There's lots of realtors out there that don't have good customer service skills. I guess that's the same with any and many businesses these days. I sat in IHOP for about 30mins the other day without having someone take my order and they really weren't that busy. I see customer service agents at the airport reading the newspaper and wanting to finish the article before they help you or look up. If you need a good customer friendly agent let me know and we can point you in the right direction.

I hear this so often! While many of us are indeed very busy this season, I respond to every call the moment I'm available. It makes no sense to lose a potential client, referral or our professional standing among peers by being unresponsive.

You're right! Customer service is so important!

Michael,
If you called eight REALTORs yesterday, and only one got back to you, the extremely obvious answer is to never call those particular seven REALTORs again, and don't refer any business to them either (unless, of course, you later find they had some kind of emergency). Even if some of the non-responsive REALTORs have a good excuse--such as being on vacation-- they should have some kind of system in place to be sure incoming calls are handled. A POSSIBLE reason for the lack of response: do the REALTORs you attempted to contact know you and/or your company/products? Unlike the very polite Bruce Lynn, I will not even bother to return calls from salespeople/telemarketers unless I have specifically requested that they contact me by phone. Perhaps your message was incomplete or misconstrued?

Next subject: I like text messaging, too. For some reason, when my cell signal is weak, I may not be able to place or receive calls, but I can usually receive a text msg and sometimes (not always) send them. Does anyone know why?

Lastly, Micheal, it wasn't nice to pick on Peter about the 99% figure. He was using generalities, and you're just being intentionally difficult (wink, wink--I abhor emoticons!)... And back to one of my previous posts: as a RE industry pro, I think it inappropriate for you to remain anonymous in this forum. Please complete your profile--unless you have a reason not to? Why would that be? Share with the rest of the class... Thanks!

Trust me, 99% of realtors try their very best to answer all calls or inquieres promptly.
In this market however most of us have to work about 4-5 times as hard for every possible deal.
Hence most hardworking serious realtors are just running out of time.
Most high class realtors tend to respond to calls within 4-5 hours if possible.
God luck!

You are right on the money Michael. With the state of the industry - and California in particular - you should be hearing from your REALTOR on a regular basis - not just when you call.

Michael,

It really depends on the Realtor and their own personal sense of urgency. Remember the 80/20 rule well in real estate it's almost the 90/10 rule. 10% of the Realtors complete 90% of all real estate transactions. That means 90% of the 2 Million plus licensed agents in this country are not doing much business. They may have second jobs, lack the training or don't focus on the customer service side of the business. After all we are working for you and with you!

For myself I know that my client's appreciate a call back within a reasonable amount of time (the same day or within a few hours). The biggest compliment I get is that they appreciate the fact I actually answer the phone when they call the first time.

You have to look at the barriers to entry to get into the Real Estate Business. In most states you spend less than 100 hours in a classroom and pass a silly test. Unfortunately, many agents don't run a business properly. If I were looking for a Realtor, the first test would be how promptly they get back to me. If they don't get back to you quickly when they are trying to earn your business, they won't get back to you quickly when they have your business. There is no excuse as to why they can't return your phone call quickly, just lack of work ethic. I hope this answer helps.

Hi Michael,
It depends on what you consider a timely manner. If I am out with buyers I might be with them for 6-7 hours with only a short break for lunch and be able to return only the most urgent calls at that time. Remember that agents are, for the most part, one man operations. We may be affiliated with a company but not have assistants at a point. My assistant is currently out on maternity leave and it puts me back to this category temporarily.

Now if you are talking about agents taking a day or more there is probably no excuse...

I hope this gives you a better perspective.

Chris Tesch

Ouch....it hurts to hear you ask that. Unfortunately, I have heard that question before.

I personally know many agents who return phone calls promptly every day, week in, week out. Many Realtors I know regularly check their voice mail, answer phones, and respond to clients if and when they are on vacation, during dinner, birthday parties, and step out of a movie or play to handle a call.

The agents who do not place a higher priority on customer service are able to get away with that because someone gives them business. They are able to earn a commission check while delivering less than stellar service. Every once is a while I need to show a property, or work on a contract with one of those agents who may be difficult to get a hold of. While it may be frustrating for me, I must simply move forward in representation of my client.

Please do know that while I understand there are some agents who fall short, there are a lot of good ones out there, too. I encourage the buyers and sellers out there to shift their business to the agents who are knowledgeable, hard working and committed to professionalism.

