How Home Buyers Can Get All the Home Information They Want and Not Be Hounded by Real Estate Agents
Like any consumer, I hate it when salespeople hound me.
At the same time, I’m also aware that real estate agents have a reputation for chasing clients. Nonetheless, there is a fine but legitimate line between hounding and going on a successful hunt.
Let me explain. Let’s say you’ve hired me to sell your home. Your circumstances are such that it must be sold within 45 days or you may find yourself in a very difficult position.
My job is to shift into high gear and find your buyer as soon as possible. This means:
- Following up with every agent who has either viewed or taken a potential buyer through your home
- Staying in touch will all potential buyers I’ve sourced myself
But here’s where the hunt can get somewhat hound-like. Because of your time-crunch situation, I can’t afford just to sit back and wait for buyers to contact me. So, I’ll call (and, sometimes, call and call), email, or even drop by to firm up a definitive “yes” or a “no”. After all, this is my job and what you are paying me to do.
Few sellers (or buyers, for that matter) would prefer I sit back and wait for the buyers to come to me. Most sellers under time-pressure expect an agent to be pro-active, even if it means coming dangerously close to hounding.
So, how do you as a buyer (or seller) get information from an agent while at the same time preventing the agent from becoming a nuisance?
As a consumer, here’s what I would do: Tell the agent from the get-go that you are just starting your search, and to please respect your wishes, especially those regarding further contact. You will find that most will.
However, if the agent disregards your request and steps over that fine line, I’d tell them you are going to report them to the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), which is the real estate’s agents’ policing body.
And if that doesn’t work – you will send in the hounds!