Watch OUT! They NEVER Forget
“Warning: This is a generalization…. Thanks Cara”. 
Real estate agents are like elephants. No they are not big or ugly or smell. Agents are like elephants because they – like elephants – have great memories – they never forget – they hold grudges against their abusers. My mom says by 7 year old daughter has a memory like an elephant. She never forgets. Really. We go places that I have long since forgotten about that she remembers – immediately. “Dad, remember, we were here with x and remember dad, you had that coffee drink that I didn’t like but I liked the whip creme” Whaaaaaaat? And she is right too. Like an elephant, she never forgets.
You know who else never forgets? [Besides women] – Real estate agents. They never forget. [Yes, I suppose this is sort of a generalization, but with 10 years in the title industry, from my experience it was a reality]. They never forget someone or something that has wronged them and like elephants, they hold grudges. Here in AZ, there is or rather “was” a home builder that in the middle of the housing boom [2005] – changed their commission structure – for the builders benefit. The builder (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) changed the agent’s commission structure to a flat fee. Where as prior to the boom, agents earned 3% commission for selling a new home, the builder started offering a flat fee – most times well below the 3% the real estate agent would have earned. They also made signing in buyers harder – for the real estate agent. This was perceived by many as an attitude of “we don’t need you anymore” towards the real estate agents. Did they? Yes. But like so many other companies, they took short cuts to try and save a buck and in the end – hurt themselves. To this day, I still hear real estate agents talking about this builder “I will never sell one of their homes, I remember when…… [Insert agents version of the story here]. You may be wondering how this has anything to do with real estate marketing – with title company marketing. The answer is simple. Everything.
I talked to an agent today who wanted to vent. My company PRO-Found Marketing is building a website for him so I was following up to get some of his collateral materials - picture, logo, site map etc. While following up with him, he apologized for not getting back to me sooner “I’m sorry dude, I’ve been pitting out fires all day” he said. “What happened?” I asked. I heard him sigh as he is clearly repeating this story for probably the 10th time today, [that’s another thing, real estate agents will tell everyone if they’re wronged, that’s another story though]. He tells me that he is selling a bank owned property [big shock, most of the properties on the market here In AZ are some kind of distressed sale – REO or short sale]. He continues “I’ve called this escrow officer over and over and over again, no return call. I’ve sent her email after email to no avail. Finally I got ahold of her and what does she do? Yells at me, gives me some garbage excuse and to make matters worse, gives me a holier than thou attitude. And then he says it “I’ll never work with her or her title company again!” OUCH!. I believe him too. Why? Because agents never forget!
Fast forward 2 3 years from today, when the housing market begins to recover and this escrow officer – this title company will be looking for business. That call might go something like this “Hello John, this is Brenda with XYZ title, we worked together in 2011, remember? We worked on the Johnson file? “CLICK”. End of call. Why? Because this agent didn’t forget the horrible service and the attitude he received from Brenda. Brenda and her title company have a problem – a big one too.
That call might go totally different if Brenda calls and says she has a solution to help him grow his business. No, not with postcards or flyers or labels or geographic farms or magnets or single property websites or IVR [call capture], no a solution that actually works.
Pro-Found Marketing. With over 35 years of real estate, lending and title experience we know how real estate agents work, how title companies work and the challenges both of them face with growing their businesses – with developing a strong Unique Selling Proposition. More importantly, we know how consumers search for real estate and how they will find their next home, real estate agent and title company. Online! Visit our website at FoundWithProfound.com
We are profound marketing, we help professionals get found online. Let’s talk. We’re experts.
If you are an agent – How Have You Been Wronged? Will You forget?
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