How to conquer 5 common mistakes agents make
By Andrew Conner
The most successful agents are always striving to improve themselves, whether it’s through increasing their knowledge, being more productive or communicating more clearly. But we all make mistakes. Learn how to avoid or fix these common mistakes identified by agents across the country.
Mistake #1: Letting details fall through the cracks
Sometimes REALTORS® are too concerned with closing a deal and they lose focus on the details. However, details matter, says Carol Temple, CRS, REALTOR® at Coldwell Banker in Arlington, Virginia.
“If you don’t have a thorough understanding of all forms and associated paperwork, you are going to get yourself and others in hot water,” she says. “I will never forget having to inform a selling agent that the buyers’ home inspection contingency had expired and, as a result, the buyers had no ability to negotiate repairs or remedies with the seller.”
Temple recommends preventing issues like this by using a system to keep track of deadlines, such as contingency expiration dates. As soon as a contract is ratified, she notes important dates in the file and then adds those dates to her calendar, so they aren’t missed.
Mistake #2: Communicating poorly
Strong relationships, whether between you and your client, or you and other agents, form the foundation of a successful business.
Dave Pautsch, CRS, and principal broker with RE/MAX Integrity in Albany, Oregon, uses sales coach Tom Hopkins’ philosophy of comparing the agent-client relationship to dating. Many agents fail because they don’t take the time to invest in developing the relationship.
“Understanding your clients’ ‘why,’ and all of the components that go into that ‘why,’ help you to look out for their best interests,” he says. “You have to get to know each other, and that means asking lots of questions.”
Poor communication with the cross-sale agent during negotiations can also end a potential deal. Randy Wells, REALTOR® with Windermere Real Estate in Spokane, Washington, recommends staying in touch with agents on the other side of a deal as much as you can, to avoid giving a bad impression.
“Silence from the other side during the negotiation often ends up killing the deal,” he says. “If I can at least call my client and say, ‘I just heard from the other agent and here is what I know,’ my clients won’t have to let their imagination take over as to what is delaying the process.”
Mistake #3: Not investing in education
“Although I have designations now, if I had to do it over again, I would have begun working toward them sooner in my career,” says Susanna Madden, CRS, broker-associate at RE/MAX ACR Elite Group in Tampa, Florida. “I always tell new agents: the more you learn, the more you earn.”
Madden has seen the effect designations have on her own career. She currently has 11 designations and she calls her CRS Designation the “granddaddy” of them all. Not only have these designations helped her win clients—either through the credibility her designations give her or the expertise gained through her education—but they help her make better decisions, which also benefits her company as a whole.
“When you’re at an appointment and you talk CRS, your tone changes,” she says. “And even if you don’t get that listing, you’ve left them knowing it’s important. And I have seen clients come back to me after meeting with other agents [who don’t have the CRS Designation or other designations].”
Mistake #4: Failing to seize the day
The more efficient you are with your time, the more productive you will be. Terry La Scola, broker with Welcome Home Realty in Frederick, Maryland, recommends organizing your time each day so you can maximize your productivity and serve your clients better.
La Scola suggests prioritizing your messages, prospecting for new business and even getting yourself motivated for the day by watching a quick motivational video. She also responds to messages quickly (within 30 minutes) throughout the day, even if it’s just to let her clients know she won’t be able to have a conversation until later in the day.
“The benefit is your clients are assured they’re important to you,” she says. “If more than 12 hours goes by since you have had contact with a client, they feel ignored. This is critical to building loyalty and a long-term client relationship.”
Mistake #5: Not doing your homework
When it comes to giving clients a good idea of their property’s value in the market, Rosemarie Doshier, CRS, senior associate broker at The Doshier Team, Shoreline OBX, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, sees too many agents fail to thoroughly research their listings, including reviewing a comparative market analysis (CMA).
“Every agent should be doing a CMA on any property they list, and use what has taken place in the past six months, not just the last three,” she says. “Our market has been slow to come back due to a number of overpriced listings, and it is hard to explain to a seller why they are not at a certain price point compared to their neighbor.”
Doshier says that the CMA helps you explain this situation to your clients and gives them a clear reason for differences in price. Even though they might not always be happy with the price, giving them hard data will help them realize it is in their best interest.
While even the most successful agents still make mistakes, it’s how they analyze those mistakes that makes the difference. 
The idea for this article came from a reader! If you have ideas for articles, email Michelle Huffman at mhuffman@crs.com.
Learning Your Client’s ‘Why’
For Dave Pautsch, CRS, and Principal Broker with RE/MAX Integrity in Albany, Oregon, one of the most important things an agent can do is learn why their clients are looking to buy. And usually the “why” has two components: the analytical and the emotional. While you obviously want to get the analytical information about your client’s needs—how many bedrooms, the square footage they want, whether they want a yard, etc.—it’s also important to understand the underlying reason why they want those things.
For example, Pautsch will ask questions like, “How many people will be living in the home?” rather than asking, “How many bedrooms will you need?” because it helps spark a conversation about the client’s life.
“When someone says they want at least a half-acre of land, my follow up question is: ‘That’s interesting, I’m curious if you’re looking for privacy, or do you just like yard work?’” says Pautsch. “It usually gets a laugh, but also speaks to the ‘why’ behind the question. A lot of agents get very focused on the transaction, but [in real estate] we’re not getting to a paycheck—we benefit from the paycheck, but we’re getting to a relationship.”
