Hot line
Telephones are pretty old school but people still use them. Sometimes I have to use the phone because it is the only contact information that I have for a business of individual.
In general when I make a phone call I get voice mail. If I am lucky my call is returned. With the bigger businesses it is about being put on hold and pressing #1 to buy something and #4 for technical support and being told how important our call is.
Most of the real estate agents I call either answer the phone or return my call or email but there are exceptions. This week there is an agent who will not return emails or phone calls. We have had to figure out how to work around her to get the job done for our clients.
I use my cell phone as my business number and there are times when I can not answer the phone especially when I am on it or when I am with a client. Just leave a message and I’ll call back or send an email and I will answer it. My goal is to get back to people within two hours and I structure my day around that idea. Your call really is important to me because I am a sole proprietor.
If you are interested in buying a home and can not reach the agent who is selling it there is an easy solution and that is to call another agent and just keep calling agents until someone answers. Home buyers who have a relationship with an agent before they start the home search have an advantage in that they have someone who will work with them and probably even answer the phone.
Home sellers who can not reach their agent should get another agent. There are like a zillion of us and there isn’t any reason to work with an agent who will not communicate.
Just had a student who reported that another agent refused to return calls regarding a showing report. The seller called that agent directly who (amazingly!) was able to take and/or return THAT call! Next showing, same story, so the agent began to suspect that this was a strategy to have his sellers initiate calls with this agent. He asked for my suggestion. I said (and I think he’d only have to do this once: “Show up at the showing, smile sweetly and explain that there’s been some communication problems with feedback, so you’ll just wait until after the showing (outside) and either the agent or the buyers can give you feedback.”
Sellers do not have the right to feedback but buyers agents should return phone calls.
If you are saying that the buyer can instruct the agent to say: “no comment” I do agree. Not returning calls is not only rude, but is something covered in the “Pathways to Professionalism” brochure for new members from NAR, in COE training, both new member and quadrennial (speaking as a COE Instructor).
Not returning calls is unacceptable as is harassing or stalking another agent in an attempt to get feedback.