A Call to Step Up Our Service Efforts

Today I knocked on the door of a home for sale by owner, and I was not prepared for the question the woman then asked me.  I explained why I was there and she called her daughter, who is the homeowner, to the door to invite me in.  As I walked in, the mother asked, "You're not going to be mean are you?"  I was taken aback by this question, as it implied that this family had had at least one experience with a "mean" real estate agent.  

I suppose this isn't the first time that For Sale by Owners have told me horror stories of some of the agents that have come knocking at their doors or calling their homes.  One man last week told me of a few agents who told him he would never sell his home in a million years, as they walked out the door.  I think I was just surprised at how this woman worded her question.

This will not be a rant against bad agents, but simply a call to those of the Active Rain community to step up our commitment to service, even if someone has no intention of listing with us.  Perhaps all of our efforts will save another agent from a disillusioned seller who had an experience with a bad apple.