Hello everyone
Long time no post! I have been fairly quiet lately, just been having writer's block. But this is just kind of silly and I feel like I need to get it off my chest and share.
I recently got an email from a realtor from another area saying that they want to link exchange with my company. At first I thought it was a bit interesting since they really locate 2 hours away from San Francisco bay area. Then this morning I got an email from the realtor saying that she has linked me to her site and asked me if I have any photos of my work? I thought it was really odd. What do you mean you can't see my work? Most of my work are posted online on my gallery where I have been getting feedbacks from others in regards to my before and afters. Not to mention 1/3 of newer work are on the front page of my company's website. And I finally just had a chance to sit down to look at her site.... and it turns out she linked to someone else's company! Just how silly is this?! So so bizzare.
Definitely NOT a realtor I will refer to! Here is my 2 cents on it. Personally, as a vendor that works with realtors constantly, I think the agents' behaviors toward the vendors say A LOT about their true personality. We are all nice and great in front of our clients, but I feel the true colors show when it comes to dealing with their vendors. I feel that if the realtors cannot show the same courtesy to their vendors as they would to their clients, then I would have hesitatios before I refer clients to this realtor, since my referrals reflect upon who I am as a business woman also. More importantly, in real estate, everyone is a potential customer! I honestly cannot afford to buy a home myself since my focus now is really on my small business, but I am looking for warehouse spaces, etc. That is still substancial income for a realtor. But why would I trust someone who even cannot be professional to me when I work for him/her to sell his/hers listings faster and for more money?!
Here are a few professional courtesy I think should be consistent in front and behind the customers. We are in such a professional-image driven industry, people will especially discount us more if we cannot even maintain basic professionalism:
- Make sure you have the right person when you communicate! This just goes without saying.
- All the paperwork is there. Especially in California we are so lawsuit-happy. Verbal agreements no longer hold any place in court. When I say I need the contract signed, there is a reason behind that.
- Professional and polite. It's not like we have to be best of friends, but just because I work for you, take a smaller pay check then you do, does not mean you can treat me like dirt or talk to me with your nose pointing to the sky. Or always be late so I can spend an extra half an hour waiting for you in the cold? As you know as well, time is money. So aren't you costing me money when I am waiting out here for you? I am sorry, why do you think I will refer customers to you if you can't even act like a human being?!
- Timely responses & open communications. True, sometimes life is crazy, especially in the life of a real estate agent. There are just so many things on the plate and you are in the midst of a storm all the time trying to hold the deals together. I sympathize, but from a vendor's point of view, we can't hold installation and appointments dates forever and especially in an industry where time is of essence & money, it is even harder to do so. A client got upset with me once because I ended up changing her installation date. But here is the problem, I have called her 3 times and followed up with her and expressed specifically that I need to know by a certain date since I have other installations as well. The unpleasantness could've been avoided if she just takes 1 minute to call and let me know what is going on. I would've accomadate her within reason. Please respect my time as well. I have a life too ;)
- Maintaining good professional image. A friend of my chuckles every time when she tells this story that once she goes on to a consultation, the realtor gave her his card and it reads "RELATOR."
