We have seen so many really awful photos in listings that it’s become sort of a past time for us. A few days ago we saw a photo taken by an agent where someone was caught in the photo trying to get out of the camera’s view. Did the agent not realize they had a review button on their camera so that they could within 2 seconds take another photo WITHOUT someone in it? Apparently not, because they used it in the MLS listing and marketing materials!! That was the last straw. We have now decided to start a “Stupid Realtor Photo of The Week” blog. This is going to be fun!

@ Danilo – “I don’t see many lawyers or doctors making typos or not knowing the basics of their jobs…” In that case you don’t deal with enough lawyers (no experience with doctors so I won’t comment there). Lawyers spell things incorrectly everyday and I have dealt with more then a few that don’t know the basics of the law they are practicing. We have attorneys on every transaction so I have had the pleasure to deal with hundreds of them and some just shouldn’t be allowed to practice law.

Even with that said I feel the barrier to entry into this business is WAY to easy. For a few hundred dollars and a self study course (for agent or broker), you can then go take a state test that only requires a 70% grade to pass. In IL a brand new agent that has never seen a contract can open their own office and start managing other agents (even worse then being able to sell).

All each of us can do is work on our own skills. When we manage or own an office, we can work on our own skills and the skills of thise people that work with us (but even then, we can’t be with each of them every minute of every day – Look for a future post on “Stupid Agent Tricks) and if we own a larger company, we can work on our skills, and the ckills of our managers, and our agents, but the larger and more effective an organization, the greater the difficulty in micro-managing.

As far as there being something beyond the COE from NAR, there is also Pathways to Professionalism, which actually does talk about business etiquette, and how to handle returned calls, showings, etc.

Me, I just want to be proud of my work product – whatever it is

Sits?

I had to do it, I just had to. Now I’ll never be able to spell something wrong on this site. Me and my big mouth.

Danilo – While I haven’t heard a broker say to not report someone, after reading that and thinking about it, I think I would have to walk away from a broker if I heard that. My business needs to be based on reliability and trust, but I don’t want to base it on fear of “bad blood” or “no agent in town will like me.” I’m here for the client not for the other agents. I want to like and be liked by other agents, but its not the only or highest goal I have. After seeing some of the social aspect of real estate (the various lunches, grand openings, etc.), I think some agents do put that social aspect high on their priority list. I, however, am a firm believer that those same people that are in it for the wrong reasons will be gone tomorrow (hence the high drop out rates for Realtors).

Ken – Wouldn’t you know I drove by the place this morning and the sign is gone? I guess what ever was “comming” already “camme.”

I’ve actually heard (from credible sources) of brokers telling an agent NOT to report another agent on blatant CoE and Fair Housing violations because it would create “bad blood” between the brokers. That’s sad…

Forget spelling and pictures. Way too many agents don’t have a clue about comps, contracts and negotiations. The most basic elements of real estate. These are the things that either make or cost our clients serious money.

I have been seen where Barry Cunningham claims listing agents don’t deserve the commissions they are getting and in 80% of the situations I have to agree with him.

Our industry is so lacking in professionalism it is embarrassing.

Flame suit on.

Cases in point …

1) If you have a listing in an area where vandalism is likely if the property’s advertised for sale, would you want to be required to have a sign? (Try having a listing where every window has been broken and a dozen fire extinguishers set off inside … I’ve had it happen.)

2) Why require flyers when they aren’t particular effective? If I happen to believe that an 800 info line with call capture is more effective (which I do), who is to say I’m wrong?

3) Let’s say you have a 900-square-foot condo for sale. 2 beds, 2 baths. Realtor.com allows up to 25 photos to be added … should I have to add them? Does one photo for every 36 square feet really make sense? “Look … this 2-foot area is where you can put a toaster!”

4) Open houses. Never mind. Don’t even want to open this one up. Except to say I don’t do them and will not do them. It would be more productive to chew on tin foil.

Frustration over poor spelling or incorrect directions is understandable. But telling agents what they “must” do to satisfy the theoretical desires of a seller.

There’s one agent in Phoenix who has a sign on their car … “We don’t just sell your home, we market it!” Hey, buddy … I don’t give a fig if you market my house, just sell the damn thing.

I called a owner listed with a discount broker and arranged a showing. The directions were wrong, the house was so new it didn’t show up on the map (pre-GPS). When I called listing agent for help, he said he had 300 listings and couldn’t possibly tell me where it was. The seller called me peeved because we didn’t show up so I told him what happened. He had a s#!+ fit!

What kills me is agents with foreclosure listings that have mechanical lock-boxes, who don’t publish the codes in the agent private remarks and don’t return phone calls.

I can’t count how many times I see signs with incorrect spelling. Kind of shows it isn’t just our industry, then again many of the places with signs like this are hiring minimum wage employees.

(Although I must admit, while reading a previous comment a left on another post, I realized I screwed up “their” and “there”….Idiot!)

Our MLS is plagued by the same typos, lack of information, and mis-information. I frankly am here to save the world from that (now everyone will go through every post I make with a fine tooth comb I’m sure). I’m not looking for perfection, but at least give me something to work with.

On the MLS a lack of photos really drives me nuts. We get 16 and so many use 1 (and poorly taken I might add) if any at all. Do these agents not care about their listings? Are they lazy? Too busy? Bad photographers? Insane? Not very visual in nature? If I had an answer, I would give it to you all, but I don’t know why people do it (or is that “don’t do it?”). I for one promise that I will give every listing 16 photos and will do my best to spell everything correct and make sure the information is accurate (unfortunately, I will NOT promise that I will adhere to the rules of grammar, as I am a big fan of the comma and wind up getting myself into run on sentences constantly…see what I mean?). If I don’t adhere to these rules, I ask that you, the agentgenius staff and readers, hold the real estate world’s first world wide internet-only shunning of an agent (I grew up near Lancaster, PA – can you tell?).

One more rant about bad info…if you’re going to spam my inbox with info about your latest listing, please make it understandable. Otherwise, its going in the trash and you’ve wasted your time…and mine.

(I have to try and get a photo of the local car wash that has the sign that reads “Comming Soon” (and no, I didn’t spell it wrong)…would make a great photo for a post.)

Our MLS is moving towards at least 1 mandatory photo for each listing. If there isn’t a photo after 15 days (don’t know the exact number of days for fact) they will go take one and charge the agent. At least this will give the sellers something, but it still isn’t enough.