One Way to Tell you have a GOOD Agent

There are certainly real estates agents that can be labeled: Good, Better, Best!

Want to know if you have the BEST agent? Here's a clue . . . if they don't know protocol, follow protocol when showing a listed property . . . hmmmmmmmm . . . you might want to reconsider that agent representing you!

Here's a true story:

Okay, here's the scenario . . . I have nice clients, husband and wife, who are out with me on Saturday touring properties.

As we exit the home, I notice a woman -- whom I've never seen before in my life -- walk up the path and behind her are two people, a man and a woman -- whom I've never seen before seen in my life, either.

"Oh," the first woman says, "Are you done touring the house?

"Yes," I reply, and continue to the garage where the lock box is located. She asks me, "Can I have the key from you? Is the door unlocked?"

"No, you can't have the key to the door from me. I've already locked it, and now I'm placing it back in the lock box cradle."

This woman -- an unknown entitiy -- gets in a huff. "WHO are you?!?!" she asks of me rather nasty, and curt.

I said, "Well, you can find that out when you pull the key under your lock box code, unlock the door, enter the house . . . my card is on the kitchen table."

She wants to start a fight. Why?

"Well, I'm an agent," she tells me. "Here's my card."

BIG WHOOP!

A card.

Does anyone really think that an unknown entity handing me their card validates, and authorizes ME to hand over a key to a listed property.

This woman is NOT following protocol. At least in my humble, and very professional opinion.

Has anyone been following the news of late? We are in a "recession," and there are all kinds of statistics which support criminal thefts on the rise, CON (as in "Confidence" games). That's where someone gets your confidence in them, and then steals you blind.

When I'm out with clients, and I enter a listed property -- I owe a DUTY, first and foremost to my clients. But, also, to the sellers, and the listing agent.

I am not the type to cast aspirtions. And this woman -- the "I have a card" prima donna -- probably was a real estate agent. A very poorly trained one at that.

Where is there ANY Code of Ethics, or unwritten "courtesy" that I must hand over the key to a listed property to an unknown entity -- just because they say the words above?

Call me paranoid, call me distrustful . . . or call me a vigilant agent who not only takes care of my clients, but respects the sellers, their listing agent and the property inside.

How do I know these people are not renters up the street who have bird-dogged that property and can see the showing activity from their living room window? How do I know that they want to have easy access -- under MY OFFICE LOCK BOX CODE -- and plug everything out of that house.

We have alerts all the time from our local Realtor(r) association advising us to remind our clients to lock up valuables, medications, and yes, even firearms and alcohol.

Why?

Because people steal!

How easy is it for anyone to print up a card, or sneak thief another agents card and say "Hi, I'm an agent, here's my card."

Courtesy -- Professional courtesy is NOT making me out to be an idiot in front of my clients because I'm not handing over the key to the door of a listed property . . . becasue some nice lady says "Hi, I'm an agent."

Also, in our area, lock boxes and the data they contain are USEFUL to the listing agents. They can see when their listing has been shown, and also when it has been RE-TOURED! It's all synced up, and they can even pull up their listings' activities on their computer or Blackberries!

I love it when I get a call from a listing agent saying "Oh, I saw you went through my listing again!"

They are doing their job. They are doing what they are supposed to be doing for the clients - the sellers! Monitoring activing, calling to see if there is really further interest from a re-tour.

Just because we are all real estate agents doesn't mean my lock box access is yours. Our local RMLS provider will fine us if they find out we have allowed another agent to use our lock box access key. In the same theory, allowing someone to enter into a listed property is the same theory.

When showing property, and another agent walks out with their clients -- do us ALL a favor and say "Hello," exchange pleasantries, but don't even ASK to walk in to that listing without pulling the key to the door without using you OWN lock box access key.

Whoever those buyers were with . . . they had an agent who didn't know professional courtesy when it comes to showing a listed property.

Maybe their managing broker might like to have this as a topic of discussion for a future (near future) office meeting?

EBA Portland, LLC is an EXCLUSIVE BUYER AGENCY! Representing BUYERS since 1999 (but also doing a good job of providing courtesy to listed properties!!)

www.EBAPortland.com