The main theme of yesterday’s blog post was added value and the role that it plays in a company’s success. Today we turn our attention to Realtors who offer more than a client expects, yet to the detriment of both the client and the Realtor.
Unfortunate But True
It’s a Thursday, the day after a snowfall, and a Realtor has planned a brokers open house. She arrives at her new listing thirty minutes early and the walkway is a sheet of ice. Seeing that it’s unsafe, she places her boots on, walks over to the garage and finds a shovel. She then gingerly heads to the walkway and does her best to clear a path for the agents who will visit that day. The walkway actually requires more chopping than shovelling. This Realtor is not the first one to assume such a responsibility.
Don’t Be Confused
“Well, there’s a Realtor who brought added value to her clients!” you emphatically state to yourself? Not exactly. In actuality, that’s a Realtor whose confusing her role with that of the property’s caretaker.
“What else should she have done?” you wonder. At least two other things would have been more prudent.
- Call the homeowner to see if whomever is responsible for shovelling the walkway is readily available.
- Cancel the open house.
If you don’t like either of these two options, then call whomever you use for snow shovelling and trust that the homeowner will reimburse you. Not ideal, but certainly better than taking on the responsibility of shovelling yourself.
The Seller’s Best Interest
On occasion a Realtor has to “scratch below the surface” to determine the seller’s best interest at any given moment. The reaction above by the listing agent is not in the seller’s best interest as it blurs the line between what the Realtor’s role is, and isn’t, in the home selling process. This can have implications that are extremely detrimental to the future of the client/agent relationship. Is the seller going to value your input as you deliver feedback, offer recommendations on price adjustments and attempt to guide them through negotiations with a buyer when, from the beginning, your role has been reduced to shovelling snow?
Futhermore
Additionally the Realtor’s decision sets a bad precedent. Whose going to clean the mess that the dog made before the Sunday open house? The Realtor? Good luck managing your client’s expectations after that. The client would be much better served if they assumed the responsiblities that are clearly that of the homeowner while their Realtor spent their time prospecting buyers for the home.
Think About It
Shovelling snow or cleaning the client’s home may provide additional value that was unexpected by the homeowner, but in the long run it doesn’t serve either one of you well. And it certainly doesn’t speak well about the skill level and profession of the Realtor.
This is not about the Realtor being “above” getting their “hands dirty.” This is about the littany of added value that a Realtor does provide, what should be the role of someone else and clearly drawing a line of disinction between the two.
Have you observed a scenario similar to the one above?
What are other actions by the Realtor would have been more appropriate in addition to the two noted above?
