8 Steps To Providing Excellent Service In Real Estate And Why Sometimes We Don’t Provide It!

15, 10, even 5 years ago, the art of presenting an offer was a valued skilled that every agent tried to perfect.  There were benefits to both the buyer and seller.  A seller and his/her agent would meet face to face with the buyer’s agent, allowing the buyer’s agent to present his/her client and their offer in the best possible light.   The face to face meeting allowed the buyer’s agent to establish rapport and attempt to convince the seller to work with the buyer’s offer.  In return, seller’s could ask questions to get a better feel about the offer, the buyer and the buyer’s agent. 

Flash forward to today when the typical newer agent has never presented an offer “live” to a seller and his/her agent.  Rather, they walk over to the fax machine, place the offer with any supporting documentation into the machine, dial the number and press send.  The agent waits for the verification printout confirming that the fax machine or computer on the other end has received the documents.  Then the agent goes about his/her daily business hoping and waiting to hear good news on their offer.  Is this type of behavior really providing a service to the buyer?, the seller? or the seller’s agent?  I don’t think so.

I define good service as doing everything possible to make sure that my client is satisfied based upon my knowledge of their real estate goals.  In doing this, I try to make sure that I do everything better than my competition.  Granted, I’m not always successful, but I’m constantly trying to improve.  Below are eight basic steps that I think lead to excellent service.

1. Personally answer the phone.  If unavailable, personally get back to client within two hours. 
2. Never make promises that one can’t keep.  In short, be reliable.
3. Listen, listen, listen.  How does one know what the client wants and how they want it unless you ask and then carefully listen.
4. Deal with complaints personally and timely.  Be responsible.
5. Be helpful to all, even if there is no immediate benefit.
6. Treat people as one would want to be treated…be courteous, helpful and knowledgeable.
7. Go the extra step to make sure everything is in order.
8. Don’t work with people you don’t want to work with.  They can zap the life out of you and affect your ability to provide service to others.

Where does poor service come from?

Bad service, in part, gave rise to the “less than full service” real estate companies who’s brokerage model places a premium on giving the consumer “facts, figures and data,” but not a high level of service.  Buyers took on on some of the duties that the traditional real estate agent normally provided.  Because the buyer did a large portion of the work, they received some form of rebate on the transaction.

Any time there is a change in one of these “less than full service” real estate companies business plan, the blogosphere lights up like a summer’s sky on the fourth of July.   I’m not here to bash “less than full service” providers because they do provide a service to a certain (small) percentage of our buying public.  Rather, what I am bashing is the lack of service provided by many within the “full service” field.

Why do we as full service real estate professionals fax offers?  Why do we send our clients to open houses instead of taking them out on our own?  Why don’t we attend our buyer’s escrow sign offs?  In short, why is it that some full service agents provide less than full service, yet complain that they aren’t compensated correctly?  Below is an explanation detailing why some within our industry provide less service.

• For those agents who have been in the industry for awhile, they have become lazy.  Things have been so good for so long, they have become lazy in providing the level of service that they used to give.  This will surely change as the market softens.  The experienced agent will have to get back to providing excellent service or retire.
• For the newer agent, they lack the professional training and experience needed to be competent and comfortable in knowing what to do and how to do it.   In my experience, this is especially true in smaller brokerage houses who would rather have an agent out in the field than in a classroom or learning from a more experienced agent.  It’s become a short term solution that has ramifications for the long term bottom line.  Also, the residential real estate industry finds continuing education and/or improving one’s skills a necessary evil, not a valued commodity.
• There are too many real estate agents and not enough transactions to support them.  Too many agents are chasing the elusive deal.  Lets face it, in Los Altos and its surrounding cities, if you randomly interviewed anyone on the street, they could tell you the names of four or five real estate agents that they know.  One out of the four of these agents is making a decent living, the others hope to.  These financial constraints placed on these agents lead to a reduction in the level of service provided.
• The rise of the mega-agent phenomenon.  Mega agents provide a highly successful name with which consumers can relate to.  However, if you have a problem that needs to be addressed, it is highly unlikely you will be speaking directly to the mega-agent but rather to one of the mega-agent’s assistants who rarely has the authority to do anything. 
• The “less than full service” agent has shifted the responsibility for providing excellent service to the buyer as well as other people involved in the transaction. For example, when the “less than full service” agent isn’t available (or their business plan doesn’t allow for it) to show a property, attend an inspection, appraisal or property walk through, or any of the many duties that an agent normally does, the responsibility for providing those services falls onto others and usually into the full service agent’s lap.  Not fair and not all the time, but true!  

When consumers are looking for an agent to represent them in a real estate transaction, they need to find an agent who provides the level of service they desire.  A first time home buyer may need someone who will take them by the hand and walk them through the entire process.  A more experience buyer/seller may need less help.  

Excellent service is just one of many important functions a real estate professional provides.  As a consumer, I would look for someone who also has experience, expertise, skill and knowledge on the local level.  These characteristics will make your real estate transaction a trouble-free and profitable experience.