Are you taken seriously or are you ignored?

[beachgurl]

Just venting a little I guess... I've attended so many opens recently that I recognize the majority of people walking through the doors. The agents are all over some of these guys yet I don't seem to be taken seriously or am ignored completely. My target area is full of men from a particular nationality who rock up in construction company shirts and their fancy cars and pretty partners while I turn up in a standard car either on my own or with the kids. Do I need to buy myself a Beemer and/or turn up in designer label gear just to be noticed? Flying under the radar is ok in some instances but if I want to speak to an agent they really don't give me the time or are condescending.

Wondering if the change in demographic is turning the tide back to the days of my mid 20s when I needed to bring random guys to opens for an agent to take me seriously or if the agents just think they are superstars in the current booming market and can't be bothered talking to anyone except their mates?

 

[Mush]

Dont stress beachgurl.
Provided you know your stuff it will probably work to your advantage.
My hero is Lieutenant Columbo,take a leaf from his book and you will enjoy unrivalled success in your wheelings and dealings.

 

[Beau Lyon]

Sounds like the agents have seen you at a lot of opens yet you've never made a serious offer on a property, so have concluded you're a timewaster.
Poor form on their part, I treat all buyers equally, as long as they aren't acting suspiciously.
Don't take it to heart, when you've built your portfolio up a bit the agents will start to recognise you as a player and fawn over you, and you'll have the pleasure of reminding them how they treated you when you were a beginner when you reject their sale/management proposals.

 

[DaveM]

Sounds like they are being a bit chauvinistic, ignore the lady, or and will expect you to get your husband to come look at the house.

Flip it around, exude confidence, go up to them and take control of the situatation engagement. Yes I am a serious buyer, no I dont need my husband here, yes I am ready to buy, yes i have my finance ready etc etc.

 

[beachgurl]

Sounds like the agents have seen you at a lot of opens yet you've never made a serious offer on a property, so have concluded you're a timewaster.
Poor form on their part, I treat all buyers equally, as long as they aren't acting suspiciously.
Don't take it to heart, when you've built your portfolio up a bit the agents will start to recognise you as a player and fawn over you, and you'll have the pleasure of reminding them how they treated you when you were a beginner when you reject their sale/management proposals.

no, not a time waster or a beginner, although my portfolio isn't that big compared to others here. I've bought 2 properties in this suburb in the past 6 months, one of which I did a complete Reno and sold just before Christmas.

 

[The Fence]

More the fools them then I say.

Not only have you bought but you have sold, which is where they get their income.

They are real estate salesmen afterall....

 

[thatbum]

Dont stress beachgurl.
Provided you know your stuff it will probably work to your advantage.

I agree. I typically dress down for home opens and auctions and I think its worked to my advantage a few times.

 

[Allgood]

I know what you mean. I've been to open houses on weekends in shorts and tee-shirts and been totally ignored. I've turned up in my suit after work and had agents all over me. Sad but true.

 

[Hodge]

Was at an auction late last year (which I won) and rocked up in my dirty work clothes. Looked like a hobo. Wife was embarrassed to stand near me but worked to my advantage.

Beware of the "bum" looking types, those in the Shiney cars and suits are there for show.

 

[geoffw]

The older I get the more I get ignored by a lot of people. I become invisible. The three customers who come in after me get served first. The young guy at one table has three visits from the waitress before I get one. I've even waited in an empty new car show room for 20 minutes before deciding that perhaps the other car would be better.

That's not the same thing as you obviously, just something that seems to happen.

 

[Beau Lyon]

one of which I did a complete Reno and sold just before Christmas.

I'm guessing the rude agents didn't get the resale

 

[westminster]

My super skill is Invisible Woman. I can stand in a car yard, home open, Dick Smith blah blah - basically just about anywhere that is a bit masculine or high end.

I dream of having Pretty Women moments where I rock up in my daggies and stun the salesperson with my knowledge/wads of cash.

Most of the time I don't let it bother me and use it to my advantage where I can.

 

[Joe D]

My super skill is Invisible Woman.

WOW "Invisible Woman"!

Just add a "mute" button and you could be a real Super Hero!

Just joking!

Seriously, don't put up with this or any other crap, but likewise don't expect some slimey REA to change his spots ??. Use your invisibility to YOUR advantage.

 

[moyjos]

I had my "pretty woman" day years ago.

