Respect Your Realtor

Ghost a showing, send 27 Zillow links at 2:30 a.m., or “test the market” with no real plan and you might be the reason your Realtor needs therapy. We’re Anthony Harris and Barbara Giglio, and we get candid about the real relationship behind a successful home sale or home purchase: mutual respect, clear communication, and basic human decency.

We start with some light chaos, including a road trip reality check and a round of ghost stories, then we get into why “Respect Your Realtor” is more than a catchy title. Real estate agents are often on call nights and weekends, rearranging family time, doctor appointments, and other clients to make showings happen. And unlike many professions, we don’t get paid for effort. We get paid when the deal closes. That means we can spend weeks researching neighborhoods, pulling comps, advising on pricing strategy, coordinating tours, and having difficult conversations with zero guarantee of a paycheck.

We also break down what dream clients do differently: they show up on time, read the data, stay honest about budgets and decision-making, and collaborate instead of fighting the process. Then we name the red flags that blow up transactions, including ghosting, using one agent to tour and another to write the offer, demanding instant replies at all hours, and hiding that a spouse isn’t on the same page. If you’re buying or selling in a competitive market like Austin real estate or anywhere else, these habits can save you time, money, and stress.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s house hunting, and leave a review if our behind-the-scenes take helps you become the client every Realtor wants to work with.

https://housenextdoortx.com

Transcript

Theme Song And Cold Open

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the house next door. Where real estate meets reality. I'm Anthony Harris. And I'm Barbara Giulio. Yay! And let's sing a little song. This is a little little teaser.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Into the episode.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Into the with the episode. Right. RSPC. Find out what it means to me. Okay, that's it. RSP C does. But you forgot your joke.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Well, the joke is a joke.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Oh. That was our joke. That was our joke. We really got to get better about having our opening joke.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

We're talking all the time. You look up a joke. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Look up a joke. So I

The Road Trip From Hell

SPEAKER_00 0:36

I want to tell you about my road trip.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Yeah. Well, should we start with the name of this episode? We just sang it, or do they know?

SPEAKER_00 0:41

No, no. We're going to revisit it. I want to talk about my road trip. I want to talk about me, not really. So I have not been on a road trip in a long time. I'm kind of spoiled. I'm used to flying everywhere. And you know, we like we used to take road trips all the time when the kids were little because it was expensive. And we just load in the minivan and like go to Georgia where my husband's family is and go wherever, right? Um, but since we became empty nesters and, you know, got a little bit more bougie in life, we fly everywhere. And we usually fly first class because I hate to fly. So I want extra room. I want to like feel like, okay, people in first class don't crash in planes. I don't know where my mindset is, but I just feel safer in first class. I don't know why. And it just helps with my flight anxiety. And so I've gotten really spoiled with like a white wine on the plane, watching my videos. And so we were, we kind of did this last-minute trip to Georgia where my husband's family's from. My niece is getting engaged. It was a surprise. She didn't know we were coming, and we were there's a big party for her. And the boys, Nick and Derek, wanted to come last minute. Gabe stayed back home, watched the dogs with his girlfriend, you know, being the typical, you know, hoe that he is. And by the way, I told her that I called him a hoe, and she's like, I call him a whore. And I'm like, okay, well, so we're on the same page. And Gabe's just like, well, I don't know what that's he doesn't care. So are so have you ever driven from uh I've done to Florida.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

It was horrible.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

So that's a long, that's about the same.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

It was horrible.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

It was 14 hours.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Ours was longer.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Yeah, I think Florida's farther.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