Deborah Madey - Broker
Peninsula Realty Group, Inc.
New Jersey
(732) 530-7755 Main
Deborah@PeninsulaFirst.com

I agree Michael. I always do my best to answer my phone unless I am with a client, office meeting and/or with my family on a special event. I do think good manners are imperative, regardless of the market and for all parties involved, whether it is good news or bad. I think in any industry, not returning a phone call is bad customer service period. Working with courteous and timely individuals, client or realtor, makes things so much easier and less stressful.

Hi Michael,

Ouch, the achiles heel of REALTORS. I would say most of the time there is not an excuse but to be fair I recieve messages on some days when I have out of town clients that I meet at eight am and drop them off at nine pm. I am wiped and I do not like to call at the hour of the night. Bottom line everyone should call back on a message.

Hi Michael,

A true professional agent, should have some kind of procedure in place if they know they will not be available for a period of time, whether it’s an emergency, their on vacation, or if its do to prior scheduled commitments. If they do not have an assistant to help filter calls and answer questions, than the least they could do (in my opinion) is set an expectation for callers on their voicemail, indicating when they will be returning calls that day. I come across this myself when working with other agents, and understand how frustrating it can become.

Melissa Mancini, Realtor, CBR, GRI

I try to return my phone calls or emails within 30 minutes. 2 hours is the most I'll let some thing go. I've even text messaged my clients.

How do you come to the 99% figure?

Michael,
your question was a good one, and the replies you received were across the board. My re-post is to have you answer my own question:

If you are in the real estate industry, why is that NOT indicated in your profile? You've listed no information at all. Why do you wish to remain anonymous? I do see that you have just joined the Trulia community on 7/19/07. Perhaps you just haven't had the time?

The questions and their answers are more accurate when the posters know the point of view and experience level of the person they are responding to.

Often the reason is they may not have developed an effective system--voicemail, assistants, etc. Also, in fairness, it depends on the question and the caller. Did you leave a complete message with your name & phone #? I've had lots of people who call, leave a first name & forget the #, making it a guessing game for me. Are you already a client? If so, there should definitely be prompt service. Also, with the market getting worse overall, there are more agents who are seeking part and full-time work elsewhere, and only calling people back at the end of their "real job shift."

I learned this week that we should respond to internet leads within the first five minutes and that's not with an auto responder. How odd that a phone call should be any different.

I'm just curious. I read the entire stream and know that this is a fairly old question, but were you calling Realtors that you had a previous relationship with or were these just cold calls? I get referrals from lenders that I have worked with in the past and love and appreciate those folks and will jump to call them back - not only because I like them, but because I know wiifm (what in it for me) - a pre approved client, who knows how wonderful I am (smile smile - no emoticon here) ready to go.

If these were just cold calls, they really weren't your customers yet anyway. They were rude not to call you back, but if they sensed that you were "selling something", well sorry , guy, but it happens to us, too.

Good luck. If you called me, I would probably call you back. I'm just curious by nature, but I'm not in California, and I heart my Texas lenders.

I know your frustration, I feel it too and I am a Realtor! Call me, I will always call you back!! :D Always choose a professional that is there to meet or exceed your expectations, if they are not, find an agent that will. There is no shortage of them! Take Care.

Samantha Lees
Keller Williams Realty - Roseville
916-865-8909

I don't know, I'm a Realtor and they don't always return my calls either. Just so you know there is a difference between a REALTOR and an agent. A REALTOR is a memebership with the California Association of REALTORS some agents do not belong here. A REALTOR is upheld to an additional code of ethics that are strictly enforced, as an agent is not. So if you are ever looking to buy or sell - definatly interview your agent. I'd love a shot at it when you decide to buy or sell.

Other priorities, you may be at the bottom of their list. Find another that respects you, there are thousands filter through. Never accept excuses, too many to choose from.

Sometimes I don't return a call because the message leaver spoke their phone number too rapidly to decipher. I have listened to many messages form consumers and pros. They state the description and address of my listing very clearly and slowly, then say their own name and number without clarity.

I would have preferred that they mumbled my listing address, then give a clear phone number.

I don't know. I always return my calls promptly!

Why don't customer's return calls in a timely manner? Or at all? I have many emailed requests "what is the address" "what are the taxes" "can I have a horse on this property?", whatever, and when I email back, or call, I never hear from them. :) The other week I spent 3 hours with a family, they looked at a bunch of homes, said they really liked one, they haven't returned any of my calls since.

