Why do agents ask this question ?

[Bricks & Mortar]

responses....

If you want to remain private and hide your responses that's up to you

Personally, we let the agent know from the start it's for investment purposes
Basically I believe this will have an effect on the price, as no emotion is involved when purchasing - it's strictly a good buy for the price or not.

Don't believe in pussy footing around too much either with $1000 here and there, backwards and forwards anymore. Put in our best price and state it's our first and final offer. ...Stop wasting their and my time, I believe tha agent would respect that and are aware what we are looking for.

No , need to feel intimidated QF Skywalker.
Lets face it, you going to work out whether it worth considering based on returns, costs, price and location to mention a few, The agent might have something more suitable on his/hers books... but if you don't converse with him/her, your the one who will miss out.

I believe in commercial property, you would possibly have different parameters in mind and possible would use Dazz'z approach, but with residential, I can't see the harm in polite conversation....which can also be used to extract extra information you might require about the said property or other suitable properties.

anyway... each to their own!

 

[oldjonesy]

I just mess with their minds and say "both"

 

[Dazz]

I believe in commercial property, you would possibly have different parameters in mind and possible would use Dazz'z approach, but with residential, I can't see the harm in polite conversation....

Yes, when I'm standing there in the middle of a barren paddock looking at a few rusty old sheds leaning up against one another....and the REA asks me whether this is for investment or my PPoR....well ya know.....she's not too difficult to work out.

As for being polite, well, most of you know me by now. Tried that polite caper once when dealing with a Contract....never again. But this stuff we engage in here on the forum is polite social chit-chat....so the rules are somewhat different. Hooroo.

 

[sailor]

I have a tendency not to answer the agent's questions, but to counter with questions of my own. I also let them know from the outset, whether I'm looking out of idle curiosity, or I'm in the market to buy. That way they can decide how much of their time they want to invest in me.

I have been frequently known to say "I'm in the market to buy, so please don't try to sell me." If they then go into a sales pitch...I just repeat my statement.

IMO, tis none of their business what I intend doing with the property. And I'm not at all obliged to tell them.

 

[evand]

I don't think this analogy stands up because its not the agent owning & selling the property. He is only representing the owner. A commission based middleman as it were.

I agree with Sailor and think its none of the agents business what my use of the property is.

I also agree with Dazzling and leave polite niceties for my mum, not for agents.

What level of service and customer care would you expect if you walk into a restaurant and order 'just some food'

 

[BayView]

"What I intend to do with the property after settlement is of absolutely no concern to you or the Vendor. Now, if you wish to make a sale, I suggest you stop asking me questions and start answering my long list of questions.....here's my Due Diligence form, start filling out the details whilst I go for a wander about the place."

Do you really say that?

I used to work as an r/e agent for a time, and I never got spoken to like that - ever. And we talked to big players sometimes.

On the question asked, my guess is that the agent was both making conversation, and also profiling the buyer to see what he/she was looking to buy, and no doubt lining up in his mind what properties he could show the buyer.

Standard sales procedure for a good sales person.

 

[sailor]

Do you really say that?

I used to work as an r/e agent for a time, and I never got spoken to like that - ever. And we talked to big players sometimes.

On the question asked, my guess is that the agent was both making conversation, and also profiling the buyer to see what he/she was looking to buy, and no doubt lining up in his mind what properties he could show the buyer.

Standard sales procedure for a good sales person.

I understand what you are saying about a "good sales person", but I don't go shopping for property on a whim and a prayer. I need to let the agent know that I'm not interested in their "sales pitch", I don't want to be "sold" on the property. I simply want my questions answered, quickly and concisely. I don't want the property "sold" to me, after all, I'm in the market to "buy", I don't need convincing. I will make my own decision to buy or not to buy. If I'm interested enough to find out what else they have for sale (that meets my criteria), I'll ask.

 

[wylie]

Being rude and arrogant to a real estate salesperson is the same as being rude and arrogant to anybody else - just plain rude and not called for.

If you don't want to answer the question, you can politely say you would rather not say, but it shouldn't make a difference to you what they know about you, because if you have in mind what you want, a sales pitch is not going to change your perceptions, surely.

How can they decide what other properties you may be interested in if you don't tell them whether you want to live in it or rent it out. PPOR and IP are often quite different beasts.

To those who have answered that you tell 'em to mind their own business or such like, do you also say that to your hairdresser when she asks "have you had a good day?". Do you answer "what's it to you, why do you want to know?"

It is called "conversation" and "showing an interest in your client" and maybe, just maybe, they are wanting to help you find the right property for you.

I have a friend who is so suspicious of others' motives when asking the simplest questions "do you colour your hair" for example, that she jumps down their throats. Wonder if she has twigged why all her "friends" are deserting her like rats off a sinking ship?

Perhaps the agent is just being friendly and trying to help ....

 

[sailor]

I'm never rude or arogant with it Wylie. I just have a low tolerance for the hard sell lines that agents frequently try to use on me. I'm very polite with them, but won't cop the hard and pushy sales techniques they try to use on me.

 

[wylie]

I didn't mean to imply you sailor. Sorry if you took it that way. But truly, some of the answers here just smack of arrogance, and if I was an agent, I would be doing nothing to help these people.

 

[sailor]

I didn't mean to imply you sailor. Sorry if you took it that way. But truly, some of the answers here just smack of arrogance, and if I was an agent, I would be doing nothing to help these people.

No offence taken Wylie...still love your posts and respect your opinion!