We went to so going to Pensacola was fine. Ish. Not fine. But doable. But we went to Orlando and it was I feel like 10 hours is sort of my limit. I think mine is now eight. Eight's really kind of ideal.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Ten is like, okay, and then the four more hours afterwards just kill you. And the boys were all like, oh well, we'll help drive, because you know they're in their 20s. No, they didn't. They fell asleep in the backseat, and it was just my husband and I, right? And then nobody wants me to drive because I drive too slow. Oh. So Craig really drove like the whole time. And then I am the worst traveler when it comes to gas. I get so gassy. And so I was so gassy for 14 hours in the car, and Craig was just dying. He's like, oh my gosh, what are you saying? And the other kids, did they come out alive? Dude, they were all passed out. I felt bad for Nick, but he was asleep the whole time. He had no idea. He sat directly behind me. I was just like, I can't. By the time I got out of the car, my husband is just like, I don't know why I'm still married to you.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Because it's so gas. I mean, he didn't really say that, but he meant it. He I I don't think he's attracted to me anymore. But then we decided after this trip, like, no, let's just get back on the plane and and not do a road trip again.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

So do you gas on the plane?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yes, I gas on the plane, but this is the funny part. Everybody thinks it's my husband because they don't think I smell that bad. They just assume that it's him. That's so bad, Barbara. He's like, I hate it because I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

Yeah, but you deserve to ride in a car.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Everybody thinks it's him farting and it's me. That's true. Isn't it terrible? Yes.

Ghost Stories And Weird Signs

SPEAKER_00 4:09

Wait, so tell me about okay, you've got another ghost story. I'm like way into ghost stories right now, and it's not even Halloween time, but I'm kind of obsessed with the ghost stories.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

Yeah. So I have a couple of them. Okay, so they all go hand in hand.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

And then we'll get to the episode.

SPEAKER_01 4:22

So last night I went out with some friends.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

It's a love of ghost stories. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

So last night I went out with some friends, and so one of them lives in San Marcus over on the north side, and it's over by the Spring Fed Lake. And so it's old. Old heritage land that was settled in the 1600s or something from Native Americans.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Well, I mean, land is old. Yeah. Like, you know, how old is Earth? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Obviously.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

I didn't mean to be like that, but well, did they just build the land now and go?

SPEAKER_01 4:51

They found artifacts and like all that.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

So it was settled by Indians and things. Yeah. Because it's by spring. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Yeah. So we were I was talking to our friends, and she was saying that one of her friends goes over to her house and we'll see a woman walking down the street that's like old antique woman, you know, like she's a frail proud old person.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Like, so like 1800s, 1600s type guards.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Probably 18. 18. Okay. And she just walks up and down the street.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

And so And this is by this particular land. Yes. Where houses are now developed. Yes. This woman's.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

And they were built in the 60s, these houses.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

So the land wasn't really built on before then.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Probably not. I guess not.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

I mean, there's no historic home, it's just 1960s is when they started developing it. Interesting. Yeah. And so this woman's walking cross, okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah, and so um, so she says that her house is haunted or has a ghost, a friendly ghost.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Right.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Um she said that the other day her daughter has a jolie box that she bought a long time ago. It's never worked.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Never worked.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

And so and she's always trinkered, like, you know, try to get it to work, nothing. And the other day she got her earrings out and it started working. That same day, she was just out of the blue. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, and that music gets creepy anyway. Yep. Oh. And then that same day, they were in the kitchen, and then heard something in the mud room, went to the mud room, came back to the kitchen, and there was a red cardinal feather on the floor.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

So like a little birdie came in, maybe, but no. It didn't seem like that.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Yep. And she said that in the mud room they will smell cigar smoke sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Well, and they say that cardinals represent people that we've lost that come in and check on us.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

So maybe that was their sign. Let's playing the music and then leaving that little red. Oh, that is interesting.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Um so then last night, I went to bed.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

And I woke up at four o'clock this morning, and you know, I'm like just kind of barely, and usually I go right back to bed.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

And you just heard all these ghost stories last night. Uh-huh. Yeah, okay. So this is right after you heard all these ghost stories.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

I leave the TV on just for background noise. Yeah. And so I wake up and I'm like, why is the radio on? I didn't leave the radio on. So my radio was on.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

See? They're creepy stories.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

They're little ghosts attached to you.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

I think it's a good ghost, though.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

You think it's a good ghost?

