Diary of a New Construction Site Agent

First off, I want you to know that I am not the agent that "stole" your buyers. I am not the agent that took part of your commission. I am the agent that wrote a purchase and sale on your behalf with your clients and faxed it to you for your approval. The same agent that spent hours and hours with your clients and at closing handed them their keys. I was the agent that sent you the thank-you basket even though you had never ever been to my model home. See the street does run both ways. So I will tell you that I have heard it all - good, bad and ugly.

But I digress, this article is my "diary" - some funny tales that all of you might get a kick out of. People have told me that I should do stand up and I tell them that I could only do it if my audience was 100% real estate agents because they would be the only ones that would understand. After all I am a used car salesman :)

Traffic Report

men looking for basements
one couple/two agents
Some days are just worse than others. The worse days come in shifts and it seems like all the wild prospects show up on the same one day.

Men looking for Basements.

There haven't been many basement homes in my market area for several years. I work with a builder who will not build a house with a basement - it does rain here as you might have heard and well he has flash backs of sump pumps from the 80's. Two men walk in the door, I stand to greet them and welcome them to my new home community when they just blurt out "Where are the homes with basements". I am sure I look just a tad surprised as I answer "I am sorry I have no homes with basements". Then the conversation gets a little strange. They don't believe me. They keep asking for the floor plans with basements. I was starting to think they thought I had secret floor plans just like In/Out Burger has those secret menu options. - You know the "secret squirrel talk". I try and explain showing my 9 floor plans but they persist. I was starting to get a little irritated but was still trying to be nice, after all new construction agents are the "hostess with the mostess". Finally, I start to feel like they think I am just stupid (No blond jokes please) and know nothing about my homes. They actually get upset and storm off. All I could do was laugh. Laugh and wish I could walk across the street to the 7-11 and get one of those big bottles of beer - what are they called? Some 64 oz thing? Anyway, hours go by and then I see the white explorer pull up - I know who it is - the basement police!! I stand up, in walks one of the men with a flier - a flier from a new construction site. This flier is for a site that is about 5 miles from mine with homes that have daylight basements, well 2 homes available with daylight basements. He shoves the flier in my face and and says "See, there are too basements" and turns quickly and with all this "pride" walks out the door. Well, I guess he proved me wrong. I burst out laughing and just shake my head. Sometimes I wonder about people. I mean I really do wonder.

The tale of TWO agents.

Some days are rough for new construction site agents. Some days all we see are people who have already selected their own buyer's agent. We never see these buyer agents, but we know they are out their lurking somewhere. Just a little joke there :). One of my first qualifying questions to a new prospect is to ask if they are working with an agent - are they in an agency relationship - have they been in the back seat of a black 1994 Lexus with a license plate that reads TPDUCER? If they say no I can then offer my service and explain to them the law of agency in my state. Sometimes these clients become mine and sometimes they just leave with my real estate info. All is fine and dandy. However, if they state they have an agent then I must inform them of some procedures that I must follow in order to protect their agent (where are they anyway - I know I have seen some somewhere). In my communities a buyer's agent must accompany their buyer on their 2nd visit to receive the full commission. This is listed in our MLS listing. An agent can go and register their clients on our site but still must be present - Or hey - CALL ME!! I will help you - I will even allow your clients 2 and maybe 3 "free" visits. After all we just want to sell homes - right? Wow, I digress this isn't very funny is it!!! lol!!! I guess I just needed to give a little background information on how I run. So back to these buyers.

First question: Are you currently working with a real estate agent? Answer: No. So off I go with my "blah, blah, blah" you know the drill - building rapport and giving a mini buyer seminar. Finally we are all excited to be going out on the construction site to view some different floor plans. In this community there is a "liability" form that we use to glean information - oooooahhhhhh - more "secret squirrel" stuff. But this time it is for me.

So when it gets to the section that asks the question DO YOU HAVE A REAL ESTATE AGENT? I see them whisper to each other - seems weird - we are, after all standing in the kitchen leaning on the granite island just like at a party so me I say - What's the problem. Oh! no! the cats out of the bag - oops I mean the agent is out of the bag!!! They have an agent. Some days I can be a little "sassy" (can you imagine) and at this point having been lied to I become very blunt - Who is this agent? Oh, they are the agent that has our house on the market. I think I screamed - HOUSE on THE MARKET. They continue in a hurried tone - oh but we don't want to use them to purchase a home. Ok - well guess what in the State of Washington if you haven't signed a buyer's agreement -YOU DON'T HAVE TO! Whew... I feel the red run off my face. I might still have a shot here.

And then there is that whisper again. Me, having some attitude ask - WHAT - You either put the agent down or you don't. Simple as that. But guess what? They have a cousin who is an agent. I just shake my head and say - then put them down. For some reason they don't want to. Well by this time I am not taking them to any home if they don't put down some agent - and I have decided that it isn't going to be me. See I get to choose who I work with too!! I ask why they aren't using their cousin for the listing of their home. Well, looks like this is cousin Martha who really is Cousin John's wife's second step cousin who they didn't know was a real estate agent until it was too late. I started laughing. Honest you can ask them. So, as they are putting the agent information down on the form I explain why it is needed to protect their cousin/agent. At that point they stop writing. I ask what is the problem now- yep really did use those words. Well, if their cousin has to be with them on their second visit they don't want to use them. Ok - Let's just stop the slow bleed now - So I ask "Who is going to write up a contract for you when you purchase a new home?" Oh in unison they say "Cousin Martha". Done - I am done. Off we go to view the other floor plans - because yes I am the "hostess with the mostess". Wonder if I will ever see Cousin Martha? Wonder what she is driving?

When life hands you lemons .....add TEQUILA!!