Do’s and Dont’s For Real Estate Agents
I really felt compelled to write on this topic because of all the complaints that I’ve heard lately from Home Sellers – both mine and through conversations with other real estate agents. Common courtesy should prevail in any market, but we should all be especially aware of it now. This market is tough for everybody. Sellers are stressed. Buyers are stressed. Agents are stressed. Loan officers are stressed. You get the picture 
Here’s my list of Do’s and Don’t for Real Estate Agents. Feel free to add to it or comment.
- DO leave a card when showing a property. If you run out of cards, leave a note. It’s just a common courtesy to let the Seller know that you did indeed show up for your appointment.
- DO turn all the lights off when you leave. Nobody is fond of big electricity bills. Not you. Not me. Not the Seller. Also, this is additional proof that you actually showed up and viewed the home.
- DO take good notes when you’re lining up appointments. Notate the date and time of your appointment and whether or not your appointment was confirmed by the listing agent or the Seller. Beware of “you’re good to go unless you hear back from me”. The agent may call back to let you know that this time won’t work for the sellers, you don’t get the message and you show up only to find upset Sellers.
- DO be on time. If you see that you’re running late (and we often do), please contact the listing agent/Seller as quickly as possible to let them know and see if your showing time can be adjusted.
- DO call the listing agent/Seller immediately if you pull up in front of the home and your Buyer changes their mind and doesn’t want to see the home. This way the listing agent can contact the Seller so that they’re not waiting somewhere for 2 hours. This happens often. Please be courteous.
- DO call the listing agent and let them know if you locked the key in the house or for some reason didn’t put it back in the lockbox. Fess up. Be a man. Or a woman
- DON’T take the information booklet from the house if it’s labeled “Do Not Remove From Home”. If you do, you better darn well write a contract
- DO remove your shoes at the door if they’re dirty or if the Seller has asked you to. I don’t care if it’s a big ordeal to take them off. It’s a bigger ordeal to have the carpets cleaned.
- DON’T use the bathroom facilities if you can help it. We all know that there are emergencies and sometimes this can’t be helped. Just DO make sure that the water hasn’t been turned off and DO clean up behind yourself.
- Finally, hmmmm….I’ll let you add #10. What else can we do to respect all parties involved?
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Nicely said Stacie! As a listing agent, I get so many angry calls from sellers…due to the lack of courtesy shown by so many agents.