Posted by Annette S on September 24, 2009 at 14:05:24:
thanks everybody who made comments. I made an offer this morning on a FSBO. I don’t know why more folks don’t do FSBO or at least just list on MLS themselves. This one looks like it will be a great flip for me! cheers!
Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Annette
Posted by Annette on September 21, 2009 at 23:41:18:
I’m looking for a house as my first investment. I don’t have a buyer’s agent. I went to several REI meetings in which other investors said they don’t use an agent. The problem is that when I see a listing I like, either driving by, or looking online, the listing agent never contacts me. I have emailed them and called them, and given them my full name, phone number, email address. Nonetheless, none of them have ever called me back, or emailed me. I don’t say anything except I’d like to see the inside of the house and to please contact me. I’m beginning to think they don’t believe a female could be an investor, so they’re not calling me back because they think I need a buyer’s agent. I’m tempted to leave notes on houses to see if I can get in touch with the seller instead. ideas??
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Frank Chin
Posted by Frank Chin on September 27, 2009 at 06:08:02:
Annette:
I synpathize with you. Being an RE investor, when I started out, I experienced this often, but being in the biz. for a while, I found that I was doing this myself, I myself had not returned calls.
First, for some agents, when I visit their offices, and they qualify me, the chances of them returning calls are high. For others, when I pass by a house with a “for sale” sign on it, just calling the number, most of the time, I don’t get a return call.
Years back, I wonder about it, but since I started landlording, place ads in the papers renting out apartments and house, I found I’ve done it myself, i.e. not returning calls.
Here’s how it happens.
I usually underprice my rentals, so I place an ad for the week-end, and I start getting 30 calls a day. Then I do my open house showings. I’ll get to “by appointment” showings later.
I try to get things moving quickly, so a few days after, I already got my renters, my first choice and a few on a waiting list.
So what’s the problem?? I found that when I place my ads, even when the ad stops running, I get messages, 5 to 10 a day, for another two weeks, and longer. I found people calling me on ads in the paper, and when I asked them the date on the paper, sometimes it’s from two weeks before. So I tell them “well, it’s rented out two weeks before already”.
What do I do??
Well, I stopped returning calls on the voice box, particularly when it’s rented. Now, I do this, but I wonder if some people find it unprofessional. I often thought of going back to having a special phone line just for rentals, and have the voice box message say “sorry, if you’re calling about the apartment, it’s rented”.
Now do you think this is right?? I don’t know. I had discussed this with my wife, and I just felt I’m spinning my wheels calling back people I don’t know just to be a nice guy, so they won’t feel upset.
But this would often involve calling at least 50 people back, weeks after renting the place, to say the “apartment is rented”.
Now, a word about “special appointment” showings, answering every call, making appointments. I did that years back when I started my RE business, buying properties, doing rentals. I since stopped doing that.
I found that when I schedule an appointment to show the place, half of them don’t show up!! When I waited in front of houses, I have seen people drive slowly by around the time of the appointment, then quickly drive off. Others just don’t call, don’t show up, and if I call them, tell me they had to work late and forgot about it. Huh??
Now I work, sometimes leave work early to make the appointment. After those experiences, I make sure people actually saw the outside, and the neighborhood. I have called people back who slowly drove by, admitted they drove off, but explained that they don’t like the neighborhood. Why they didn’t stop the car to come out say so amazes me. Maybe for the same reason I don’t return calls??
Then, I had this lady I felt sorry for.
She kept calling about this apartment, wanting to see it 10’o clock at night. I don’t do special appointments, she left a quite few messages, one very upset, so I called back, and told her to try Saturday, as I sleep by 8 PM. She explains she gets off work at 9:00.
Well, Saturday came, she didn’t call all day, I was there from 10:AM painting the place, showing it, and finally left at 6:00PM. Lo and behold, she called at 7:00PM, wanting to see it at 10:PM again. And I already had one or two willing renters. I didn’t realize she worked at a department store, on Saturdays also, till 9:00PM.
Well, she sounded between upset and desperate, I felt bad, got out of bed, and went over to the rental, even though I had my renters. Furthermore, my prospects left applications, and I haven’t qualified her.
Well, as it turned out, she wasn’t qualified, it wasn’t what she wanted, so I wound up spending two hours at night running over, wasted my time, showed her the place, even though I knew better. I already knew making a special showing was a WASTE OF TIME.
So I have this one question.
What duty do I have to people returning their calls, or making special showings?? I might have wasted some people’s time. On the other hand, people don’t seem to have any consideration for mine either.
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Dave
Posted by Dave on September 26, 2009 at 15:09:25:
Have you driven by the exterior before calling to see if its something worth looking at? This puts you in a stronger position when calling.
Call the office ask who you should be working with on the property. This will get you a stronger contact.
