"Teams" Driving Me Nuts! AND Charlotte's Stupid

[Charlotte Dixon]

I don't know about any of you, but these so called real estate "Teams" are really starting to get under my skin! A couple of realtors working together..or even three are fine. But we've got these groups of people around here like:

Dot and Doby's Team (ficticious) which includes a bunch of people like
1)someone to answer the phone
2)someone to take care of appraiser's inspections, or realtors showings
3)someone to type up the listings/contracts
4)someone to do the leg work/photos, etc. and on and on

I guess the realtors are making a bundle because they can afford to pay a whole harem of people. But, TOO MANY COOKS ARE IN THE KITCHEN!
When I want to talk with Dot...I don't want Sharon, Betsy, Freida or Macy! You can't get to the darn realtor to ask a question that no one else can answer. Example: underground storage tank on property? zoning question?

Starting today JUNE 28, 2002 I will not return calls to any members of the harem. These team members have taken on the roll of APPRAISER'S BOSS! I've had the same realtor team member, on three different occasions, ask "What is the status of X appraisal?"....."Huh, well, unh, I said (like a dummy) I've looked at it and it should go out tomorrow".....When I hung up I thought ........What am I doing? What right do these team members have calling me anyway?...

I asked another local appraiser that and he calmly and candidly said
<span style='color:red'>"Because you're Stupid, Charlotte! That's the best answer I can give you! I don't even return their calls"</span> he said. I admire that man!

Yes, it's true, it's true. I WAS stupid. But not anymore. Two days ago, a team member told me "Smith Road property is ready for a final, do it Friday".......STUPID CHARLOTTE AGAIN...went and looked at it. It wasn't ready for a final! Geeezzzz....a wasted trip. Yes, the realtor is getting the invoice, but they don't care that they sent me on a wild goose chase. I never before, EVER, did anything until the mortgage company or processor called.

 

[Farm Gal]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Charlotte:

Not stupid, just naive... and now you gots education!

I seldom return calls from low level worker bees either.

One of the more sucessful gals in our little burg has a team also, and since she didn't like the way the captain ran the ship she WAS on she took her team and abandoned ship...

The new ship takes care of her team much the way the old ship did. Very very well cause she brings in lots of moneies for her team and ship both.

I will not say that they have NEVER called me or otherwise impeded my progress. If I HAVE to talk to the queen the minions pass on the messages pretty efficiently, I may not get to talk directly to queen bee, but her workers are pretty on the ball.

MOST of the time I find it more beneficial to talk to the 'closing department' rather than the worker bees anyway... the closing dept tends to pull all the strings together or know the fastest way to get you to the specific individual team member you need to contact on any particular aspect of a sale.... :roll: Because who gets the heat from ALL parties if the deal doesn't close on time? Thass right the gal(s) in the closing department!

 

[Don Clark]

:twisted:

Charlotte, Charlotte :!:

Take a deep breath, count to 3(oops, better make thw 2 :lol: )

We have them here in Virginia Beach as well Charlotte. Actually I have never had a problem with them. As long as I get someone to get me into a property, answer a question or 2, mine, not theirs, I am happy. Maybe I just haven't run into the really bad ones yet. Keep the faith Charlotte, it may just be the heat. Hope to see you in one or more of the courses I am doing this fall for Earl.

Don 8)

 

[Blue1]

Charlotte,

If it were me, I'd not talk to a Realtor at all once I've inspected a property and am in the process of appraising a property. Depending upon what you say, you could be in violation of USPAP. Better to tell your client what information you need and let THEM contact the Realtor. Once you've established the correct method of contact, most Realtors and clients will follow along. If they don't, just politely explain the ethics provision to them and tell them that you don't want to put your license in jeopardy. They usually understand that.

Look, it's hard enough to complete some of these assignments WITHOUT a harem of busy bodies calling you every 1/2 hour wanting to know if it's done and what the value is. By establishing the correct line of communication, the Realtor's harem will have to call your client at which point your client can decide to "bug" you or not. Most clients (in my experience) would rather leave you alone 'cause they know you're doing the best you can.

Truth............it's out there.

 

[Farm Gal]

Bruce:
Obviously you have better trained realtors than we do back here... you must actually get a signed contract with all the concession, repair, and other negotiables filled out when you go out to the house the first time. I have a lender who called me today for a final (closing Monday) where SHE still doesn't have a legal contract to work off of!!