Tis difficult to interpret posts without the tone of voice. And I couldn't for one minute imagine that any of the nice people on SS would be arrogant!

 

[Bargain Hunter]

Why does anyone ask questions?

To get an answer, gather information, break the ice?

When you are asked. "How are you today?" Do you believe the person asking actually gives a damn.

If someone says, "have a nice day". Do you abuse them and say that the type of day you are going to have is none of their concern.

If I was a REA and someone answered curtly I would assume they were an ar@#$^le and let them do their thing. Some people want to buy, not be sold.

A good buyer will always take advantage if their position, as will a good salesperson. There's no need to go all Rambo when hunting for a property.

Regards

Andrew

 

[ianvestor]

do you also say that to your hairdresser when she asks "have you had a good day?". Do you answer "what's it to you, why do you want to know?"

I hate chatty hairdressers, so I'd say "I'd be having a much better day if you'd SHUT THE HELL UP and cut my hair."

No actually I'm not that rude, but it'd be nice if they'd take the hint when your answer is simply "yep".

Same goes for chatty cab drivers (and REAs!).

 

[fernfurn]

I used to be suspicious of this question and got asked it just the other day. Answered probably for investment then to live in. He answered it would be a great investment but you wouldnt want to live in it. Up here they do a duplex with one ground flr and one upstairs. This was ground floor one and he said the noise from upstairs as people walked around was dreadful. See, thats really important to know, not because I couldnt live with the noise, but because I could buy it cheap, throw up a sound deadening ceiling and resell for a profit (well, in theory) the old 'solve a problem, make money' theory

 

[wylie]

Celica, this is exactly why I would never offend an agent. Similar thing happened with our last purchase. If I had "shut down" the REA I would never have found out there was a contract already on the house we really wanted and we had to move quickly as it had yet to be countersigned.

Also, my mother was a very highly respected REA so I know most of the local ones, and wouldn't be rude to them anyway, but we got our contract in before the other one came together.

If people think about how they feel when somebody is short with them, this is how an agent can feel. Once you have been slighted, do you do anything to help that person.... I don't think so.

In some cases, shutting them down could see you "cut off you nose to spite your face".

 

[crc_error]

The problem is that once you answer angents questions, you will have 10 agents ringing you each week wanting you to come to their open.

I personally don't need agents ringing me to check out their house. I perfer to see the advert on the net, and if the place interests me, then I will go to check it out.

What I also hate is how most agents wont tell you much either. When I ask "how much is the vendor after" they will tell me, its open for the Auction.. I know this means "vendor wants to rip me off" so I usually don't attend such auctions.. if the agent can't give me a price band what the vendor expects, there is no point in attending.

I also hate how agents ask me how much I want to spend.. its none of their business, and I'm not going to give them ammunition so they know if they can screw more out of me or not.

 

[wylie]

If you don't give them an idea of your budget, they have no idea of what to show you, and then you may complain they are showing you things too dear or too cheap

You just have to play the game as best you can, but they cannot find you something if you leave them completely in the dark.

I NEVER get phone calls from agents after going to an open (except for that particular house to get my feedback - still rare to even get that call).

 

[Dazz]

If you don't give them an idea of your budget, they have no idea of what to show you, and then you may complain they are showing you things too dear or too cheap

You just have to play the game as best you can, but they cannot find you something if you leave them completely in the dark.

You and I obviously "play the game" very differently....and take a very different view on REA's, and the entire approach thereof.

I hold most, if not all, in utter contempt, for they have absolutely no contractual role or legal power within the contract. That's it and that's all. All the fluffy wuffy feelings / people skills / networking / emotions mean not a jot to me. Arrogant - perhaps some may call it that, others may call it confidence, depends on your scale or ability.....but then my aim is not to please / associate with REA's. I'm after something far more substantial and worthwhile.

To me, your contractual adversary's representative asking you detailed financial or estate questions that undermine your negotiation position is just a tad different to an irrelevant hairdresser asking "How was your day ?"

Given the different approaches, it would be interesting to compare results from "playing the game".....apparently you've been playing almost twice as long as we have. By virtue of compounding, you should have at least 8 times the results. I wonder.

IMO, contractual results speak far louder than any words, feelings, impositions or assumptions made. Once again, we differ on opinions.

 

[steveadl]

I hate chatty hairdressers, so I'd say "I'd be having a much better day if you'd SHUT THE HELL UP and cut my hair."

No actually I'm not that rude, but it'd be nice if they'd take the hint when your answer is simply "yep".

That was hilarious Ian!!

In their defence though, it's bloody awkward and uncomfortable cutting a persons hair for 20-30 mins when they just sit there in dead silence. I encourage my girls to make conversation.

 

[wylie]

You and I obviously "play the game" very differently....and take a very different view on REA's, and the entire approach thereof.

No argument there.

To me, your contractual adversary's representative asking you detailed financial or estate questions that undermine your negotiation position is just a tad different to an irrelevant hairdresser asking "How was your day ?"

I wouldn't call asking somebody if this house is for investment or to live in "detailed financial or estate questions that undermine your negotiation position". Come on!!

Given the different approaches, it would be interesting to compare results from "playing the game".....apparently you've been playing almost twice as long as we have. By virtue of compounding, you should have at least 8 times the results. I wonder.

Sorry, a little too primary school for me. We play different games. I have been playing for nearly 30 years but with a very different mind set than you, horses for courses.

IMO, contractual results speak far louder than any words, feelings, impositions or assumptions made. Once again, we differ on opinions.

Happy that we are different