“Yielding the Right-of-Way” – Representing Your Client’s Best Interests
October 11th, 2007 by Rich JacobsonI got a phone call the other day from my buddy, Josh. He’s best friends with my oldest son, Ben. Josh just recently got married (his new bride, Mallory, lived in the house right behind us) and he’s starting his own construction business here on the Kitsap Peninsula WA. Ben helps him out on weekends with various projects, mostly pouring concrete and drywalling.
As a budding builder, 
Josh is always curious about issues relating to real estate. This time, he wanted to know about the whole “Agent-to-Client” relationship thing, and specifically, what does a Buyer do when they realize that the Agent they’re working with is an idiot (those were his words, not mine!) Evidently, Mal’s parents have some friends who are in the market to buy their first home. From what Josh told me, it sounds like their agent probably sells snake oil in his spare time. He employs super high pressure tactics. He keeps trying to force them into buying one of his listings, even though it’s an overpriced train wreck. They’re at a point where they no longer feel comfortable with this guy, and wonder if he really is concerned with their best interests.
Money, or the allure of money, sometimes does the strangest things to people. It causes them to lose sight of their priorities and purpose. It clouds their judgment. It changes their focus from serving others to serving themselves.
In real estate, it can be an easy temptation to lose sight of our statutory or fiduciary responsibilities and obligations, especially in a slowing market. Commission checks are farther and farther apart. We’re scrambling to make ends meet. Every closing counts.
So maybe we neglect to show our Buyers those listings where the Selling Agent commission isn’t as attractive as some of the others. Or perhaps we don’t disclose some known material defect, for fear that they won’t buy the house. Or it could be that we simply aren’t as critical of an advocate as we once were, and allow certain issues to go unchecked in the process? We’re more concerned about ‘closing’ than we are about ‘caring.’
I had the good fortune of having some really excellent mentors early on in my professional career. I learned the importance of providing superlative customer service. You’ve heard the saying, “Do what you Love, and the money will follow?” Well, in real estate, it’s provide the best customer service, and the money will follow. Offer your clients the most relentless representation possible, and you will reap the financial benefits as a result.
Plus, you’ll stay out of jail and sleep better at night!
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Hey, Thesa! Thanks for stoppin’ by SBB. Fortunately, as the market continues to slow, perhaps more and more of these ‘selfish’ self-centered agents will leave our ranks. One can only hope!
Rich – this is powerful, love the graphics. You are so right here, I see it more and more in my market. Buyers are calling with similar stories some can be saved some purchased and now feel they did not have good representation…. it is a tough world out there in more ways than the media makes it out to be. Thank you for pointing this out. Tonight was my first visit to your blog, but after reading this I know I will be back.
Ah, I see you are back in the saddle! Well-spoken and well-written, Rich. I really like that phrase of yours “relentless representation”. It defines what you do so well.