Poachers beware: I will beat you with a chair
The Grunt recently had a near psycho broker experience while doing an open house. Now as I have stated in my recent entry about open houses, they are a useful tool in not only selling a listing but also acquiring buyers and more listings or they can be complete hell.
Fortunately this was not as bad as what the McNulty's had to deal with.
In the classic movie Highlander, immortals engage in duels with katanas and cutlasses and the winner takes the power of the loser by decapitating them. One place they do not do battle is holy ground aka, church or temple.
Open houses are treated with the same reverence as holy ground. It is a professional courtesy that brokers do not conduct business at an open house out of respect for the host broker. That means not handing out business cards, discussing with their buyers the pros and cons of the apartment in the presence of other buyers or engaging in any type of activity that they might disrupt or take away business from the open house. In the Grunt's mind an exclusive is not just about money but it represents the blood sweat and tears a broker has put in to get that listing. Getting an exclusive rarely happens over night. It takes years of mailings, talking to owners and tons and tons of rejection. Even when a broker gets an immediate exclusive it is a result of their toil in the past. That is why the Grunt maintains a firm policy of diplomacy when entering an open house even if the agent hosting it is a complete ass monkey.
At one open house the Grunt welcomed an agent from a brokerage that the Grunt never heard of and was accompanying a couple. All was well until the agent in question asked a pair of buyers that were leaving the open house if they had representation and gave them her card in front of the Grunt.
The Grunt was about to, as they say, put that agent into a world of hurt. But thought better of making a scene and berating the agent in front of a group buyers and chose discretion as a better part of valor. But the climate turned icy cold courtesy of the Grunt who went Iceman on her ass. The agent in question left with her buyers and tried to butter up the Grunt on how good the place was. Grunt smiled fakely and slammed the door.
It doesn't end here. This over bleached blonde, leather skinned victim of the Jersey shore proceeded to cause more trouble at another open house. At this open house the seller was present and the agent gave her business card to the seller in front of the seller's broker. The wench was lucky that she left with a full set of teeth because doing that is tantamount to urinating onto someone's new Ferrari in front of their face. The seller responded by handing off the card to the seller's broker.
Leatherface pushed her luck further by joining in a conversation between the selling broker and another owner who was interested in selling their apartment. