5 Habits That Real Estate Agents Should Avoid

Habits are what make us who we are. Successful agents have qualities that set them apart from their counterparts. Qualities such as:

• Providing value to their clients.
• Putting their needs first and foremost.
• Being a good listener etc.

The truth is that all these qualities come about as a result of habits. Some habits are good and some are bad. Many real estate agents have bad habits that are hindering them from being successful. This article looks at seven (7) of these habits and how agents can consciously avoid them in order to be more successful.

1. Late response to lead inquiries

Many agents have the habit of not promptly responding to questions, comments, contact form emails or social media inquiries promptly. Agents must realize that thanks to technology, there are a myriad of ways through leads can reach out to you and as a result, you must monitor all your channels of communication.

Quick facts:

• 78% of your leads actually expect to hear back from you in 30 minutes or less
• Slow response is also one of the top reasons real estate consumers report dissatisfaction with their agent

Pro Tip: Set up auto-responders to quickly help you acknowledge inquiries from prospects.

2. Misrepresenting the state of their listings

Many agents are fond of using bells-and-whistles description when putting up their listings. What this invariably does is mislead your prospects into thinking your house is perfect only to get there and be disappointed. This is bad for 2 reasons:

• The prospect will not buy the house (unless for some weird reason they love the property)
• They won’t give you a good testimonial
• They won’t refer you to their friends or family because they don’t trust you.

Pro Tip: Be honest in your listing and list out obvious flaws.

3. Being too salesy

Nobody wants to be sold to – not even you. When dealing with prospects; most agents want to seal the deal and as a result they try too hard.

Pro Tip: Don’t push your prospects away with a salesman attitude, instead, be their best friend and put them first and foremost.

4. Being too passive on a sale

Most agents work based on commissions if they sell a house. And the faster they sell that house, the faster their commissions come. As a result of this, when helping a client sell their property, they jump at the first offer that comes. This is a bad habit that usually leaves your clients feeling bad. Remember; your clients hired you to help them get the best price for their property.

On the flip side, you could be working with a prospect to buy a house within their budget, help them get the best deal possible but don’t be too aggressive.

Pro Tip: Make sure you work hard to strike a balance between polite and assertive.

5. Making Assumptions

Most agents are proud of their ability to think on their feet. Although that is a good thing, sometimes it affects them badly especially when dealing with clients.

One of the biggest complaints people have against agents is that they don’t listen carefully to their client’s needs or take their feedback seriously.

Pro Tip: Don’t let your drive to close a deal or sell a house fast impair your judgment. Remember to always put your client’s needs first.

Building trust is the most important thing you can do in order to build a long lasting relationship with your clients. By putting their needs first and foremost you demonstrate that you’re an agent who is worth dealing and eventually recommending to others.

What are your thoughts? Share it with us in the comments section.