Buyers, Be Patient!
By Jim Palmer Jr.

Recently, designated brokers in our region have reported calls from frustrated buyers who say brokers don’t answer their phones. In one of the cases, the buyer showed up from a distant coastal city on a weekend with the expectation that they could call at the last minute and have brokers pick up their phone or jump and run at their beckon call. The buyer’s perception must be that the Realtor® puts up a sign and then sits next to the phone waiting for a call. This particular buyer called multiple brokers who did not (could not?) respond right away which caused them to become very frustrated. Evidently they were out driving around calling on yard signs on for-sale-properties.

Of course listing brokers want to respond to every call that comes in on their listings because that is how the broker eventually gets paid, but the reality and logistics of a marketing plan aren’t as simplistic as these impatient buyers think. Experienced professional brokers are never sitting by a phone just to answer your call, even though they may have assistants who will. If they are experienced enough to be worthy of your business they are likely busy with a myriad of other tasks when your call comes in. Oh, and don’t forget, they have a personal life too!

If you are one of those frustrated buyers, you will come to realize that your last minute methods don’t work. You should be courteous enough to call a few days in advance of your road trip. Not only do you need to be sure your choice of brokers can schedule time for you, but they need time to arrange showings or gather information ahead of a planned showing schedule. Sorry to be so blunt, but if you aren’t willing to offer that amount of courtesy to a broker, then you aren’t worthy of their time.

Another reason your last minute antics won’t work is that the Spokane region is currently rated as the most competitive real estate market in the whole country. That means the 2,300 brokers you could possibly hire are likely booked ahead of time. That means you’ll probably have to stand in line to be waited on unless you have called ahead and committed your loyalty to one broker. Be patient! Approximately 73% of searches for Spokane homes are coming from out-of-towners who are your competition. Maybe that’s who the broker was with when you called!