Requiem for the Lazy Agent
May 30th, 2007 by Rich JacobsonAs real estate markets throughout the country continue to cool, the inventory of available homes for sale naturally increases. While this dynamic doesn’t necessarily translate into a “Buyer’s” market, per se, it does prompt Seller’s Agents to take a more agressive approach towards effectively marketing their client’s homes.
Gone now, thankfully, are the Days of the Lazy Agent. You know the type. The ones who simply input your home into the local Multiple Listing Service and pray for a buyer.
Their photo gallery (If you can call it that) has only 3 pictures, none of which does any good to help showcase your home’s features (Unless, of course, a shot of a toilet really sells homes? “Look, Honey, this house has a toilet! Quick, let’s put in an offer right now!”)
These are the same Agents who consistently neglect to fill the flyer box (Not that you’d necessarily want their flyer in there. I’ve seen better artwork from 3rd graders. At least the kids actually know how to use Publisher!)
And when was the last time you tried to contact this Agent? Your e-mails go unanswered. Their phone message says that your call is important, but after no response for several days, you feel like anything but important.
Lazy Agents are the by-product of fast markets. Attracted by the allure of “easy” money, they touchdown in a tornado of self-seeking inexperience, leaving behind a path of short-changed clients and potential lawsuits.
And fortunately, as soon as the market begins its downturn, they jump ship, headed back to their day jobs, or caught up in the latest TV infomercial money-making scheme.
In the meantime, the rest of us ‘career’ real estate professionals pursue the relentless representation of our clients, putting their best interests above all else. We constantly strive to master and employ the latest technologies in an ever-changing/evolving market. We expand our knowledge by on-going educational opportunities, better equipping us to serve our clients.
So, let’s all bow in a moment of grateful silence, and bid a fond farewell to the Lazy Agents everywhere.
And for the rest of us, back to work!
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Interesting take on agents, I would have to say in today’s market we don’t have many lazy agents for sure. Of course we have many agents who would like a little more work to do!
We’re experiencing something different in our area…those who were in it for the “easy money” are not necessarily leaving the profession, they’re buying time by supplementing their income w/a second job and still doing real estate as a “side job”. This business is not designed to be a “side job”, lets get serious! How can anybody succeed that way? With the lending crisis we’re all experiencing and the smaller pool of “qualified buyers” these lazy agents will have to move on eventually.
Damn, does this mean I have to get off the couch? lol. Very cool and I agree of course!
Just the other day I wanted to show a property… called the number, got voicemail. Called the office, got voicemail. Called the Broker, you guessed it — voicemail. Took 27 hours to get a return call. Oh and did I mention that there was one photograph of the property and it was listed as a 3/2 and it was a 2/2 with a dining room with french doors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go figure!
This market is going to separate the the men from the boys and the women from the girls. There is no substitue for hard work and there will be many so called realtors out of the business soon.
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They are not leaving the market very fast here in my area, don’t know how they are holding on.
Rich,
The agents you describe are certainly not lining up at DOL to renew their licences 9unless they have changed their ways).
It was easy to “Post the listing on the MLS and pray” a year or two ago. Not anymore. I enjoyed your post as always; keep it up.
Phil
The good news is that there is actually much more WORK to be done for Career Professionals in the real estate industry today. Today’s agent cannot simply rest on the laurels of yesterday’s accomplishments, but must be competent in understanding & utlizing new technologies like blogs & videocasting & podcasting and continue to incorporate innovative ways of marketing homes & connecting with clients (lead generation). The easy work of selling homes was always an illusion, but one which will become increasingly evident as a sham without merit in the days ahead.
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I cannot wait until the lazy agents in my area start dropping off. Sellers are still too unrealistic so agents are “buying” listings and those overpriced babies are gathering dust! Can’t wait till they expire, I’ll be there!
We’re hoping they will soon leave but alas.. the market is still a bit too good…
“Look, Honey, this house has a toilet! Quick, let’s put in an offer right now!”… ROTFLMAO…this is just so funny..
Yep, that’s what we need. But we aren’t seeing it yet either. We still have many more adds than drops on our weekly newsletter.
But on the other hand. Our market hasn’t totally fallen apart yet.
Rich – You could substitute Realtor for Loan Originator and it would apply to the mortgage industry. Great post again…..
We’re seeing it here…they’re dropping like flies.
How I wish this was true in our market Rich – we still have plenty of lazy agents here in Miami, which makes us have to work even harder. We still have those agents that buy their listings by overpricing them as well, we just lost 2 listings to friendsf because we would not list as high as they wanted. It’s a shame, a real shame!
(btw, I like the “notify me of follow up comments via e-mail” function) : )