I received a call from a frantic buyer this morning, needing immediate assistance. After asking the typical questions:
Are you approved with a reputable letter?
Are you working with a buyers' agent?
What is your schedule like this weekend?
This gal (let's call her Suzy), was on a mission! She had 3 days in Vancouver, WA to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch style home or condo in the Lakeshore or Felida area of southwest Washington. She was planning to attend Washington State University in the fall, and her parents had given her enough cash to buy a house before she went back home to Southern California on Sunday.
I jotted down the MLS listing numbers, her cell phone number, and told her I would have my buyers' agent contact her immediately. I got a text message from my buyers agent that she had made the appointments for this afternoon at 3pm, and the buyer was really excited to start looking. She had narrowed it down to 4 homes in the northern Vancouver, WA area.
At about 2:45pm, I received a call from "Barry Agent." He prefaced the conversation with "this is a very strange phone call to have to make." Uh oh!! As it turns out, Suzy was referred to him by an agent in California. He neglected to follow up with her and forgot she was traveling north to Washington this weekend. He was reminded this afternoon when the referring agent in California (from the same company) called him to ask why someone named "Sandy" from Julie Baldino's office was showing the client properties (she remembered to follow up). Needless to say, he wanted to "take over" with his new client/referral. I bet he did! Now that my buyers' agent had done the scheduling, this relatively straightforward scenario just got even easier for him!
I don't know about you, but I typically interview an agent before sending them a valued client. I also follow up with the client to make sure contact is made and maintained in a timely manner. How about you? At that point, would you have had the client continue with the new agent, or encouraged them to stick with the guy that paid no attention to them? My feeling was that she picked the wrong agent!
Julie Baldino is a Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington Windermere broker with over 8 years experience in the real estate and construction industry. Specialties include short sales, foreclosure/REO sales condominiums, residential home sales, lots/land, multi-family, and investments properties in Vancouver, WA and surrounding areas.
If you need help buying or selling a home in the Pacific Northwest, I can be reached by phone, email, or text message. You can also instant message me from my website.
- Cell: 360-910-3586
- FAX: 360-326-1823
Serving Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Clark, Skamania, and Cowlitz Counties in the following areas: Vancouver, Ridgefield, Battle Ground, Brush Prairie, Hockinson, Woodland, Amboy, Yacolt, Camas, Washougal, La Center, Kalama, Kelso, Longview, Portland, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Beaverton, Tigard, Clackamas, Hillsboro, West Linn