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Yeah. Oh.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

As of right now. I just think it's so coincidental that you know you're talking about all this stuff and then you have your own story that happens. Yeah. It's like the spirits converge. I don't know. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Stay tuned. Stay tuned. If I go missing. Yeah, I want to hear more stories.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Okay, let's get into

What Respect Your Realtor Means

SPEAKER_00 7:51

our episode. Yeah. This is a very timely episode. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

And it How is it timely?

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Because I just had to deal with this. And um and why we saying respect is the title of the episode is Respect Your Realtor: How to Be a Dream Client and Not the Reason Your Agent Needs Therapy. Thank you very much. Lots of therapy. Or ready yeti. Are you ready yeti, Noah? So let's let's get into this. So have you ever showed 27 homes to one client over a month just to have them say, yeah, we decided not to buy? Yep. Have you ever driven 45 minutes to a showing just to be totally ghosted?

SPEAKER_01 8:32

Or longer.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Or longer. Have you ever driven to a home to show a potential client who says they don't have an agent, they're unrepresented, and then halfway through the home tour, their agent shows up.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

I haven't, but you have.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

I am.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

We can tell who made that fund game. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

That's very specific. So we're talking about respecting your realtor's time. And but you know, kind of honestly, this applies to everything in life. Like all professions. All professions, helping people through.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Like those deep restrictions. Just be a good human.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Yeah, just be a good human. So this is kind of not necessarily like respect your realtor, but this is like respect your fellow human. And in case you forgot how, we're gonna give you some tips.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

But so now we're a self-help.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Now we're self-help. We need the help. I was gonna say when we become self-help, that's a dark day for this world.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Well, we're getting there.

Realtors Live On Call

SPEAKER_00 9:36

All right. So let's, you know, let's kind of pull back like we always do. We pull back the curtain on real estate. So, what are the things you know that people don't really see um about a realtor where they didn't think, like, oh wow, I didn't actually realize I wasn't respecting their time.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Like, so I think the big thing is m my friends point it out all the time, but we're always on call.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

Yeah, and Noah was just talking about that too.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Yeah, we're always on call. Like, I remember distinctly there was one time that, and we don't plan it. No, you know, people want to do things when we're in the middle of doing things.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

I hate making plans with people because they think I'm so flaky. I'm always like, as of now, yes, I can do this, but that could change. And everyone's like, well, why can't you just protect your schedule?

SPEAKER_01 10:20

And you can't protect your schedule because there's some people that can and I can't.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

When you have when you have a client that has a need, you gotta get up and go show them the house. You can't just be like, Well, I made plans with my friend and we're going wine tasting. Sorry, no, sorry, you're not important. You have to, you have to be available all of the time. And so when people don't show up, or you know, that has affected our our personal lives and helping other clients even. So yeah, that's a that's a big

The Money Risk Behind The Scenes

SPEAKER_00 10:50

one. And we are also one of the many industries out there who we don't get paid until we've finished the job. And a lot of times we have to put money up front before we get paid. Yep. And so there for that reason, you know, gambling. It is a little bit of a gamble, right? We've got skin in the game, sometimes more skin in the game than our clients do.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Usually we do.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

And so we have, you know, in in our contracts, in my listing agreement, I always put, you know, if the home doesn't close and fund with the listing agent, uh, seller is to refund, listing agent, um, you know, a staging fee or a photography fee, whatever it is. It's usually specific to that property because not all properties are the same.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Um, but just so I'm not completely out because I have been close, haven't yet knocked on wood, but been close out, you know, $3,000 for staging and another $1,500 for photography when the seller is just deciding, well, yeah, I don't think I want to sell my house now. I'm sorry, thanks. And so we have to protect ourselves. And um, because we're paying for staging consults, we're paying for uh print materials, we're paying for videos, photography.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

Does it include the time that we've already done for comps and that we've gone out there multiple times?

