How to Deal with a Bad Real Estate Agent
If unprofessional, unorganized and downright uncomfortable are some of the words that pop in your mind when you think about your real estate agent, then you’re in real bad. Nothing is worse than having a bad real estate agent that you can’t break away from. So, we’ve made it easy for you. When you deal with a bad real estate agent, don’t cower away. Here’s what you need to do when dealing with bad real estate agents.
Unprofessional
There is no excuse for unprofessionalism in any field, and real estate in Burbank is no exception. When your agent turns up late for appointments; doesn’t respect proper client-agent-buyer behavior; or is downright shady in his/her dealing, then it’s time to take charge of the situation. Let him/her or their superiors know of the situation right from the first meeting, and if they don’t respond, walk away before you’re too involved in the deal to back out. Chances are, they’ll leave you in a lurch and you’ll be stuck with a bad deal.
Inexperienced
You feel sorry for the young chap, who’s nervous as hell talking to you, fumbling with keys and dropping documents. While it’s a nice thing to show empathy, it’s another thing entirely to trust an inexperienced real estate agent with your hard earned investment. Would you trust this agent to make eye contact when they speak with your buyers? Have they the confidence to take charge of a situation gone wrong? It’s more than just inexperience and lack of confidence at stake. Guide him to shape up or request for a more experienced person.
Doesn’t listen
You’ve been telling your real estate agent from the first day what you really want in a property. You go to great lengths to document the details, explain with sketches, and work out the figures for them. You are sure that you’ve given them everything they need to show the property of your dream. Guess what? They never listened, and now keep on showing you properties you hate.
Time to make them listen. Have a check list with you when you are about to meet them. Go through it against the properties they’re about to show you. Refuse to go for visits if the properties don’t match your requirements. After all, why waste time visiting when they don’t want to listen to what you want?
Don’t ask questions
Worse than not listening, is a real estate agent who doesn’t ask questions. A bad real agent who doesn’t ask questions, don’t have information. When they don’t have information, they make assumptions. And when they assume, you know the disaster that follows.
Make sure you ask THEM questions like:
Can you tell me more about the rental properties in the Burbank area?
Do you have the lease permit of the condo I’m interested in Los Angeles?
Who are the property owners of the office building in Studio City?
Can you show me what you have on file about my requirements?
These questions will definitely jerk them up, and push them to find all the information required for searching tenant, buyer or seller for you.
Lack Marketing Skills
One of the reasons why you need a real estate agent is to enlist their help to market your property for sale, put it on rent, or go through listings for purchasing a property for you. Whether you are working with a lone agent or a property management company, they really need to know how to do property marketing and the tricks required to give your property maximum exposure. A bad real estate agent who does none of these is not one you want to stick around with.
Advice Lack Substance
Last but not least, is a real estate agent with bad advice. They’re the worse than all of the above because you’ll end up purchasing a property with bad debts; give your property to tenants who will be legal liabilities; sell your property at a loss; or invest in a commercial property that has no future. The best way to identify a bad real estate agent with advice that lacks substance is to compare their advice with a couple of others.
When you’ve identified a professional real estate agent you can trust, stick with them for property all your transactions.
