I don't really do much "ranting" on this blog, but every now and then something comes up that compels me to throw in my 2 cents...
I’m sure that many of you have come across a property on Realtor.ca and submitted an email request for more information. Or you’ve driven by a “for sale” sign and phoned the number to inquire about the list price, etc. How long did it take for the listing agent to respond? 24hrs? 3 days? Never?
At a time when almost everyone is connected by way of cell phone, smart phone, notebook computer, etc, there’s no excuse not to make yourself easily reachable and reply within a reasonable amount of time.
I fully appreciate that we need to set boundaries so that our work life doesn’t negatively impact our home life. Especially in an industry where there are no "set hours". I’m all for shutting off your phone/email at 10:00pm (or whatever time your specific situation deems reasonable) and not re-connecting until the following morning.
That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about realtors who make themselves unnecessarily difficult to get a hold of, no matter what the time of day. I’m talking about realtors who even refuse (or neglect) to at least publish their email address on their website.
What’s the logic here? If you’re in a service-based business doesn't it make sense for potential clients to be able get a hold of you? As a realtor, isn't it reasonable to make yourself available outside of the 9-to-5 norm? Isn't that part of what you're signing up for when you get into this business? If you have a listing, aren't you doing your client a disservice when you fail to follow-up on inquiries from potential buyers?
Even on a realtor-to-realtor basis I sometimes see this as an issue. There've been a number of times that I’ve tried to get a hold of another agent, only to find that;
- Their email address is nowhere to be found online.
- Their direct line is nowhere to be found online.
- Their office refuses to release any of the above info, regardless of the fact that I’m a fellow realtor!
My only option is to have them paged through their office, which can produced mixed results and leave me wondering if the page ever actually went out.
Realtors - do yourself (and everyone else) a favour... Keep your contact info up-to-date, make yourself available to inquiries, and respond in a timely manner.
There. I'm glad I got that off my chest :-)
If you’re thinking of making a move and would like to know how I can help, feel free to contact me for more info. I promise you, I'm easy to get a hold of.