It’s been an interesting weekend here at Thompson’s Realty.
The lovely bride is on a showing marathon all weekend with a couple of fine gentlemen from British Columbia. We have our first “Mountie” client!
But that’s really neither here nor there.
Since Francy’s out slogging through the 95 degree heat, burning copious amounts of fuel at the rate of $3.50/gallon, that leaves me to man person answer the office phone.
And the damn thing has been ringing off the hook. That’s a good thing, generally speaking.
Oh there are the usual telemarketer calls. You know, people with no clue about the Do Not Call Registry. The bulk of them were “Search Engine Marketing Specialists” that can’t seem to find our web sites on Google (strange, others seem to have no problem).
Three calls came from people wanting us to list their homes.
Cool! Three new listings in two days!
Not so fast…. I turned down all three listings.
Why would a real estate brokerage turn down listings? My old Century 21 broker would be mortified. “Just get the listing!” was the beginning of a common soliloquy there.
But, pray tell, exactly what is the point in taking a listing that can not be sold? All three of these homeowners called knowing exactly what price they wanted to list their home for. They were off the mark (on the high side) by $60 – $135K.
I tried to help them understand the current Phoenix real estate market conditions. I supplied data, I waxed eloquently about why their homes would never sell at those prices.
One snapped into reality and decided to wait to list. We’ll stay in touch and when market conditions permit them to get what they want, they’ll list their home. That is of course, assuming nothing else changes in the 12 – 36 months (or more) that could take.
Two of the would-be listers were adamant that there homes were worth 20 – 40% more than what I was telling them. One home had been on the market approaching one year, and we would have been their fourth agent. One has “only” been listed for six months and the owner is growing weary of his agent telling him to reduce the price. They’ve had one showing in those six months.
They will be finding another agent that will “List their home for what they want”.
I’m sure they will have no trouble doing just that.
Oh, we could have taken the listings. It would have given us the opportunity to plant our sign in the yard, and maybe a few inquisitive buyer-types would call. We could then hook them, reel them in, and have new buyer clients.
But I prefer not to have my signs rotting away in a yard, in the hopes of stumbling across a buyer client. There far more efficient ways to get new clients.
One of the more interesting calls this weekend came from an agent who was inquiring about joining Thompson’s Realty.
The agent sounded quite slick and was well polished. He swiftly let me know that he was “A TOP PRODUCER!!” at every brokerage where he had graced their halls.
A couple of minutes into the call he said, “Why do I feel like I’m being interviewed for a job? I’m supposed to be interviewing you!”
Not so fast Sparky. It doesn’t work that way here. While it is contrary to the way many real estate brokerages operate, we don’t take anyone with a license and a pulse. We want agents who believe in, and deliver, superior customer service.
This agent WAS interviewing for a job. And to be brutally honest, he bombed the interview. It was all about him, and what he could do for us. I tried to turn it toward what he could do for his clients, and it was readily apparent that his clients were a distant second to his own self-worth.
Much like the sellers looking for an agent to list at any price, I’m certain that the self-centered real estate agent will have no problems finding a broker to hang his license.
But it’s not happening here.
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I'm Jay Thompson, and I have a little blogging problem... Welcome to The Phoenix Real Estate Guy, or "TPREG" as I fondly refer to it.
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