After reading my previous post on What You Should Never Do as a Real Estate Agent, it’s time for the flipside – what you should always do!
When I started out I never had a written step-by-step action plan of what to do as an agent. You study for your test, you get certified as a Realtor, you get your license and then get shoved out the door with a “Go Get ‘Em Tiger!” Meanwhile, you’re looking out at other agents getting massive success as an agent and you think, “Why are they successful and I’m here with absolutely no clue what I’m doing?”
It’s an interesting question – why are some real estate agents successful and some can’t even get an appointment with a client? It comes down to two things: knowledge and action. Knowledge of what to do in every situation. Knowledge of the laws you must follow. Knowledge of what to say to clients. Knowledge of negotiation tactics.
Perhaps even more important that knowledge is action. After all, knowledge isn’t really power; knowledge is only potential power. The actual definition of power is the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. So if you want the power of knowledge, you have to put what you’ve learned into action!
By giving you this list of what to do (and my previous list of what not to do) this is going to give a solid base of good practices for a real estate agent, especially for rookie agents out there lost. Of course, there’s way more to learn – from getting real estate leads, to closing a client, to getting referrals, to advertising yourself and your listings, to getting yourself a real estate team, including real estate assistants, buyers agents, and listing agents on your team.
When Showing a Home
Always return any appointment phone calls promptly.
Always become acquainted with the property before you show it.
Always be prompt and arrive on time to showing appointments.
Always call the other party if you will be delayed or if the appointment will be canceled.
Always follow any instructions given to you by the seller when showing your listing and making appointments.
Always qualify the buyer before showing the home.
Always use the sidewalk.
Always wait outside if another agent is showing the property when you arrive.
Always report any odd odors, broken windows, broken locks, etc to the listing office.
Always inform the other agent if there is any inaccurate information on the listing.
Always leave your business card.
Always close all drapes and/or blinds which were closed on your arrival.
Always turn off all lights not on at your arrival.
Always lock all exterior doors before leaving.
When Dealing With Contracts
Always present all offers you’ve received to the sellers in that same order you’ve received them.
Always invite the selling agent to be present when presenting the offer to the sellers.
Always encourage the sellers to put any counter or rejection offers in writing.
Always specify in writing exactly what will stay with the property.
Always prepare qualifying information for the listing agent.
Always verify that the buyer has applied for the loan.
Always keep track of the time for a loan commitment and extend the loan commitment date before the time runs out and the contract is void.
Always notify the listing agent once the loan has been approved.
Always remember that the listing agent presents the offer.
Always allow privacy for the listing agent and the seller to discuss the terms of the offer.
Always use the most current version of the contract and fill out all required fields.
Always include all license numbers on the contract.
Always provide enough copies of the contract for all parties.
Always leave a copy of the contract and forms with the buyers and sellers when signatures or initials are obtained.
Always have any changes to the offer initialed by the parties.
Always provide copies of the final contract once all signatures are obtained and contract has been finalized.
When Courtesy Counts
Always call other real estate agents during normal business hours if possible.
Always respect other real estate agent’s family time in the mornings and evenings.
Always identify yourself immediately as a real estate agent and/or Realtor when calling an agent or when scheduling showing appointments.
Always leave a clear message with the information you desire on an agent’s voicemail so the agent can return your call with the required information ready.
Always sound out your phone number slowly on the voicemail, repeating your name and phone number twice.
Always respond promptly to all inquiries.
Always give out explicit directions with the street name and number.
Always fill out the MLS listing form with every detail possible.
Always have access to the listing property with key and showing instructions.
Always return keys to the listing office on a prompt basis if you’ve borrowed them.
Always contact the agent or broker if there is a conflict on procuring cause or selling commission.
Tags: agents·brokers
It’s hard for young and beginning real estate agents just starting their careers. You have all these rules, regulations, laws, and bylaws. You’re expected to know these laws back and front. On top of this, you’re expected to be an expert on the local real estate market (by knowing prices of recently sold properties in the general) and an understanding of national real estate trends. If that wasn’t enough, you have to be a master in contract negotiation, knowing the details of contract terms and price points. Phew - that’s a lot of stuff you gotta know!
Yet a lot of people jump into the real estate agent career field without really thinking about all these things! Guess what - I did the same thing when I started! But, over time, I’ve really immersed myself in learning- every single day - more and more about real estate. I’ve learned about the South Florida real estate market, including networking with Miami real estate agents, brokers, and realties. I’ve dug my eyes into massive amounts of real estate books, from books on real estate investing to books on being a better realtor.
So, for those entering the real estate agent game, I’m giving you my run-down of the most important things you should not ever do as an agent. When I say never, I mean never. These are things that are unfortunately sometimes common in the industry by real estate rookies but it’s up to the real estate veterans out there to help each other out - if you see another agent committing some sort of violation point it out to them immediately! If you know of an agent just starting his or her real estate career, send them a link to this article so they can read on what not to do.
If you’re a consumer, there’s some great tips in here for you too - common courtesy is universal! If you’ve hired a real estate agent to represent you then you’re going to want to read this so you know if your agent is on the up-and-up or is misrepresenting you in some way. Remember that anyone practicing real estate must be licensed!
This being said, enjoy my compilation of top things you should never do as a real estate agent - the biggest no-no’s and major mistakes. I’m also in the process of compiling the top things a real estate agent should always do - that’s coming up next!
When Following the Law
- Never place For Sale, For Rent, or Open House signs on the street right-of-way.
- Never put up a sign without putting your realty’s company name on there.
- Never do false advertising.
