Imagine my surprise to receive the following reply to my emailed request for showing instructions...
I apologize for this automatic reply to your email.
To control spam, I now allow incoming messages only from senders I have approved beforehand.
If you would like to be added to my list of approved senders, please fill out the short request form (see link below). Once I approve you,....
The message went on to state the benefits of me completing the form and assured me I would only have to do this once.
Somewhat stunned, I decided that once was too often to deal with this foolishness. So, I called first thing in the morning. No one answered. Perhaps he also has a pre-approved call list?? Regardless, I left a message and finished scheduling appointments.
Try This Before Selecting An Agent
If you are a prospective home buyer or seller, contact your real estate agent a couple of times before deciding to work with him or her. Make sure they answer or reply in a reasonable amount of time. You most likely have questions anyway. Use this as an opportunity to kill 2 birds with one stone.
Of course agents have closings, showings, training, and personal lives that may prevent us from answering the phone or responding immediately. If you do not receive a response in a couple of hours be nervous, in 4 hours be skeptical, until the next day be fearful. If it happens more than once, put down the phone and back away slowly. Actually, run as fast as you can in the other direction.
If you are looking for a Louisville real estate agent who will answer and/or return your calls, texts, and emails, contact me immediately.
See Also: Why Choosing the Right Agent Matter When Selling Your Home
Photo courtesy of vic15 on flickr
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Erik Hitzelberger is a licensed REALTOR with RE/MAX Alliancein Louisville. If you need a Louisville Real Estate agent please email me or call 502.921.3989.
I specialize in the following areas of the Metro Louisville Area: Prospect, Middletown, Jeffersontown (J-Town), Fern Creek, Okolona, Shepherdsville, Mt Washington, Hillview, Brooks and Pewee Valley. Click the following links to learn more about Louisville and Bullitt County Real Estateor to Search for Louisville Homes
Erik--The autoresponder is really standoffish, I agree. Your phone time limits might be tough for me though. When I'm with a client, I don't answer incoming calls, kindof a "love the one you're with". Sometimes I'm with people all day! If someone leaves me a message and they are able to text, I will text them back and tell them I'm tied up until ___. If someone leaves me a message and tells me they have an offer on one of my properties, I'll text them back and let them know when I can address the offer. It really helps to leave a temporary message on your phone about when you can return calls if you're tied up for awhile.
Wanda - I am also a member of the "love the one your with" club. However, the odds of a prospective client not getting contacted all day more than once should be very small. From your comment, I gather you do make every effort to return calls. That being said, we are both aware that others are not so diligent. In the case above, I never showed the house, because the agent never called me back. Consumers need to know whether their agent will actually do the things required to help them achieve their goals. Returning calls is one of those things and it is an easy one to test.
Erik - I also don't like getting these types of autoresponses to emails, and they irritate me.
Jason - As a consumer, I be turned-off and just go find someone else. There are 4000 realtors in Louisville. The guy who is hard to contact is not getting my business.
Erik - That is funny!! I actually even check my SPAM folder constantly, and allow a LOT of spam to come into my email, otherwise I miss buyers, sellers and agents!
Erik, that is too amazing, wow! This is what an agent would get if he/she emailed for showing instructions? So you have to be on the approved list to get an email through for directions to show? I am on the floor here, just can't decide if I should be laughing or crying.
I can promise my clients I will never do that. Yikes.
Erik, I too am a "love the one your with" kind of guy. But I do respond to calls and emails almost immediately...it doesn't matter what I'm doing or where I am. I am often emailing back an forth with clients way past 11:pm. Like Wendy, I'm out on my web server checking spam regularly. As for the auto responder/pre approved email list, all I can say is...FAT CHANCE!!!!!
Erik Hitzelberger, --Louisville-Bullitt County Real Estate
Erik, I have run into the same message, but I thought it was something exclusive to mindspring. Bet his inbox is bare!
Homes Columbus Ga, Fort Benning Realtor, Phenix City Real Estate,
Wendy - I'm almost obsessive-compulsive about checking my email. I have had several important documents and contact go to the junk folders. More importantly, my last several clients have all used email as the first contact. I can't imagine any of them would have hung around if I had an auto-reponder like that.
Andrea- Not only is this what agents get, it's what clients, customers, title companies, and Nigerian princes have to deal with. I'm more than willing to put up with 42 emails a week from some new SEO company in order to make sure I'm easy for everyone else to get in touch with.
Nick - If everyone followed your lead, consumers would have a much better perception of our industry.
Klaus - Other than the jokes he exchanges with his buddies, I'd say you'd win that bet.
Erik - As someone who doesn't like to miss a single "good" mail, I don't even use spam filters on my mail. I haven't for 15 years. I turn them all off whenever I'm setting up a new account or program. I hate spam more than anyone, but I can't risk the loss of business because of it.
I enjoyed your thoughts on phone calls too as there are several different schools of thought out there. Making consumers aware that we can't always answer the phone is important. I miss a lot of calls while I'm out with clients (I won't even look to see who called unless I'm running up against a closing), but I do return them. It's important for clients and potential clients to know how we operate with our phones as many people assume that everyone uses the phone the same way they do.
