Real estate professionals usually spend time, effort and money to grow their business, and that means attracting new clients while working with those currently buying and selling homes, or getting ready to do so.  Some consumers believe that realty sales people will give out tons of information, and spend loads of time, without having any kind of commitment from the consumer that they are working together.  In other words, the idea is that they “work for free”.   Better business people won’t do that – they recognise a waste of time when they see it and won’t take you seriously.

If you’d like to be taken seriously by a real estate agent or broker, it’s important that you get started on a good foot together.  If you are cagey, want to remain anonymous, or expect the Realtor or other licensee to do work for you before you ever have a conversation, you’re probably not using a winning strategy.

Here are some common reasons why a prospect (not a client yet) may get eliminated:

• use a fake name (or only your first name, or other partial name)
• use an email address that has no connection to your name or appears to go to another name
• refuse to provide a cell number
• make appointments but then cancel, reschedule – over and over
• expect the agent to be available on short notice, but require tons of time (for appointments, to respond, etc.)
• ask for pricing information or analysis on a property before you establish a working relationship (or meet in person) with the Realtor
• requesting any other extreme expenditure of time & effort prior to your hiring the agent to help you to buy or sell a home

Anything that smacks of dishonesty, disrespect, or expecting a lot of “something for nothing” will be a big red flag to a real estate professional.

Want to have a great agent want to work with you?  Here are some tips:

• be honest and upfront with your name, your goals, timeframe etc.
• provide contact info so that the agent you’d like to work with feels you’re on the level, honest and transparent
• respect the agent’s time, give enough lead time, be on time, understand that he or she has other clients and projects which all have to be part of the day or week
• it’s fine to interview several real estate sales people, but then decide on one and be loyal

It’s important that on top of all other things, you and your realty expert have a good working relationship.  Buying and selling is stressful.  You and your Realtor are a team – if you begin the relationship with that mindset, the whole experience will be much improved.  And if not, it will seem like a doomed relationship, and you may never even have that first face to face appointment; instead, you’ll be eliminated as a bad prospect.