pretty saturated out there, and he really needs to sell it so that he doesn't have to worry about a balloon payment on the morgagte or re-financing.
We were talking it over just now. Even though he's still angry over the rudeness, (and it's just the nature of this guy, that he doesn't easily get over things like that) we figured out a spin for him to put on it with the owner/broker, that may actually move him forward and get another good spanish speaking realtor assigned instead. If he pre-emptively apologizes for her and says that she's obviously stretched thin and overworked right now, then the owner won't be put on the defensive to do the apologizing, and they may be able to move forward and find a good 2nd choice spanish speaker in this realty group, that will actualy work for him.
But in a tightening realty market, this particular group is so far above all the others that it really is to his benefit if they will take him and genuinely work for him.
posted
You can only win the big awards in the realty game by running a "stable" of junior realtors and being the pretty face on the hanging signs. It's too bad your friend didn't know that, but that's how the game is played. He needs to swallow his pride and get this dang house sold, right?
I'm trying to think of a correllary business, but nothing is coming to mind. I guess it's kind of like when you buy a car, and they leave you in the little room to go talk to the manager. Or expecting the actual dentist to be the one to clean your teeth, maybe? Or, big lawyers usually hire people to do all the things they don't want to do.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Thank you everyone for your input. My co-worker swallowed his pride, and called the previously rude woman's office back. It turns out she left the country suddenly with what appeared to be a family emergency situation, not a vacation.
He talked to the next most senior realtor in the office, and started with a clean slate with this guy, who has been behaving professionally, and so far things are looking good. Some of the other realtor's actions become much more understandable, if she was dealing with extenuating personal circumstances at the time.
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