Junnie Mendelowski · Commented on ‘Too many crappy agents’: Real estate’s biggest problem

In Pa before you take your broker test you, need a specific amount of listings and sales. To be part of the Pa Board you have 2 months to complete your ethics class. As for New Agents being Crappy, that is not always the case. I have new agents who are at every training class the company and myself offer. I go on their Listing and sales appointments and will go with experienced agents when needed. Most of the newer agents I work with go beyond to assist their client and are not afraid to ask for help if they do not know something. As for Crappy agents, there are, as many experienced agents that are part time, do not keep up with contracts, marketing, and are too busy to give their client the attention they need. Let us be honest! I have worked with many people in different fields of business and life and I cannot believe they still have jobs. You can only give 100% if that is your work ethics and you are willing to continue to learn. I hear on the news about many CEO’s, Presidents of Companies and even lower paying jobs that do a Crappy Job and paid regardless to be Crappy. I know many agents that give up many hours of their life and time away from their families to be paid Zero. I do not know of anyone else who has to make a living work for free including the know it all’s.

Patti Merritt · Commented on How To Ask For Real Estate Referrals: 7 Opportunities Real Estate Agents Should Seize

Great reminder of just doing the right thing. Before I got my license I had bought and sold 4 homes. I had a different agent with every transaction except the last. He was the best communicator and took care of things before we even had to ask. I’ve only had my license a few months now, but I already know I want to be just like my last agent!

Bruce Minter · Commented on Do some business models make bad real estate agents?

Another part of the problem I’m seeing is a new agent comes into a brokerage and the brokerage tosses that agent into a team thinking the experienced agents on that team will do the training and bring that new agent along. The team leader just keeps throwing leads at the new agent to go chase. Then they get a buyer and actually get them to sign a buyer broker. Now the agent is of the mind I have to get my buyer “everything” my buyer wants. At that point I as the listing agent have to contend with this buyer’s agent that hasn’t been taught the first thing about negotiating and what that really means and how to communicate the pros and cons of an offer to a client to get both parties to an agreeable middle ground. Not to mention learning how to communicate with a buyer how not to insult a seller with an offer. Never a good start.

Julie Nelson · Commented on How to form an agent team, step by step

And slow down with those hires! They say a bad hire can set you back 3-6 months. Be very picky whom you allow on the bus … they’re either perfect or not the right person. And every team member brings leads to the team, every admin pays for him/herself … set this expectation in the interview process. An admin who is not paying for him/herself with improved efficiency for the team and new business opportunity within 90 days is either not the right person or the team lead is failing.

Jason Borregard · Commented on Do some business models make bad real estate agents?

I think often when we encounter an agent who does not use the proper ettiquette we cannot understand why they would ever do that. Its appalling and confusing. So then we start to try and figure out what the problem is. We are reverse engineering the problem. So we start to do our detective work on the offending agent. Hmmm… so he’s at this independent brokerage known for this or that franchise known for this other thing. I see, so it must be that they don’t take care of their agents properly because that’s just how they’re set up. Its a systematic flaw. I would argue that your detective work has lead you astray. The problem is not that the system is bad, its that the people running that office are not very good at their job. Just like corporate America, real estate has a serious manager problem. Good salepeople either get promoted to manager/team lead or start up their own brokerage. What about management skills? As an industry we need to hire people with the proper skills and then train them to do things such as on-boarding our agents, mentoring as necessary and explaining items as mentioned above that you cannot read in a book (or e-book as it were)…

Top comments are compiled by Inman’s editorial staff in no particular order.

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