Hands On The Heartland
Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market
Matching up a Kansas City home buyer with a Kansas City buyer’s agent takes more than just choosing an agent who works the area. Same goes for matching up a Kansas City home seller with a Kansas City listing agent. I can’t say it enough, ALL AGENTS ARE NOT THE SAME. For starters, an agent’s communication skills should be given great consideration. If the client and the agent aren’t able to communicate smoothly and efficiently from the get-go, everyone should prepare themselves for a painful real estate transaction. I’m reminded of this each time I ask a potential client the biggest objection they had to their previous real estate agent. Usually the answer is poor communication. It’s so true that solid communication is a cornerstone of a successful real estate transaction.
When making initial contact with a real estate agent, do so using YOUR preferred method of communication. If that’s a phone, then call the agent rather than emailing. If you expect the agent to answer his phone and he or she doesn’t, you can move on with your agent search. Personally, I find answering the phone to often be impractical and in some cases would be rude to the client I’m with at the moment. But I understand some may expect their call to be answered and I’m aware of a few agents who advertise “unlike some agents, we answer our phones”. If that’s the type of agent you’re looking for, then leave me a voice mail and I’ll call you back with that agent’s name — there’s a joke in there, but I’m also serious that I’ll give you that agent’s name and I’ll probably even get a referral out of it. Now getting back to making initial contact with a potential real estate agent, if the agent didn’t answer the phone (and that’s not a show-stopper), then leave a message and see how long it takes to the agent to respond. Whatever length of time it takes the agent to get back with you, expect slightly longer delays once the agent has secured a relationship with you.
For those buyers or sellers who prefer email (or social media) communication to phone, be sure to email the real estate agent with your initial communication. Again, whatever length of time it takes the agent to get back with you, expect slightly longer delays once the agent has secured a relationship with you. Also, irregardless of the type of initial communication you attempt, consider that the agent may intentionally delay their response if the message you’ve left requires some research and/or a thorough response. If you’re just wanting to test out how quickly an agent will respond to your initial message, leave a simple message asking for a reply. 90% of my clients prefer email to voice mail (music to my ears) and that often allows for a quick response via Blackberry – even if I’m working with another client or working on some other task. There certainly are many times that I can respond to an email when responding to a voice mail would be either impractical or impossible.
On a typical day, I handle business from 7 AM until 7 PM. This has always been sufficient for my clients but, for the rare buyer or seller who needs an agent who can communicate later at night, there are agents in my office who can be accommodating in that regards. Again, all you have to do ask and I’m happy to refer you to an agent who fits your needs. I personally operate with a plan of returning voice mails or emails left before 5 PM the same day. Any urgent messages left between 5 PM and 7 PM are also returned the same day and other messages left after 5 PM are returned the next day, often starting at 7 AM. Stepping away from my business after 7 PM allows me to maintain a happy home and ensures that I’m fresh for the next day. In case you’re wondering, I don’t turn into a pumpkin at 7 PM and, whenever necessary, I do communicate after 7 PM — good examples being during ongoing contract negotiations or if a client or an agent gives me notice they need me after 7 PM.
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