If the same broker keeps listing the props you like, take them to lunch get to know them. This is a relationship business.
If you can’t get the relationship find the person who has it link up with them to form the link.
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Doug
Posted by Doug on September 24, 2009 at 23:43:16:
Hi Annette, feel free to go direct to the seller. Just tell them that you would be interested in buying their house when their agent is no longer in the picture.
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by nancy
Posted by nancy on September 24, 2009 at 11:54:35:
I am an agent myself… basically I don’t work with any one who just call up from the street and say I want to see the house… I only work with those who have the cash/exeprience /financing to close and is serious… many people just call up the sign see the house and walk away. it is is complete waste of time… only newbie or desperate agents will meet up with someone like that… if you are serious buyer, you should find a good buyer’s agent, spend the time to meet up with him/her, get yourself preapproved for a loan and work one just ONE agent… no one want’s to waste time…
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Annette
Posted by Annette on September 23, 2009 at 11:09:06:
I’d still like to hear from others about their experiences with this, but thank you both for your comments! John, I did call the brokerage for one house I had particular interest in. They connected me directly to the agent who claimed she never got the emails. To test her honesty I asked her a couple of questions that I already knew the answers to. SHe lied in both responses. Geez. is there ANY integrity among agents? They’re worse than used car dealers.
It’s ‘Agent Season’ again - Posted by IB (NJ)
Posted by IB (NJ) on September 22, 2009 at 22:12:45:
with all the reo buying and fha financing, agents (particularly the listing reo agents) are once again in full demand (at least here they are). So that means they will be unprofessional and won’t return phone calls, emails, etc. I’ve seen it before. In fact just had one who I had to contact twice to get a return email on a reo whose status was described as ‘listed’. Once she FINALLY got back to me all she replied via email was “it’s gone” without even a period.
Now of course once RE slows down again they’ll return every call and email. The short-sightedness of real estate agents never ceases to amaze me.
Call their RE Brokers - Posted by John Merchant
Posted by John Merchant on September 22, 2009 at 11:15:42:
Every RE Agent works for a Broker so if you’ll call and inform that broker that you want to see the property I’d bet he/she WILL return your call.
Since the REB owns all the business in his/her agency it’s to his/her benefit to see that potential buyers like you are carefully and cordially treated.
However I’d recommend you look in Craigs List for those FSBOs where NO REA is involved as those are more likely to want to deal with you as an REI.
Those are usually motivated people who want somebody/anybody to buy their houses.
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Woody
Posted by Woody on September 28, 2009 at 13:22:05:
When an agent decide not to return phone calls as advertised, it reflects more about the agent’s character than the people responding to the sign. As a rule, I try not to do business with anyone who are not courteous enough to return my call. Time lost is just part of the doing business.
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Annette S
Posted by Annette S on September 24, 2009 at 13:59:53:
thanks for your comments, Nancy. I do wonder, though, how you know the amt of cash a buyer has when they call. I know many other investors, and they don’t tell anyone when they leave a message how much cash they have.
I do understand an agent doesn’t want to waste her time, which is why I am prequalified. But, they don’t know that if they don’t call me back.
what “exeprience” (sic)do you require in a buyer? Are you saying you won’t sell a house to a buyer unless they’ve already bought a certain number of houses before? I think that qualification is irrelevant, but you should definitely let a seller know that in writing before they commmit to working with you. And btw, I didn’t “call up from the street”. I saw the listings online. Although, I’d have to ask what the sign in a yard is for is you don’t want to return calls from anyone who sees it. Is it just to advertise your name?
If you stand behind your credo, why haven’t you posted your full name and state here so everyone who agrees with your philosophy can use you as an agent?
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by Gene
Posted by Gene on September 23, 2009 at 22:19:53:
Find a reliable agent you can trust and foster a relationship with them. Make offers thru that agent. Keep training them on how to find you deals.
Re: Agents won’t return my calls - Posted by nancy
Posted by nancy on September 24, 2009 at 14:20:30:
I hold my license really just for myself to find deals,
I don’t care getting new clients… I don’t have time working for newbies… period!
most these agents have a sign to get seller leads… or if the home is in a high price area… get buyer’s leads… and it is an requirement to put out a sign… but in most cheap neighborhoods, and especially if it is an REO, many listing agent don’t bother to call back… in some cases, they can’t work as a dual agent (represent both buyers and seller) so there’s even less incentive for them to call back …
if you are prequalified you need to get your OWN buyer’s agent, who will then show you the home, contact the listing agent for you… so you know some one is working hard for you… and working for your interest… listing agent is representing the seller, working in the seller’s interest…
I am giving you honest response form an agent’s point of view… I don’t need to post my name here… I don’t need business. if you have so many questions like this it shows you don’t know what you are doing and need a good agent to work with you!