Today I’m a buyer. Oh, I’m still a real estate broker, but today I am calling agents on listings just as you would. The next time you hear a Realtor gripe about how bad business is, ask them if they ever answer their phone, or return phone calls. I am aghast with the lack of service from my own profession.

We have to be out of our mobile home here at the Surf and Sand by the end of the month, so needless to say I am seriously looking for a new home. This is what I have run into.

One of the first listings I called about tells me to call the number with an extension number to find out more information (like the price of the property). The way these work is I call the number, a pleasant recorded voice tells me all about the listing, and the agent captures my phone number to call me back, which she did. Even though she had the extension number I had called, she had no clue what property it went to and was asking me what property I had called on.

Hey, I’m like most buyers. By the time she called me back I had called on a few properties. I didn’t know which one she was calling me back on. If she has my number from a particular extension, she should be able to tell right away and have all pertenant information before she even calls me. She sounded like an idiot, and if I had everything set to go today, she would have lost the sale. What really surprised me is she is part of an office of a really well known broker. I was appalled at the lack of professionalism.

I called on another listing I’m very interested in. It turned out to be a lender advertising the listing. The ad says to call his number for information, which I did. He had no information, said he would try to find an agent for me and call me back. So what happened with him? I told him I had not qualified with a lender. He never got an agent to give me information concerning the listing evidently, as he never called me back. Not only am I not interested in the listing any longer, but if there was a loan, he lost it.

If I was a real estate trainer training a class of real estate agents, and happened to call these two listings as examples, the classes would be laughing their butts off right now as what is so obvious not to do.

With the competition of the internet and so many real estate agents trying to make a living in a slow market, service should be their first priority. If you have to chase an agent to get information on a listing, chances are you will have to do the same if you have them represent you in a transaction.