SPEAKER_00 12:13

Transaction coordinator. As soon as I get a listing or a buyer, my transaction coordinator is on that, keeping all my paperwork. Well, she gets paid even if I don't get paid. Yep. So, you know, there's there's that. And so we have, I don't think what a lot of people realize is there's a big machine behind us that we are feeding to help sell their house. Yep. And when they decide, oopsie, I changed my mind, or oh, I went with this other realtor and they've already agreed to work with us. Sometimes it's, you know, it can be really painful. Yeah. Yeah. And then, like you were talking about time away. We have time away from our families, time away from our other clients, time away from our doctor's appointments. I have rescheduled doctor's appointments because a client came into town.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

One was your own fault.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Well, yeah. One I love, I love to reschedule my colonoscopy.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Yeah, because you don't love it.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

I don't love it. But you know, in we miss out on birthdays, we work on vacations, so there's just a lot that we put into to what we're part of it, and it's part of it. And we have the emotional labor of dealing with difficult people and having difficult conversations. And I know the biggest red flag is when I can't even get the listing agreement signed without having a combative relationship with my client. Like they are just fighting me on everything. I'm like, I didn't come knock on your door. You reached out to me, said, Hey, I think you're an expert in this, which I am, and I want your help. And then I give them my help and they argue with me. I'm like, I you know, I'm done. Like this is gonna this is a tough market, and you don't even help me to help you, yeah, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Help me to help you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:56

And so and then our market analysis. How much work do you put in your market analysis?

SPEAKER_01 14:02

So much. Yeah. I run comps all the like I I live by doing them.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

It's ours. Yeah. You know, it's it there are tools you can use where it kind of AI and whatever. But it's still us. But it's still us. Like there is so much human involvement that you have to do on these adjustments and understanding floor plans and understanding neighborhoods and diving really deep into those pricing. Yeah. And then, you know, handing that over to your client. And sometimes your client doesn't even look at it. Yeah. They don't even look at it and they argue with you about price. And so it's ours. And that's that's really actually a very uh valuable piece of information that we're handing over. Like you don't go to an attorney, it's proprietary, and they yeah, you go to an attorney and they give you a roadmap on how to fight your case, right? Yeah, they hand you this roadmap and then you go, oh, never mind, I decided not to work with you. No, that doesn't happen. No, you're paid, he's paid by she or he is paid by or they or paid by the hour, right? Uh-huh. You know, whether you choose to work with them or not, their time is compensated. Yeah. Not ours. Not ours at all. And they can take that pricing that we gave them in a nice, beautiful, shiny bow bow, and then go to a discount broker. Yeah.

The Hidden Work Before You Sign

SPEAKER_00 15:20

So it's and I don't I don't think people totally realize how much uh work we put in.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Before we are, you know, sometimes even before we have the listing agreement signed.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Because well, even before we show a property or a listing agreement, because we're researching what we're about to show you. So, like with buyers, I call the listing agent if it's a higher end home and I ask them what I need to know about the house, what unique features I can point out to the buyer when we're there, and how motivated the buyer is or seller is.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

And and we don't even know if sellers' disclosures and yeah, and we don't even know if these people want to work with us yet sometimes. You know, we have to have a buyer's rep in place, but it's sometimes it's just for a specific property. Yeah. It's not for a whole relationship yet. And so, yeah, there's a lot, there's a lot that goes into it. And I I'm not sure that that is fully understood. Like, I I remember when I was uh going to my hairstylist and he was complaining about how people will come, like you have a haircut or a color, right?

SPEAKER_02 16:25

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

And it's on the schedule. And then he said, People will come in with this photo and they'll want this like whole new look. And he's like, and I uh and then he's like, I gotta adjust my schedule, I've got to figure out how this even works. Can I do this? And I was like, Oh my gosh, I think I've done that to every stylist and didn't know it. Oh and he said, Yeah, like when you want a whole style change, and he said, It happens so much, and we get so angry because it's like you're not respecting our time, and you think we can just pull this out. And I feel like a lot of people feel that way about us, like, oh, we just thought you opened doors, we didn't realize you there was this whole process behind it. And and they don't necessarily understand and respect how hard we're really working and what we're sacrificing um to help them. And we and we choose to do it, we want to do it, but a thank you text goes a long way even when we don't end up working together, just saying, Hey, I appreciate you, thank you, we went a different direction, feels so much better than just a full ghost. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

