In this episode of the Realtor Fight Club podcast, hosts Jenn Murtland and Monica Weakley aren’t so much fighting today as they are sitting down for tea. How do you handle a difficult co-op agent? Every agent is going to deal with one, so make sure you are prepared!
Episode Highlights:
- Jenn may or may not be the difficult agent in this situation sometimes.
- Agents that are being difficult make the mistake of thinking that they are being super representative of their client.
- It wouldn’t be a bad idea for realtors to have a psychology degree so that they understand how to lead their clients.
- Depending on the agent, Jenn either comes to an agreement on response time or ignores them.
- Only one time has Jenn had to call an agent’s manager because she knows most of them will not take action.
- Sometimes, waiting to reach out to the brokerage until after the transaction can be a useful tactic.
- The agent that drives Monica nuts is the one that is so easy to work with as long as nothing goes wrong.
- Jenn has learned how to recognize the clients that will flip on her over the phone on the cold call.
- Monica does her best to set the standards and re-enforce the other agent’s good behavior upfront.
- Jenn has been part of a deal where things went sideways with an agent who was a friend.
- Setting deadlines in your messages may help you get a little bit more out of the other agent.
- Dealing with agents that don’t know what they’re doing can be made more difficult if they aren’t willing to listen.
- Jenn has dealt with unknowing agents by making suggestions and teaching them how to best move forward.
- Most agents that Jenn surveyed claimed that the best way to move forward is to find some common ground.
- Putting everything in writing would be a great secondary strategy if you can’t find common ground.
- When dealing with a combative agent, Jenn takes a breath and formulates a held-together email.
- Monica prefers to do the work up front in the relationship and establish what behaviors you like.
- Real estate used to have a vibe of going into battle with the other agent, but that’s not how it is now.
- There are 3 parties in each transaction, so there need to be 3 relationships to make the deal work.
- Corina Tello is with Kale Real Estate and also does international real estate, speaking events, investing, and triathlons.
- As an investor, Corina cannot stand when agents add more steps than are necessary to the process.
- When an agent complains about negotiations rather than attempting to adjust terms, Corina gets annoyed.
- Things have become more difficult for Corina when agents have brought a lawyer into the situation.
- When there is a problem with an agent, Corina goes straight to the brokerage to complete the transaction.
- Things are different in states that do not protect their agents with regulation.
3 Key Points:
- Difficult agents are the ones who are combative and non-responsive because real estate usually is not their full-time job.
- Chances are, you’re not going to teach the combative agent anything during the process, so handling the situation at the beginning of or after the transaction is ideal.
- Sometimes, you have to deal with an agent that just doesn’t know what they’re doing. If they are willing to learn, the process can be a learning one.
Resources Mentioned:
