Thread: New Generation of Real Estate Part 27: Agent demands we do her work for her client!

Yesterday, we received a call from an agent from another company. She had a client who was looking at our web site and wanted to get the MLS numbers for her client. No problem, I ask her where we can email her our list of Rentals.I always like to make sure our listings are shown!
She "Thanks Me" for our assistance and I figure we did our good deed for the day! Not quite!
Our office manager receives a call 10 minutes later from the same agent. She explains she`s in a bind and needs us to make showing instructions for her on our properties as well as a few others from several other companies. My office manger tells this young lady that we can make showing instructions for our listings only, we don`t make showing instructions for agents not affiliated with our company. This agent is persistent and is tying up our office managers time as she`s attempting to be polite to this new agent!She demands to speak to me.
The conversation is as follows:
Persistent Agent: I need a favor from your and your company. I have 5 rentals that we`re showing of your listings and I have another 4 which are from different Real Estate offices. Why can`t you people assist me ? Isn`t that what we as Realtors are supposed to do?
Me: Our office manager told you that we`ll make appointments for you on our listings only! You work for a leading Real Estate office why isn`t someone helping you? We don`t have the time to help agents make showing instructions with different companies,it doesn`t make sense.
Persistent Agent: Our office is very,very busy. They don`t help agents,it`s supposed to be our job. I figure that since you`re being so helpful your company will assist me instead. After all, you want me to show your property,right?
Me: You work for a "national company", I suggest that you call your Broker and have them help you. We`re not able to comply with your request, we`re very sorry!
Persistent Agent: My Broker is never around, they`re busy going to meetings. We`re a huge office and my Broker has taught us to get help from others, that`s just common courtesy in our profession!
Me: Let me get this straight,"You`re Broker is never around" and I need to do your work? Is that right?
Persistent Agent: I will never show any of your listings again!

With that she abruptly hangs up the telephone on me! I must admit that could quite possibly qualify as the "Caller of the Year"..
Her Broker is too busy to properly train her, and it`s my job to do her work! I can only wonder how long this agent will survive with her "National Real Estate office".....

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This really happened?

I would suggest not to put the blame on "National Real Estate Offices" so easily. Each office, including yours, is only as good as its agents. How a company trains their agents is important, however in the end it ALWAYS boils down to the agent.
To answer your retorical question at the end of your post: The agent might not survive, the "National Real Estate Office" will for sure!

That's too funny.

Why didn't you just give her your lockbox key, set up the appts, lend her your car (after a nice detailing) and right up the contract for her? Come on, where is your spirit of cooperation?

But really, as a broker I would want to be made aware of this and a polite email certainly isn't out of order.

Originally Posted by La Jolla Real Estate

That's too funny.

Why didn't you just give her your lockbox key, set up the appts, lend her your car (after a nice detailing) and right up the contract for her? Come on, where is your spirit of cooperation?

I'll never understand why he wouldn't assist me. I wasn't asking for much and I planned on asking for his car which I would have detailed for him. I needed his cell phone, laptop and printer but since I couldn't get any where with him I didn't even bother asking.

Well I am caught in a bind again. I have a listing presentation but my dog needs to go for a walk so I can't make it. Can you take care of this for me?

I would of told her to take a hike right from the start...I'm glad I don't answer the phones any more..I stopped doing that years ago

Those agents are easy to deal with. Just tell them to take a hike as they wont last long in a slower market anyways.

Too much of a hussle, if you ask me.