And one of my clients that I do multiple deals with, she tells me all the time how much they appreciate me. And it's just a text, and that means a lot. It goes so and I know they appreciate me, and I appreciate them, but it's yeah, it's those little things.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

I mean, we're not entitled to anybody's business just because we do do some work and you know we're helping them. We're not entitled. We still have to earn their business, but there's there's a way to communicate that you don't want to work with us or that you're no longer buying a home or selling a home that is very respectful of our time. And so

Green Flags Of A Great Client

SPEAKER_00 18:00

let's talk about what is a green flag client versus a red flag client. So green flag clients very honest, honest about their honest, they're decisive, but they don't always have to be decisive. I'm fine with an indecisive buyer because I'm there to have to help them.

SPEAKER_01 18:19

To an extent.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Yeah, to an extent. I'm there to help them become decisive. That's my job. And so reasonable about your the list price and being an actual willing seller. How many times do we get this where well I want to sell it for X, Y, and Z, and I don't really have to sell. Well, then uh like I'm I don't really have to help you. Like I'm here to help you sell your home, not to just test the market. Yeah, so um green flag agents are our green flag clients, really are reasonable about price, and they really actually are a willing seller. They respect appointment times. Yeah, that's a huge one.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

I actually had a buyer one time. Um, and I try to always get to my appointments early.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Yeah, you do. You really get to your appointments early. I'm always like rolling in 30 seconds before the amenity.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

As today, I'm late. Um, and so I showed up and I told him I was like, I was afraid that was gonna run late, and I was like, I'm here, and he's like, Well, if you would have been one minute late, we would have left.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

What?

SPEAKER_01 19:22

And he said, if you can't respect my time enough to be here on time, then you don't deserve my business.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

And he was a very he was a business.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Did you keep that?

SPEAKER_01 19:33

Yeah, it was a healthy relationship. Really? Yeah, he just knew he just that was uh his big thing. That was if you can't respect my time, then I'm not res well, okay. And he was an executive, so you know all right.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

I I don't know that we would have ended up working together.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

Well, what would you have told him what you told the other before?

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Well, no, what one of my clients he's like that too, and he's I always sh showed up on time, right? And he's like, Barbara, you're late. And I said, No, I'm not. I'm like five minutes early or right on time. And he's like, No, 15 minutes early is on time. And I'm like, Meh, whatever. We're here. Let's look.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

Here's the contract, sign it.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

Communicate clearly. Good agents will or good clients will communicate clearly. Clearly, I can communicate clearly.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

Your red flag.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

Loyal to the agent they choose. Yes, that's a huge one. Loyal to the agent they choose. And here's another big pet peeve of mine. Good clients will look at the data you send them. So many clients. You spend all this time and they're so adamant about their price, and so adamant about not having days on market or the offer that they want to put in, and they don't look at the data. Yeah. And you're like, well, did you look at the data? No. And then you go over and tell them the data, and they argue with you. And I'm like, I'm not making this up. Believe me, I would love to sell your house for $400,000 more, but I just can't.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

You ask them for a miracle.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

They are. And then, okay, this one, they're your partner in the process, not just a passenger princess sitting back there going, oh, and then when something goes wrong, oh, you know, blaming you. But they they're active in it. Like we're looking at the data together, we're discussing it.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Collaborative.

SPEAKER_00 21:21

We're collaborating, we're trying to figure out, like, okay, we're not getting showings, we need to do a pivot. Let's talk about that pivot. And they're part of that conversation. So they're yeah, they're collaborating with you because you we're helpful, we're working together. Yep. That's a good client. And they allow us to do the job they hired us. Could you imagine? That seems like such a basic statement to say. Fundamental. But you would be surprised at how many times they hire us and then they they try to I want to say I wanna say a bad word. And I can't freaking do. The job. And then they're mad at me that their house isn't selling. And I'm like, well, you can fuck me. So there it is. That is that's how we really failed. That's how we really fail. And we're pulling the curtain back. And that's true. Okay, so oh, and they're honest and they take accountability.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

Okay. Red flag clients.