That is pretty funny Erik. I like what you mention about trying to call an agent to see how available they are when doing a liting interview:)
Matt - With the large number of people out there who 1) have and 2) actually use hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc accounts; setting up filters that actually block emails is a dangerous business practice. The cost of dealing with spam is well worth the benefit of being accessible when client or potential client contacts you.
You are right about consumers needing to understand how we work. As Wanda mentioned above, it is easy to be tied up with someone for hours. During that time, I want to give my full attention to that clients needs. Like you, other good agents will make every effort to return calls in a reasonable time frame.
Bill - Listing agents have to be especially sensitive to calls. If you don't return a call for a showing, that is one less chance to sell the house. Around here, every opportunity matters. As a seller, I'd be very nervous if a prospective listing agent didn't call me back for a day or more. If it happened twice, there is no way I'd have to find someone else.
LOL "put down the phone and run away". Good advice. Agents that are too hard to reach will not be available to negotiate your offer.
Ya know, I kind of understand the agent being totally sick of spam. But it's a lot better to just use the "Delete" button than to make it hard for collegaues and clients to communicate.
John - Worse than that, they won't be available to receive your offer.
Patricia - I'm sure we all feel his pain, but your approach is the only one that makes sense. On a side note, I'd take double the spam to get rid of the "I'll get you to the first page of Google calls."
As a marketing & business consultant, I enjoy getting spam. The only reason why people send spam is because they get a response from it, and I like to read over their spam to try to determine what they are saying that elicits a buying response from some people.
Russel - That is certainly a unique, but very valid approach. Your message of taking time to learn from everything around us is excellent. Thanks for the insight.
It makes no sense for a listing agent to put up barriers to showing a home. This benefits no one, and if there's any justice, it will also mean the listing agent sells fewer homes.
John - I agree completely. I havn't checked his stats, but I hope your certainly hop your last comment is correct.
Excellent point and we agree 100%
Hi Nancy - Thanks for reading and commenting.
The auto-responder emails are a serious pain in the butt... Especially when I fill out the form and the person that has the address STILL calls and asks why I am not emailing them the junk they are looking for...
Lane - At that point, proper etiquette requires you run over them with the largest vehicle in your arsenal.
I have some big stuff laying around... Like the F-350 dually crew cab... That could leave a mark.
This is a people biz and if you can't make it easy for people to reach you it might require a 'career review day'! I don't expect to get a voice everytime I call but making me 'sign up' to send an email to a colleague? Ouch!
Lane - Sounds like the perfect way to knock some sense into him.
Sarah-Career review day is exactly what's needed. Perfect suggestion.
I've had this pop up a few times too. I thought it was "over-protection" -- but then I knew the person, and I considered the source. I've had inquiries from potential clients go into the SPAM /JUNK email, and almost deleted a few, but I do not have a high filter just in case. . . and I've actually had business end up in the JUNK filter . . . lucky I don't feel the need for protection ;-)
Good one, Erik. It's amazing agents can get away with this stuff. Now a potential client...I just have to deal with it.
I am going to add the call the agent a few times before to see if they answer and how long it takes them to get back to my listing presentation. Good point!
Erik - Re that agent message - what an idiot! I cannot even imagine how long his clients are going to have to wait for their house to sell. What a shame.
I'm also a firm believer in getting back to people as quickly as possible! With texting and emailing and phone capabilities at our fingertips, it is hard to imagine a situation where we can justify "freezing" our clients out.
I just completed a transaction opposite an agent who would NEVER ANSWER OR RETURN MY CALLS! I would leave her messages, she would NEVER respond. Left her a message about closing. My buyers went and signed, the escrow officer confirmed she knew we were closing, and that her clients would be signing the next day. Okay. I couldn't get her on the phone to save my life. Unbelievably frustrating to try and do business that way.
Yes I agree that this type of message is inappropiate for someone to receive. I too will not complete the form instead I find either another agent to work with or some other house to show my clients. If agents are going to be available through the internet they should be easy to reach. Thanks for the post.
Amazing is all I have to say...doesn't take much effort to answer the phone, e-mail, text etc...but many do not and that message blows me away. Being able to make contact goes with the job!
Great post Erik, returning calls in a reasonable time is worth an extra 8-10 trades a year if I understand correctly why someone decides to list with me or help them buy a home!
Ty
Erik,
It's ridiculous. All sales rely on good communication. These "too important, too clever, too busy' agents, amazingly stay in the business far longer than they should. Time and place for these autoresponders... 8PM-8AM...or don't use them.
Time and time again I encounter agents who do not like being contacted! YOU ARE IN SALES! I have seen many times where they have lost deals because they don't return calls from clients. Guess who picks up that business. The agents who take calls and messages!
Yes, this is crazy! I don't know why some agents are so contact-averse. I love your idea about contacting the agent a couple of times before you hire them -- good advice.
Erik...You have no idea how many clients I have gotten from just answering my phone....It's amazing the agents that do not!