Hi Michael,
How many realtors are you calling? Find one that does answer in a timely manner and work with him/her. They will be happy to call other realtors on your behalf if they know you are their client and are in the market to sell or buy. With current market conditions, realtors that are serious about their profession are offering over the top service. With current market conditions, some realtors are working second jobs. I learned this answer in college...It all depends.

O.K - the last two postings drive home the point. Kudos to Melissa and Angelica. I was waiting for some solid homerun responses. I have restored faith....

Either they are to busy, to inconsiderate, or afraid.

Your experience with agents being unable to look might be a result of no clerical staff and agents tending to their own business and not getting involved w/ others. I used to work for a large brokerage with many agents. It was very hard for me to get an answer to "Do I have a fax?" when I phoned the office. The reason was because the phones were answered by volunteer agents and there was not clerical staff to support agents. For me, it was dependent upon who was on desk and answering phones. A few agents were great supportive team players, others not.

BTW, in our office, which I am the broker, we have office staff that phone the agents within a few minutes of a fax arriving for them. All of our agents are also set up w/ efax and our clerical staff will immediately put the copy in our office fax and redirect it to the agent's efax. Within just a few minutes of receipt, the fax is redirected to the efax and a phone call is made in case the agent is not online or near a computer at the moment. Just an FYI.....Hopefully, that is one tally mark for us on our commitment to our agents, customers, clients, and good communications!

I have had agents (2) at one of the big agencys tell me that they couldn;t look on the fax to see if the fax came through becasue it wasn't their client. Ouch....On the other hand I know a few agents that hustle, keep in communication and don't mind driving. You have the attitude of a winner- I think the customer service oriented people will prevail - my father told me over dinner this weekend that he'd rather and has on many occasions spent a few dollars more with A then B becasue of the customer service. I get my busines becasue I beat the customer service drum; not with words only but with action - I under promise in a very positive productive manner and then over deliever. This type of professionalism I am learning rather quickly in business gets you top tier clients - High Ranking public officals etc..word spreads very fast becasue a lot of these seasoned pros in other industries are shocked by quality customer service - and the kicker is - it doesn't really raise your expeditures much if any at all.....

excuse me.....

"no call" was a typo......was to read that I am "on call"

Couldn't agree more. As a consumer, I am frustrated constantly by the casual attitudes or sometimes blatant indifference. We become immune to it in order to avoid frustration. If I didn't become apathetic, I would be stressed out.

I frequently think, "what would my company be like if we did that???". I am no call 7 days a week from early morning through late evening. I step out of dinners, movies, and even the shower to take a phone call "right now" rather than make someone wait for a return call. I know several Realtors I would categorize as dedciated and readily available most any time.

Yes, I hear what you are saying

Market conditions in California maybe a bit differant then most other market places. My frustration comes from a lack of customer service across the board - many industries - not just in our arena. I have built my entire 20 year sales and marketing career through placing a high value on quality customer service. My clients would not accept business being done any other way - my systems, process et al., work becasue its driven with a high regard for customer service. While many lenders, brokers et al are closing doors here in California (perhaps its a direct refelection of poor customer service) the company I work for is thriving. I had worked for other companies and I can tell you the extent of customer service was the sign hanging on the wall in the back. That company went from 300 million net to closing shop. Quality customer service is amazing - its like a serice that keeps on giving. The trusted advisor role has a value far exceeeding then one might imagine.

No apology needed. We all appreciate your feedback...sincerely! Yes, I did read your description, and that is why I said I was not implying that was what you were doing.

I am the Broker for our firm, so I receive a higher number of the nasty "bait and switch" calls. I held corporate marketing and sales positions before I entered real estate. I just don't think bait and swtich is the way to approach. I think you might be experiencing the lack of response because of a mistaken assumption. Realtors very much do want qualified bona fide leads. If you have any for NJ, let us know.
:)

I can understand your frustration regarding a bait & switch; that would boil my hide as well. If you scroll down a bit you'll see I work for a direct lender and broker as a revneu stream creater a la the business development manager. Today in route to a meeting we talked about the need to convert more of our pre approvals to done deals; and thus the need to aquire new and differant realtor relationships is something I'll be doing. I appreciate your insight and that maybe the very reason they don't return the calls. Another thing we may need to take into consideration is REGIONAL DIFFERANCES. I am in the Northern California and Central Califronia Markets. I didn't mean to pick on anyone but genralizations drive me crazy - I apologize.

