My title statement of this post may or may not be true. We’re always looking for clients both through referrals and other sources of business but there’s a chance that you don’t want to work with me (or another member of the team) and vice versa.
Sunday’s Oregonian featured real estate story is all about selecting a Realtor. Having spoken against dual agency early and often in the past, the article made me smile. Especially this quote which was also the second page headline:
“Sometimes you see dual agencies that represent both sides. But that’s like a husband and wife hiring the same attorney for a divorce,” [Michele Gila, principal broker for Roots Realty said.]
I’ve also advocated clients using more of an interview process when selecting a Realtor but in many ways the initial contact and what the Realtor does or doesn’t do is self-selecting. If your Realtor is a referral there is some inherent relationship already but if not, the interview is even more important for both the client and Realtor.
Melvin Broadous, a Realtor with RE/MAX Equity Group in Beaverton:
“If you find a Realtor you think you want to work with, take them on a ‘date,’ ” he said. “Go to Starbucks or to lunch and talk about whatever. Find common ground.
“If you don’t connect with a person intellectually, emotionally, from a relationship standpoint, then working with them professionally will be difficult,” he said. “It doesn’t take longer than 15 minutes. You’ll know.”
More on referrals: our goal in a transaction isn’t to simply get it closed and move onto the next transaction. Our goal is to gain a client for the long-term that will refer us to their friends and family. That doesn’t necessarily mean getting that first transaction closed. We’ve advised, “run away” more than once! Eventually a willing and able buyer will eventually buy but it may not be this week or this year.
The poll results above ran in 2007 as a part of this post.
Thanks for posting my quote on your blog. I wanted to let you know that they misspelled what I said so it might not make sense. It was supposed to be ‘dual-agency’, not the plural version they published. As in One Realtor working for both buyer and seller. I hope it makes better sense now! And I’m glad to virtually meet another Realtor who thinks Dual-Agency is not in anyone’s best interest.