Lakewood, CA
I’m sure many of us watched a great super bowl a few weeks ago. As I watched the two quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger, and Kurt Warner I could not help but be in amazement of how both players were able to march their team down the sidelines on multiple occasions.
This is what short sale specialist should be a quarterback taking charge of that transaction.
This is what I mean I had a client put in an offer on a Lakewood short sale 3 weeks ago. I have called the agent 4 times and emailed him 5 times with no response to my correspondence. (At first I thought maybe something happened to the guy, but the secretary confirmed everything was OK)
I decided today I was going to the office to pay Joe (not his real name a visit)
I arrived at his office to find him being not very productive. I’m not a bit perturbed.
Joe, hey what is going on with my client (X”s) offer on you Lakewood short sale listing?
Um, well it’s still sitting on my desk. You mean just awaiting approval?
Well not really, you see umm, it is still sitting on the desk.
I’m sorry Joe, can you be more specific than that, well I didn’t know what to do with it. You have got to be kidding me I almost fell over standing up. (This agent has been in the business for 6 years). I said take me to your desk right now, and I will get this handled right here right now… Well I don’t think you can go back through our office, since you don’t work here.
Joe do me a favor, call your broker, and let her know you have had an offer on one of her listings sitting on your desk for 3 weeks. Please tell me what she says…
Ok, I will take you back to my desk. In a matter of an 1.5 hours I was able to get the offer submitted with the whole complete file, I put the file in a nice staking order, and gave him notes on how to follow up with the bank, and what to do next. I told him should you have any challenges whatsoever you call me immediately, and I will follow up on your behalf. Joe thanked me, and I said “you owe me the larger portion of the commission”.
We both laughed, as he walked me to the front. Joe shook my hand, and said” thank you for quarterbacking this transaction, if you would not have shown up at my office today I might not have been here tomorrow”.
I’m not exactly sure what he was referring to, but as I walked to my car I felt proud that I was the quarterback of this transaction, and moving it down field (for a closing)
Regards,
Bernie Germani
www.socalhomesbybernie.com
www.reofunding4u.com
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article and this is so true in today’s market. There are so many misinformed “JOE’s” out there. The unfortunate part is they are doing this to people who are facing foreclosure. I have been toying around with the idea of making part of my purchase agreements where I, as the buyer agent, mitigate the files. I doubt this would be a successful tactic as there would be an issue with the seller giving me bank authorization and I am sure the ego’s in our business would not allow this to go to far.
Ray,
Thank you for your comment I truly appreciate that. I’m very frustrated as of late, because I keep dealing with these misinformed Joe’s as you mentioned, who still in 2009 have no clue about short sales. The other thing that is annoying me, believe it or not even here in California that brokers are advising their Realtors don’t get involved in short sales…. AGHHHHHHHH!!!!! You have got to be kidding me.