Red Flags That Waste Everyone’s Time

SPEAKER_00 22:21

They call you, they call multiple agents to show a home. Oh. So you're one of many and you're fighting for their business. I get picking the right agent.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

But not to show you the house. No. You're down on the call. Yeah. Talk about them. Talk about you. Meet up for coffee.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

Yeah. But not showing multiple. Yeah. Ghosting you and then coming back, and then you do all this work for them, go like, oh, they're back. And then they ghost you again. Inevitably.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

So maybe that's a you problem. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

The they're five minutes away. Oh, we're five minutes away. And they're actually like 45 minutes away. Yeah. Red flag all the way. Demanding instant responses all times of the day. You weren't available. You weren't available. I'm like, it's 10 p.m. Okay, come on.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

I was five bottles deep.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

No. I was taking a poop. Not respecting the process and are combative with their agents. That's a big one. That happens a lot. You know right away if they're fighting you from the get-go, this is not gonna be a good situation. Not on the same page as their spouse. Yep. And hiding that information from you. Yep. That happened to me just this week. Not being honest about budget. Oh, when they send you their zestament. And this client that I'm I had a problem with not only sent me their zestament, and their husband wasn't on the same page as of anything. I was like, I had so many red flags on that one.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

And you still wanted it.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

I didn't want it. I was just continuing to see how it was going to play out, and I was debating on whether or not it was gonna take it. I figured it would fall out when we got to price. But you know, because some if I didn't take every client that was difficult and showed me red flags, I wouldn't work.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

So you gotta like figure it out, right? Um oh ask for a commission discount. Yep, never works, and refuses to pay the buyer's uh agent commission. And they're dishonest. Yep. And they don't take accountability. Those are our red flags. Red flags. And let's see, let me count those. So this last eight client that I almost had was one, two, three, four, five, sa six.

SPEAKER_01 24:42

Out of how many?

SPEAKER_00 24:44

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. Yeah, so halfway, half.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

That was more than more than. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

And so I'll briefly tell that story. Um,

The Staging Bill And The Lie

SPEAKER_00 24:55

I was a friend of a friend, but it wasn't a referral from the friend. Um, and she watches the podcast and wanted well, maybe not now. And she um, you know, had me come out and take a look at her house, know the neighborhood well, used to live there. Um, her house is beautiful, as all all our homes there. Gave her, you know, my price range. She she agreed, it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but you know, the data was absolutely there. Like, I can't get around the data. And um, originally she wanted to list in July, and we were maybe gonna do private exclusive in June. And then when I got there, she her husband wasn't there, but he's very busy man, doesn't he's not around a lot. Um she's like, No, I want to move forward right away. And I'm like, Oh, okay, well, you haven't is your husband good? No, we're all on board. And she's like, and I'm taking the lead on this, and I'm like, okay. And so she's she gave me her key. She wanted me to uh get the stager out, set up photography. We've got about two weeks to get going. So I'm like, okay, let's get on it. And send her the listing agreement, and she signed it right away. She sent me all the descriptions of her house to get ready with my transaction coordinator, like, we're moving along. Her husband's not signing. She kept saying, Well, he's just busy. Still not signing. Well, he's just busy. And then finally, after I paid for the stager, I'm about to get my transaction coordinator looped in and order photos. She says, Oh, we have a problem. He's not really on the same page. And I'm like, Okay, well, why couldn't we communicate this earlier? I had been in communication, like I sent him text messages and all this stuff because she oh not to call him, you know. He wasn't responding to me, but you know, I was there available for any questions, just nothing. Yep. And so comes to find out he just is a very difficult personality. And his first conversation with me was, Well, my first beef with you is that you couldn't print, I couldn't print the the PDF out. I'm like, Well, you should have called me. I could have helped you with that. Well, I don't have time to go into that. My and then he told me about his realtor that he has that he loves. And I'm like, Well, why you why did you guys hire me? And I said, I really want to respect that relationship. And he's like, Well, you know, sell me on you now. You you sell me on you. And I'm like, no, I'm not gonna do that. Yeah, and so I it was just very difficult from the get-go. And I talked to the wife about it. I'm like, I didn't know you had a realtor. She's like, We don't have a realtor, we haven't talked to that realtor in like six years. And so, long story short, I'm on vacation, I'm trying to have fun with my family. I'm sending out comps before the party. I'm having these tough conversations, I'm getting kind of stressed out, I want to help, but I think I shouldn't take it. And then she sends me a text that says, We do have a relationship with that other realtor, and we think it's better that we go with that realtor. And I'm like, You guys are so full of it.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

But go have at it. Be my guest.