FYI forum: this lender actually called a WEEK ago to schedule the final for Friday afternoon.... She asked not told, and followed through with verbal and email message that the work was reported to be complete, and would I please proceed :!: 8) Very nice, and I told her I would brag on her to a national forum.

Often the direct path to the paper is direct contact with the realtors! I refuse to answer number questions, but with lender permission have no problem facilitating information such as which part of the southeast facia board I meant needed paint :roll: DUH :roll:

Verfying comps often requires working with the sale or listing realtor. Can't dodge em... gotta have input!

 

[Richard Carlsen]

One more reason for being a Realtor!

You know the rules and can stand up to them just like any other Broker. You stand on equal footing with them. If they get out of line, file an ethics complaint against them.

What you should do is take the Realtor aside sometime and fill them in on the ups and downs of USPAP (You play by the rules and you stay up. You break the rules, you go down) Tell them you will be happy to cooperate with him/her and make their life richer and fuller by providing good, well reasoned opinions of value but......if the Realtors worker bees don't stop interrupting you and don't get a little more common business manners, things will just never get done. And very little gets done in response to rude, inappropriate business calls.

Then flash a big smile and ask the Realtor; "How do you want me to respond to these rude calls from now on? I have to ask you because after all, these people work for you."

 

[Charlotte Dixon]

All Good Posts :!:
Thanks for the USPAP reminder Blue1, and thanks Lee Ann and....
Don....Sign me up for some classes this fall. I need the following:

1) Toughen Up 101
2) Why You Should Turn The Phone Ringer Off 102
3) How To Ignor Pests 100
and
4) Eight Hours on Why You Shouldn't Return All Calls
(Even Though You Always Thought That Was The Polite Thing To Do)

I learned my lesson well this week...no more nice gal.... It doesn't pay!

 

[Bemis Pownall]

you know the queen bee wont talk to us lolly appraisers and dont return their calls...my experience
but when they find out their listing(which they have never even been in) flunked FHA boy do they call!
furnace inop hotwater heater inop, flaking paint, window panes broken out...
perhaps next time they will call back or not offer dumps as FHA???

 

[Paulette in Texas]

Dear Charlotte: Take a double deep breath, and then get REALLY smart. Tell "team" that you will schedule it for 24-36 hours AFTER you receive the WRITTEN request for inspection stating that such & such is currently ready for said inspection.

Isn't it absolutely amazing. When required to put it in writing and fax same to us with the understanding that we will do same 24-36 hours AFTER receiving, it is actually ready. Cuts down on alot of wasted time. And BY ALL MEANS CHARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE IT WORTH THEIR WHILE TO BE ACCURATE. Not like we are price fixing but we charge 50% of our LOWEST fee to return to the subject and do 442's. We consider them a MONEY making cost of doing business. We are NOT in this business to subsidize nor offer them some "blue light" special. My time and MY DIME. So far even the nationals seem to get it. We are blessed...Thank you Lord. Paulette in Tx
Rotts rule and Shih tzus fine...go w...

 

[Charlotte Dixon]

Richard-I've held a real estate license since 1982, and don't let that secret out often. I know I'm showing my age, but ---It's Not Like The Old Days! When I sold real estate, that was another day, another time and we were scared to death of violating the ethics code. We dressed, spoke and carried on our day to day business in a professional manner.

Bemis-You've got it right. The Queen Bee doesn't want to be bothered with us and assumes she's so good, nothing can go wrong.

Paulette-A couple points. Realtors should not be ordering final inspections, at least in our neck of the woods. These should come from the lender. I learned this early-on, but just in the last month weakened and accepted one from someone in the harem. My standard statement for years was "Sorry, salesperson, when the lender calls I will go because they are the ones paying me"....As far as a fee, this particular one was for a V.A. final inspection. The Veterans Administration pretty much dictates what we charge, at least they say "authorized to charge X amount". We had an appraiser around here who tryed to charge quite a bit more than X who got in trouble.

So, since my rather rude awakening regarding "Teams" (it's a shame a bunch of jerks ruin the whole thing) I'm not even going to return their darn calls. I do know some very professional Realtors whom I hold in high regard. These are the ones who live by the Ethics Rule and have years of experience. You know one when you meet one!