STOP Kicking the Tires. They Have Feelings TOO!

I've always loved cars. Since I was a little kid. I've got a collection of well over 1000 Matchbox cars. I've got a collection of dealer brochures from years and years of visiting the car dealership when I was a kid.

In my later years, I would visit the car dealerships just to see the new models, and perhaps "dream" that one day I would own that pickup truck or that Mercedes. When the salesman approached, I was always polite, but quickly told him I was just looking and did not want to keep him from a "real" customer that had every intention of buying.

See, I know Stop Kicking the Tires. They Have Feelings Too.

Fast forward to 2011 and what is the real estate market. I've been "kicked" so many times that if they all truly made black and blue marks, I'd look like a rotten plum. Today's tire kickers are not the buyer you run around with and they don't buy. I've pretty much figured those that are serious and those that will waste my time. Today's tire kickers are renters.

I totally understand renting. Really. I did it for many, many years before I bought my first house. It has it's advantages. But, not all renters want to live in apartment complexes. (Mind you, they build them here in Atlanta to rival many a condominium building). So the seek the "help" (if that is what you call their lack of response -- see my other post, Excuse Me? Why Do you Ask If You Don't Answer? )

They kick the tires, but do nothing. They are kind of like me wandering the car dealer lot, but they don’t bother to tell me, they are working with 10 other agents (even if you ask, so I’ve found out some tell you…NO) or they are scouring Craigslist on a daily basis. Some of it truly is a lack of knowledge in how the real estate agent gets paid.

I was out with a potential tenant a couple days ago. In the pouring rain. She called in off our company website and wanted to see a couple listings she had found. In my own defense, I failed to follow my own systems, or we never would have hit the street. But, off we went. While waiting for the current tenant to leave so I could show the condo (the agent never told them we were coming….don’t even get me started on THAT one) my tenant asked, “is this not your listing?” So I proceeded to explain how IDX works. Fine. We look at this condo, and one other, and she has the application, and says she will have her room mate fill out his and send them to me in the morning. Great.

TWO DAYS later I’ve heard nothing. So I call. I get this funny little laugh when I mention who I am. Grrrrr. So, I responded, “Thank goodness I did not hold my breath waiting for those applications, I’d be dead by now.” YES, I said that to her. She tells me the roommate wants to see it this weekend. Oh really? Well, it’s now Saturday afternoon, and nothing.

Or the tenant I took out, showed 6 rental listings to (and this one I DID follow my system) and then they went completely silent. No call, no text, no email. Nothing. Nada. Zippo. I won’t even tell you what my last e-mail said, although I sent it read request and have never gotten a response.

Stop Kicking the Tires. They Have Feelings Too.

In real estate language, that would be, stop wasting a real estate agents time if you are not serious about renting something. We don’t get paid a dime till you sign. Mind you, I’ll bend over backwards to work with you and find you the right place, but ya have to respect my time and the fact I have to make a living. Would you like your employer to have you do a project for a week, and then on Friday, tell you, “Oh, thanks but we decided we are not going to use that, so we are not going to pay you this week.” You get the idea, right?

I’ve probably never worked harder in my life than I do right now. And the financial rewards are few and far between. It is what it is and I don’t mind working hard.

But, like Rodney says….”show a little respect would ya!”