Todd Pierceall

Here is the second photo in a series of three. Who can come up with the best caption?

Occasionally I run across or get sent some pretty funny and odd pictures. I thought it would be fun to have a little competition to put a caption with some of the real estate related photos. They will be Having a Bad Day 1, 2 , and 3. It is just for fun so loosen up a bit and laugh!

Here is the first one: What can you come up with?

This is the week we are supposed to here the plan for buying up "toxic' assets from the banks. Now let me see if I understand this correctly. The government is going to buy the bad loans these banks made so they can start lending again. But I thought that is why they received bailout money. I also thought that is why the government stepped in and liquidated some banks at basement prices to other banks.

I guess the third time is a charm. Not in my book. If I spend my money in a foolish way nobody steps in to give me more. I know, I know, these banks need help because they are too big to fail. Nothing and nobody is too big to fail. EVER! PERIOD! If you make stupid decisions then you pay the price. If a large bank or insurance company goes under, there are plenty of other companies that operated properly that will be more than happy to pick up the clients and business from those that fail.

I heard on a news show or something that the economy goes through cycles about every decade. Well, let it cycle. We should not reward bad behavior. I do not think this newest step is going to increase lending nor do I think it will help my business, real estate. I say leave it alone. Reward those that have acted professionally and ethically by enjoying the success that the others stole with idiotic behavior and greed!

Todd Pierceall
Prestige Properties
www.prestigeproperties4u.com

In a previous blog I wrote yesterday I asked for advice on dealing with less than competent agents in the business. The response was great and their was some good advice handed out. This is kind of a second part to that because a lot of you said you end up having to work twice as hard and really work both sides of the transaction.

I have also had to work the entire transaction. Twice I have had the other agent's client call me to ask if they could work with me directly because they were fed up with their agent. Talk about a sticky situation. What do you do when another agent's client calls you and does not want to work through their own agent but refuses to fire that agent? There are ethical and legal issues with this one.

Please let me know if any of you have had similar situations and how you handled it. I will follow up on what I did after.

Todd Pierceall
Prestige Properties
www.prestigeproperties4u.com

Here is a question I would like to throw out to the agent community.

What do you do when you work with an agent that is totally incompetent? I don't mean just a little lazy or perhaps not as attentive as you would like them to be. I mean they really have no idea what they are doing. These types of agents make our job harder and in the end they make us look bad. I often think what the transaction would be like if they were working with someone who knew as little as they did.

At some point we woould all like to believe that mistakes will catch up to these agents and they will eventually be out of the business. But what about until then, what if that never happens? I hear other agents say to just let it go. Some say that I should be glad I do not have to work with them on a regular basis. This is not how I fell though.

I feel like if they are out in the public representing themselves the same way I do that it indirectly hurts my reputation. Like used car salesmen. There are probably many salesmen that take their job seriously and are honest hard working individuals. When you hear the term "used car salesman", however, these are not the ones you think about. You think about the ones ripping people off. When someone works with an incompetent agent do they begin to think of all agents in the same light.

So, back to my original question, what do you do? Do you report them to the real estate commission. Do you let your Broker In Charge handle it? Do you report them to their Broker In Charge. What is the proper method. None of once to feel like the real estate police but at the same time don't we have an obligation to make sure our industry, and those in it, are held accountable?

I would like to hear what others think about this issue. Thanks.

Todd Pierceall
Prestige Properties
www.prestigeproperties4u.com