Ideal Client Trait #1: Courtesy

Just as we expect professional behavior from real estate agents, we have to act professionally as well.

If you treat them professionally, they will treat you professionally, chances are they will act like a professional, particularly since you've selected one who's good.

I think a non-trivial number of agents who look unprofessional started out trying to be a good agent. But they got treated so poorly by customers, they started no longer caring about them and got cynical about all of them.

It's a shame, but it happens.

Of course, a lot of agents are unprofessional just because they don't have much material to work with.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

The Ideal Client

We expect professional behaviors from real estate agents, all those things I've been outlining for the past how many days. That was one shoe to drop.

Here's the other shoe: clients have to behave appropriately too if they want the their real estate agent to do his or her best work.

Real estate agents get trashed unmercifully in the public area. This agent sucks, that agent is incompetent. What about clients? I've seen despicable behaviors from sellers and buyers. Then these same despicable buyers and sellers will turn around and badmouth agents for the same things they do.

I guess that's the way it will always be, but if we think about it maybe we can make the industry at least a little better.

So, in the next few blogs, I'm going to outline how you should behave so your ideal agent can do his or her best work for you.

In the meantime, please accept my best wishes for you in this holiday season, that you have a satisfying holiday and a profitable new year.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

Ideal Agent Trait #10: Proactivness

Find an agent who is proactive. He or she should make a schedule for you of the things that have to happen and when they have to happen. He or she should also have a list of all the relevant parties and work with them while the deal is being negotiated.

Many inexperienced or poor agents don't take control of their deals. They get a buyer, find a house, make an offer, and if it's accepted assume their job's done and let the deal go forward as though it's some kind of wind-up toy, then feel victimized when the deal goes through because they didn't do their job. If you catch one like that, throw them back.

There can be various levels of complexity to a real estate transaction. I've lumped them into three levels for discussion sake. It's much more complicated than even this. But, consider these:

Level 1: When there are 3 parties: a buyer, a seller, and a settlement entity (title company, real estate attorney employee). A buyer sees a property, identifies the owner, makes an offer, the offer accepts it, and it goes to settlement which is done by a third party. There are no real estate agents involved, though one of the parties may have sought the advice of a friend or associate or a realtor may have recommended a settlement entity.

Level 2: When there are 5 or 6 parties involved. In addition to buyers and sellers, we have an agent or lawyer for each, a title officer, and maybe a mortgage Representative if a mortgage is required, which it usually is. Some places lawyers play more of a role or are required. It works differently in different places.

Level 3: When there are more than 6 parties involved, they could be title insurance agents, inspectors, appraisers, insurance agents, lawyers, contractors, roofers, brokers, and so on and so on. More than 6 people.

No matter what the level of complexity of the deal, the agent has to identify the relevant parties and the tasks to be done and make sure that it happens.

You can't assume that a deal won't go bad if your agent does everything he or she can. Real estate transactions are very complicated, and deals can fall through for any number of reasons. But he odds of a deal going away at settlement are greatly reduced if your agent stays on top of everything.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

Ideal Agent Trait #9: Diversity

Choose a real estate agent who had done a lot of other things. If the agent has done more different stuff, he or she has come into contact with a lot of different situations the agent knows more, different ways to handle new situations that crop up.

And believe me, there are lots of different situations that crop up.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

Ideal Agent Trait #8: Leadership

Choose a real estate agent follows the laws of leadership. What does he do when he's not doing real estate? Does he exhibit the characteristics of a leader? Does he help you chart a course? Do people listen when he speaks? Who are the people around him?

If you're not sure what I mean by the laws of leadership, read John C. Maxwell, The 21 Laws of Leadership (1998) or any of his other books. Also, check my earlier blogs at www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

Ideal Agent Trait #7: Relentlessness

Looking for a real estate agent? Look for one who represents you relentlessly. He's there for you and leaves no opportunity unexplored to act in your interest.

I had a listing agent say to me once, "I can't let you see the house then because the owner wants me there on all showings, and I have a full-time job. It will have to be on a weekend day or in the evenings." My buyer couldn't do it then, so I was never able to show that house.

What kind of representation is that? Lazy representation, I'd guess.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

Ideal Agent Trait #6: Being up-to-date

You want an agent who's up to date. He/she doesn't have to be the biggest geek in the world and an expert on every new electronic toy to come down the pike. But, she/he ought be conversant with the newer tools that come into use that he/she can put at your disposal.

She/he ought to be familiar with the social media, scanning and emailing documents, blogging, etc. Society changes so fast these days you have to stay up to date. We're like a dog chasing a car.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.

Ideal Agent Trait #5: Knowledge of the Area

A good agent knows the area you want to live in. Not every agent is going to know every area.

When I was a new agent someone called looking for properties in Upper Darby. I took down his prerequisites, i.e. price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms (I should have asked other questions), etc. Then I pulled 20 or so properties that met those criteria off the multiple listing service and looked at them. I didn't know Upper Darby for anything. They were just numbers on a page. I referred that buyer to an agent who works in that area.

I'd worked in Center City. I've shown, sold, gone to brokers opens, etc., there and I know the area well. I've walked its streets, shopped in its stores, know its neighbors. When someone asks me a question about a given house, I may actually have been in that house. At the very least I know what its like there.

Pick an agent that knows the area you want to live in.

I'm trying to create a more informed real estate customer. Is this working?

Want to learn entrepreneurship? Go to www.hatman2.blogspot.com.

Want to get a poem or short story published? Go to www.byandforwriters.blogspot.com

Want tips on writing? Go to www.timswritingblog.blogspot.com. Or want to read my first book for free, or maybe get it? Go to www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.