I receive a fair amount of calls that claim to have a buyer for me, and when I return the call, it was a sales pitch to sell me on subscribing to a service that I did not want. I am not implying that is what you are doing. If, however, agents are unfamiliar with you or your products, they might dismiss your call for that reason.

Michael,
I would have to say that most agents will try to return calls within an hour (if they are not with a clients). Most people think they know what it is to run a business. Most don't. Everyone will say how they don't have time to do things. I say its the person, not how much time they have. I am a Realtor/Loan Officer. I own two other companies and I have a family. I return every call in one hour or less. I show up 15 minutes before my meetings. I push to do this because its how I show respect to my friends and clients. I think if you check, the agents that don't return call will almost always be late, not have everything the need, and try to do all of their CE classes the week they need to renew. Does this mean they are bad agent? No. It just means that that's how they are with everyone.

I called 8 realtors yesturday - 1 got back with me; and I have an approved buyer.....

Good question. I like to return calls as quick as possible, but I also like to dedicate my time to clients. There may be times when we are with clients for 2-3 hours at a time. Therefore sometimes in that situation I may not be able to return calls immediately or answer immediately. Of course like everyone else I try to prioritize the calls. Some days I may get over 100 calls, so if you are trying to sell me something, your call may be the last one I return. I try to return all calls, but again if you're selling something that I'm not buying, than your call may be returned at the end of the week or at the beginning of the next month. Hope taht makes sense. Of course if you're in a closing and I'm not there and things are going south, you'll be my top priority.

Charley: That is very good to hear. Text message is great - we are getting somewhere.....

I create business streams. I am the business development manager for a lender. I deal with contractors, homeowners, auctioneers, and realtors etc...

I think we as a society (here in the US) have scraped customer service in lieu of other functions. Having been in this industry a bit more then a year its very frustrating making contact, having calls returned and just simple hustling on both sides of the fence. Scroll and read the many responses here - some of us even make excuses. I am sure happy some take customer service serious. Referal networks need everyone on the same page. Zen hit the bulls eye. What's worse for all parties involved - lack of customer service or planning ahead. I am the business development manager for a top rate direct lender in California - I'm talking with buyers all day long (I also run a huge FSBO program) and of course from time to time we all drop the ball and that is the reality - but for many its become common place. I also work with Auctioneers (another revenue stream) and I haven't had to listen to so much slamming for agents. I think the role of an agent may change over the coming years and many who are not customer service oriented will loose out to the likes of an FSBO program, Auction, Lease Options etc... The high end you go, the better your service has to be.....

Michael,
I hope you're still browsing Trulia and get this post... Everyone has made some valid points from both sides of the fence, but I have an important one to add...

They cannot get cell/email reception where they happen to be at the moment.

I personally service some very rural areas, and despite my best efforts, I sometimes don't get a message until 8, 9, 10pm, or even later. Would you like me to call you at those hours (if you do, be sure to specify that in your message)? I may be traversing six counties to find the right 100 acre parcel for an out-of-town client. I know this is not the norm in society or especially in business these "uber connected" days, but it does happen (and it happens to me a lot). Please consider this the next time an agent doesn't respond to you quickly enough.

Brian,
I gave you a big "thumbs down". In Florida, REALTORs must take an arduous examination to earn their license. The last stats I saw indicated that only about 30% of applicants pass the exam on their first attempt. I was also licensed in NJ about six/seven years ago, and I don't think their test was a piece of cake either. Your careless answer only reinforces the negative stereotype that the public has about REALTORs. You simply gave Michael yet another reason to question our value as a professionals. You should be attempting to improve PR and educate a misinformed public. I'm very disappointed. I apologise for the negative comments in such a public forum--but that is indeed where they are posted.

Customer service should be a Realtor's #1 priority. If it were not for the customers, we would have no one to service. A prompt response to a phone call or e-mail is so simple that there is no reason not to do it. Unfortunately, I think too many realtors have fallen into the trap of thinking that the client is here for them when, in fact, it is the other way around. We are here for the client! If we as Realtors can remember that, our profession will grow and our individual businesses will succeed.

Dennis Skelly
Ricker Realty
301.464.9020 (o)
202.438.2091 (c)
dennis.skelly@verizon.net