Identify and Correct Bad Agent Behaviors

Bad behavior can lead to agents losing clients and money

By Scott Mason

With an estimated 1.5 million REALTORS^® operating in the United States, homebuyers and sellers can afford to be picky when selecting a qualified agent.

Although looking at an agent’s previous sales records and sphere of influence are important to those seeking help with home transactions, what may be the most critical is the way agents conduct themselves.

Bad behaviors exhibited by REALTORS^® can not only result in losing a current client but can also have a trickle-down effect for future clients and referrals due to building a poor reputation in their community or market—something incredibly difficult to recover from.

Now, it’s not to say that all bad behaviors are inherently malicious—some agents truly don’t know that they’re turning off clients with their words and actions. Here we examine a few examples of poor agent behaviors.

Communication issues

Perhaps the most egregious behavior exhibited by real estate agents is not using a client’s preferred method of communication. Mark Handlovitch, CRS, associate broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Solutions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, says agents need to understand how each individual client prefers to communicate, whether by text, email or phone. “I think the only bad behavior [I exhibited] that really affected any of my clients or relationships was a failure to communicate in the way that the client wanted me to,” he says.

Handlovitch says he learned from these mistakes early in his career, which has spanned three decades, and he now starts each client relationship by presenting a questionnaire, asking specifically about the best way to get in touch.

Katelynn Gervais, REALTOR^® with Williams and Stuart Real Estate in Cranston, Rhode Island, is newer to the real estate industry. At 27 years old, she’s noticed agents who have been in the business for a long time—particularly those decades older than her—can be stubborn when it comes to adapting to new communication styles. “Some agents don’t understand that times have changed,” she says. “Texting and email conversations are, in my opinion, the way to best communicate with clients and even other industry professionals,” Gervais continues. “By taking the time to respond in writing, this gives each party the opportunity to think before responding or potentially reacting. After all, real estate can be emotionally triggering. It’s our job to ask clients their preferred communication style initially, and agents need to be flexible and amenable to these requests.”

Ignoring scheduled times

Punctuality is a behavior expected of all real estate agents. Most REALTORS^® have jam-packed schedules, and buyers and sellers have work and personal activities. This means that any agreed-upon appointment needs to be adhered to, and if adjustments need to be made, all parties need to be informed and aware.

Showing up late to an appointment can have negative consequences—but showing up early can be just as detrimental. Deb Greene, CRS, sales associate at Coldwell Banker Burnet in Wayzata, Minnesota, says she recently dealt with an opposing agent who did not respect her seller’s time. “He showed up an hour and a half early for an appointment,” she says. “My seller specifically did not want to see any agents or the buyers. She wanted to be gone. The agent showed up way too early, and he essentially bullied his way into my client’s home.”

Greene’s client was upset by the behavior of the opposing agent, but she advised her client to not penalize the potential buyers by rejecting an offer. “I told her I’d take care of addressing the agent’s behavior,” she says. “Sometimes the behavior can be attributed to the agent being under a lot of stress, like many of us are. But that’s no excuse to be rude to a homeowner or to a fellow REALTOR^®—we believe in cooperative agency.”

Over-stepping roles

Great REALTORS^® know their job is to be a trusted advisor to their clients, guiding them through the homebuying or selling process. But some agents take things too far, thinking it’s their job to make decisions for the client.

Greene says she recently was hired by a couple who had just fired their previous agent. The reason for the dismissal? “The clients were millennials, and the previous agent was definitely a [baby] boomer,” she explains. “This couple said their previous agent constantly treated them like they were her children. ‘No, this house is too much for you. You’ll never be able to take care of the yard. A townhouse or condo is what’s going to be best for you.’ My clients said they were never truly heard—they wanted to be treated like adults.”

Buying or selling a home is a decision that needs to be made by the clients, not the agent. “You never want to be the one who told your clients what to do and then it falls apart,” Gervais says. “That is a surefire way to lose a client’s trust and ultimately the relationship.”

Sometimes, agents get caught up in “winning” the deal for their clients and forget it’s not their decision to make. Gervais overheard a phone conversation by an agent who did not understand this principle. “This agent was telling the buyer what to do,” she says. “Again, our job is to advise our clients of all of the different scenarios and potential outcomes. At the end of the day, we provide expertise and suggestions to allow the client to make an informed decision.”

Correcting and supporting

Ridding yourself or another REALTOR^® of bad behaviors can be difficult and time-consuming, but every agent should be trying to improve and grow. Agents who see their peers engaging in poor behavior can help set them straight and be a positive role model regarding client relations.

“I believe in talking through these things,” Handlovitch says. “If a client has a complaint [about an agent’s behavior], in their mind, there’s a justifiable reason for the complaint. And so as experienced agents, we need to listen to that customer because they are our source of business. Listen to the client, take copious notes and then have a discussion with that agent. Find out the agent’s take on the issue and see if there’s a way to bring the two together for further discussion. If agents have discussions with their clients rather than run away from them, their problems will be minimized.”

Gervais agrees and says agents should avoid being overly harsh with a fellow agent who needs behavioral correction. “You shouldn’t point the finger and say, ‘You did this wrong; you need to be better,’” she says. “That approach does not motivate an agent to be better.” Rather, Gervais advises to be supportive and collaborative to inspire agents to be better moving forward.

Visit CRS.com/resources and access CRS-branded marketing materials to inspire other agents to further their education and professional growth by achieving the CRS Designation.

Photo: iStock.com/DjelicS