It’s a Good Idea to Treat the Agents You Want to Hire With the Same Respect You Demand

Do you treat agents you want to hire with the same respect you demand? I already know the answer, but let’s explore.

Some people are very uncomfortable being fawned over. My husband is one of those. He especially dislikes being fawned over by insincere people in roles of servitude. I first noticed his distaste for this many years ago when we checked in to stay a night at Adare Manor, a castle in Ireland, County Limerick. Guests are treated like royalty at Adare.

First, they seat you in an oversized antique chair. You’re way too good to stand in line at reception. Then, a row of butlers gently wave fans in your direction and pluck grapes from the overhead vines to place into your mouth, one at a time. A handmaiden removes your shoes to wash and then massages your feet. A concierge rushes over to hand you a glass of chilled champagne. My husband squirmed.

I, on the other hand, pointed out the fact my left shoulder still had a tinge of tightness and could use a bit of manipulation. OK, that’s not really what happened, but it’s the impression I was left with — that’s how lovely it was.

The difference is: that’s the standard of attention at Adare. It’s not like some guests are treated differently than others. You’re pampered just the same whether you pulled up in a horse-drawn carriage or a VW bug. There is attention to detail, which is evident throughout the castle.

Of course, lest we forget, they had centuries to perfect.

As a real estate agent selling Sacramento homes, I’ve got all of two lousy seconds when a client calls to make an impression. To many people, I’m just some other agent. They often think we are all the same. But we’re not. For one thing, I’m a pretty cheery individual who is rarely in a foul mood. Clients tell me they love my energy. When a client calls, I stop what I am doing to focus on that call. Unless I’m driving, of course. Can’t just stop in the middle of the freeway; no, we share the phone and the road. For another, I’ve got years and years of experience. I’m the kind of person who learns from my mistakes and, more importantly, from the mistakes of others.

But I set my own standard of care, and I try to apply it evenly across the board. I truly try to provide exceptional service. I work fervently from 5 AM to 7 PM during the week. Much of my day is spent reacting to fires, especially working on 50+ short sales or so. Sometimes, I receive more than 500 emails a day. But if you want to be a client — a buyer or seller of real estate — I will call you back. If you are a client, I will call you back. If you are an agent calling on an active listing, I will call you back. This is a service business and I never forget it. I respect the time of other people.

I had to chuckle, though, when I received an email on Friday from a seller I had never met and never will meet. She had sent me an email a few days earlier saying she wanted to sell her home in Rocklin. I immediately called and left her a message on her cellphone. No response. Then I sent an email. No response. Four or five hours later, I called and left her another message. No response. Then, on Friday, she sent an email to say she was feeling ill and could not meet with me, we would need to reschedule, although we had not scheduled an appointment.

Some days I’m just damn lucky. I’m confident she will find an agent she deserves.