- Never practice real estate without a license - it’s a felony.
When Showing a Home
- Never discuss the price when in front of the seller.
- Never speak negatively about the property and criticize it while in the vicinity of the current occupant.
- Never forget to call and/or cancel your appointment if you know you’re going to be late or can’t make the appointment.
- Never speak about the terms of the contract with the seller at the initial showing.
- Never permit young children to wander around the property unattended.
- Never move around and rearrange the furniture without returning it to the original condition.
- Never smoke nor allow anyone else to smoke in the property.
- Never leave any doors or windows unlocked and/or open.
- Never leave your trash and junk in the property.
- Never attempt to contact the seller unless you’e been authorized to do so.
When Dealing with Contracts
- Never tell another real estate agent or realtor that the property in question is “under contract” unless all of the signatures of the necessary parties have been recorded.
- Never change the contract yourself without approval.
- Never hold on showing an offer to purchase to your client because you’re waiting for a better offer.
- Never hold on showing an offer to purchase because it’s more convenient for you to wait until later.
- Never pursue asking for the amount when a real estate agent calls with an offer on the property.
- Never tell another real estate agent outside of the agents involved of any details of an offer to purchase before closing.
When Courtesy Counts
- Never say that you have an offer to purchase unless you have that offer in writing.
- Never forget to contact the seller to make an appointment for another real estate agent if showing is through the listing agent.
- Never mention any type of conflict between brokers and agents to buyers and sellers.
- Never interrupt another real estate agent when that agent is showing the property.
- Never offer the property at a price or terms that the seller has not outlined for you in writing.
- Never contact or communicate with the client of a co-broker unless authorized.
- Never speak negatively about the business practices of another real estate agent or real estate firm.
- Never provide any comments or opinions about another real estate agent’s transactions or listings.
- Never let the lock box key out of your possession.
- Never solicit a future listing on a listing that’s currently listed, no matter the relationship you may have with the parties, even if they’re close friends or relatives.
Tags: agents·brokers
Tax season has come and gone. Every spring we barrel our way through huge stacks of tax-related papers and random financial record messpiles. While we’re frantically looking for that one statement we can’t seem to find we plead to the heavens, “Just let me find that paper - I promise I’ll do better next year!”
One week before tax time is NOT the time to organize your paperwork. You should start way sooner - like now, for instance? 
Now that I’m talking to you about getting organized with your tax paperwork, the first thought that might rush into your head is, “I gotta get me some containers, folders, files, and binders!” You might even get these in a variety of wild colors including neon green and hot pink - among others.
You set these crazy amounts of organizational equipment on the floor. Now what? Where do you go from here? Now you have to organize the organizational equipment and you go even crazier than before! What’s the solution?
How to Clean Up a Huge Organizational Mess
Well, there’s a solution. There’s small companies that have sprung up recently to help out with this growing financial organizational problem. These companies help instruct people on how to get the best storage products and how to use them correctly.
The way these companies run their business is buy producing specialty organization items that have instructions on how to use them correctly. They then support the use of their products by writing in their company blogs, sending out instructional newsletters, and running organizational intensive workshops that immerse students in organizing their finances in the right way. If you think about it, whether you’re a tax veteran or a college kid in your dorm that’s just getting started, it’s important to always improve your organizational skills.
“By making products more user-friendly and offering consumers compelling reasons to use their products, businesses can set themselves apart from the competition,” says Parkland Group founder and president Larry Goddard. Parkland Group is a Cleveland-based business consulting firm helping businesses succeed and grow.
Get Your Life Buttoned Up
Buttoned Up is a startup company that was founded with the confused user in mind. The founders, Alicia Rockmore, 42, and Sara Welch, 36, started the 11-employee Ann Arbor, Michigan company four years ago because they themselves needed the service they now provide but there’s wasn’t anything like that out there at the time. The Buttoned Up co-founders say that they used to spend tons of money at stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and the Container Store and when they got home with all these organizational products they had no idea what to do next.
It’s rare for someone to instinctively know what specific items to put in specific containers or what important documents and files to put into your filing cabinet or organizer.
“They needed a road map to give them the tools to actually do it,” says Rockmore.
The Buttoned Up Product Line
The company currently has more than 20 organizational products and can be found in nationwide retailers. One of the hottest ones right now is the Life.doc, which is a bright red binder where you can put your emergency, insurance, and other important documents in one spot. When you open the $29.95 binder, the first thing you see is the “Welcome Letter” that talks about the Buttoned Up philosophy of focusing on the most important 20% of organizational tasks - it’s an organizational remake of the 80/20 Pareto Principle, which is that 80% of consequences stem from 20% of the causes. It also includes forms to fill out that include emergency, financial, and insurance information. The entire binder is covered in transparent plastic and is labeled colorfully with details on how to use it correctly.
“This way, consumers can see and understand the product before buying,” says Rockmore.
Other Buttoned Up products include Valuables.doc, Do&Delegate.list, and the Moving.kit.
The two women also have a newspaper column, a company GetButtonedUp.com blog, and an e-mail newsletter with advice and tips. They talk about tax tips, organizing computer passwords, making to-do lists, and why organizing is important for your entire lifestyle. They feel that this content “deepens the relationships we have with consumers, which leads them to our products… or from one product to another,” says Rockmore. They have also just released a book titled Everything (almost) In Its Place: Control Chaos, Conquer Clutter, and Get Organized the Buttoned Up Way.
Other organizational startups include See Jane Work, which sells organizational products online and through their California store and The Paper Princess, which sells stationary, bookplates, and calendars.
Tags: organization