When ex hubby and I were in the process of buy-Reno-sell. We were just about finished a Reno and were looking in local RE windows for a "new prospect" to buy.
We we dressed in our regular "reno daggies" when the upstart sales girl came out and told me ..(ever so nicely) that the "flats for rent are on the window around the corner". Lol. She didn't get the sale for the next purchase nor did we list the Reno with her agency.

 

[The Fence]

LOL...REA snobbery !

 

[Charlotte30]

Are you taken seriously or ignored?

My sister and I were looking through a house a couple of years ago in an upmarket neighbourhood. We were ignored by the agent. We wandered down the street afterward and came back at the time the agent was getting into his car. He saw us get into an Alfa Romeo (sis's car) and nearly fell out of the car waving and trying to get our attention. Fool, I thought, I will never deal with you. Although I do prefer generally to have a low profile when viewing property.

 

[willair]

Just venting a little I guess... I've attended so many opens recently that I recognize the majority of people walking through the doors. The agents are all over some of these guys yet I don't seem to be taken seriously or am ignored completely. My target area is full of men from a particular nationality who rock up in construction company shirts and their fancy cars and pretty partners while I turn up in a standard car either on my own or with the kids. Do I need to buy myself a Beemer and/or turn up in designer label gear just to be noticed? Flying under the radar is ok in some instances but if I want to speak to an agent they really don't give me the time or are condescending.

Wondering if the change in demographic is turning the tide back to the days of my mid 20s when I needed to bring random guys to opens for an agent to take me seriously or if the agents just think they are superstars in the current booming market and can't be bothered talking to anyone except their mates?

Sometimes it's better to just say nothing and listen to what's happening around you,and you can learn a lot by just watching,plus real estate agents judge people by the way the dress-car ect,very big mistake in any sales game the up-start car would be leased-the up-market clothes are on the monthly credit card,or look at it like this I flew down late last year too a "AGM" for a top 4 Bank I invested in in the mid 1990's,turned up early as I always do signed in and got stuck into the food drinks ect and sat down facing the 12 lifts and watched all the investors come through the lift doors some I have known for over 17 years same story every time the high end end unit holders don't dress to well like myself,they just blend say very little and watch what's happening around them,they like yourself do not have too impress anyone,funny part was one of the directors on the board was behind the gentleman who checked myshare holders register number,maybe thought I was a homeless bum from the park not sure if the unit numbers come up but they may as I like to watch and read the faces in front of me,the board -director gentleman was doing the rounds table by table,telling everyone the same line "It's your money we are only here to manage your holdings" then move onto the next table when he came and sat next to me sitting by myself ,all he said was I would have never picked you as a longterm investors with us,,,we talked for over half an hour..bottom line is nobody is good at understanding the unknownable..

 

[Jen_PFR]

I must admit, I generally have a very low opinion of real estate agents. My own personal credo in life is that we're all here on this planet together, and we all deserve to be treated with a certain amount of respect. REAs tend to fall into the 'if you have visible money you're worthwhile' trap, which isn't an approach I particularly value. To me, it just tends to reinforce the opinion that REAs generally are poor judges of character (or potential purchasers, anyhow).

That said, the other half and I will deliberately dress down at home opens. We also try to avoid talking to the agent directly (although if someone else is asking questions, we do try to hear the answers!). REAs also don't tend to bother us when we're at a property, unless we have dealt with them previously, in which case they know we have a number of properties and could well be buyers. We have had the unpleasant experience of turning up to a home open and having the REA fawn all over us, following us around as we look at the property - it's extremely off-putting, to be honest.

Often the first time we deal with a REA is when we call them to let them know that we want to put in a written offer & acceptance. This is our preferred method of dealing with them, but your mileage may vary.

 

[DaveM]

He saw us get into an Alfa Romeo (sis's car) and nearly fell out of the car waving and trying to get our attention.

As it was an alfa, he was probably just trying to offer a push start, or letting you know part of the car had fallen off

 

[nhg]

I was ignored when I first started. 24 yr old asking for 'impossible' returns. Took them 6 months to catch on I was being serious.

The worst experience I had was actually with rental agents. A few of us were each looking for some nice (very nice) apartments to rent in Forster for a couple of years, and one agency told us the nice ones were reserved for 'professionals and management'.

They didn't realise the group of low-mid 20 year olds were the professionals and that the company was paying for our rent. Word got around and nobody rented from that agency for the entire duration we were there.