SPEAKER_00 27:52

And I'm like, uh, and I actually pushed back. I stood up for myself. Yeah. And I said, you know, I get that and I understand it, but you know, you told me to move forward. I was working with your timeline, I was trying to get everything done that you needed me to get done. You signed the listing agreement, you handed me a key, you had the stager out, and you knew all of this was going on and did not disclose it. And I said, So I, you know, I'm really frustrated with you about that. And normally I don't do that, yeah, but I did this time. And she paid me back for the staging. I just it was just on principle, right? Yeah, but just on principle.

SPEAKER_01 28:27

But this is red flags.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

This is red flags. And it's like, if she had just been, hey, I'm sorry, I jumped the gun. This isn't gonna be a good fit. This my this is what my husband wants. I'm sorry. I would have been like, I totally get it. It's fine, I understand. I'm not owed your business. It sucks that I started working and you kind of told me let's go forward. But I get it, it happens. But the fact that she like doubled down on that lie, I was like, no, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Nope.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

No, ma'am. Like, we're gonna, we're gonna address this because you know, I work hard to support my family, and we need to just be kind humans to each other. Like, this is like let's just be a decent human, be honest, be respectful, and treat people with dignity. And her husband was not treating me with dignity at all. He was not respectful, and they were not honest. And it's like at the end of the day, like, I don't care what we're doing, if we're friends or whatever, don't treat people that way. Be a good human, just be how hard is it to just be a decent apparently

Dream Client Or Straight To Jail

SPEAKER_00 29:28

hard. Apparently, it is easier to be arrogant. Okay, so let's go ahead and like do real quick our game. All right, what is our game? It's um game time. Dream client, okay, mildly unhinged, straight to jail.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

Okay, so dream.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

Okay, no, no, no, I so it's dream, mildly unhinged, straight to jail. Okay, okay. A buyer asks to see seven homes on Sunday, oh my gosh, and adds for that day, the day of the tour, after you've already set the entire tour schedule and you are going like North Austin, South Austin, East Austin, and then they just go to jail. Straight to jail. Seller stays for all showings. Straight to jail. A buyer uses one agent to tour homes and another agent to actually write the offer, who's a discount agent. Straight to jail and get the death penalty. Oh, I love this one because this happens to me all the time. A client texts 27 Zillow links at 2:30 a.m. and says, Fuck.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

Miley unhinged.

SPEAKER_00 30:35

Miley unhinged. Because I I feel like I would do that. A client says, We're easy going. Straight to jail. Straight to jail. That is a red flag. So is that all? That's it.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

I wanted some more Miley Miley Unhinged.

SPEAKER_00 30:54

Oh, mildly unhinged? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

Well, I guess that's all.

SPEAKER_00 30:57

Oh well, last-minute cancellation. Mildly unhinged.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

Last minute cancellation? If I'm already there, they're going straight to jail. Straight to jail, never mind.

Final Takeaways And How To Support Us

SPEAKER_00 31:07

Well, yeah, this is well, I just I felt like it was a really important topic to talk about is just, you know, respecting your aging.

SPEAKER_01 31:16

Especially going into the summer months.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Yeah, and I don't I think a lot of people don't mean to be disrespectful. They don't really know what goes on. So I wanted to, you know, kind of share that. And then also just, you know, be a good human. Yep. Let's try to go out there and be good humans. Watch I get in traffic, and I'm like, You know what good humans do?

SPEAKER_01 31:34

Like they like, subscribe, share, and follow.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

You can find us at the house next door tx.com. Until next time.