Have you ever been insulted by someone who apparently insults people all the time, but doesn’t even know it? I had a law school study partner who was brilliant, but without even trying he would insult people almost every day. I sold a house to a very sharp client who told me an interesting story. He sat down with a real estate agent and was chatting when she ask him, “Are you working with any other agents?” He responded with a yes as he was still in the process of interviewing a couple of agents, at which point she turned to him and said, “Well, if you’re working with other agents, I won’t have anything to do with you.” He was really surprised, and then he hired me.
Some people have an uncanny ability to insult others without even trying. But when a professional salesperson insults clients, it really rises to a new level. I love the cliche, “Truth is stranger than fiction,” because so often it is.
I write a lot about how technology and the Internet have revolutionized the real estate business for buyers and sellers, but there’s another very important part of the real estate business–how clients relate to their agents and how agents treat their clients. We all want to be treated with respect, and that is certainly true when you hire someone to help you find your next home, or when you list your home for sale. Life is too short to hire someone who specializes in insulting you, even if it is unintentional.
Last Updated on July 27, 2012 by Chuck Marunde
