My latest listing found me on Google by researching the term “short sale real estate agent in Western MA” and has been following my blog articles of short sale advice and education.
While it is never a great thing to have to sell your home via short sale, I am honored that she valued my input enough to want guidance through this and I am thrilled that I may be able to help her through this difficult time.
They Said “WHAT?!!!”
I am, however, APALLED at what my client shared with me about several other agents in the area. She told me that a prior REALTOR told her that “short sales are too much work” and another agent flat out said she wouldn’t help.
I don’t know if these agents are ignorant, callous or simply lazy, but I find that kind of reaction stunningly unprofessional.
Giving Realtors a bad name
It is one thing if you have decided that you don’t want to work on short sale listings, but to flat out tell a client that it is too much work? Wouldn’t the smarter response be to tell the homeowner that you don’t specialize in that type of sale, but you would help them find an agent that does? Not only will the homeowner respect your honesty, they will value your assistance in finding the right agent AND you will get a referral fee should the sale be successful.
We wonder why our profession gets a bad rap and why people think we are just chasing the next closing…this is it people! How selfish and unfeeling were those responses? What the seller heard instead of “too much work” was “my situation is a bigger mess than I thought. It is so bad that agents don’t even want to touch it.”
Be compassionate
Show some compassion and PROFESSIONALISM in your reaction to short sales. Be educated about options and ready to offer advice even if you don’t personally want the work.
It is shocking that agents don’t spend more time considering the overall image of the industry. It is also shortsighted not to try to help these people in need: they won’t always be in financial distress. Someday they will turn things around and when they do, they are likely to remember the person that helped them when they were down.
It is our collective reputation
What you say reflects on all of us. Those of us in the real estate industry are uniquely able to actually impact the recovery of the housing market…use that power for the betterment of us all.
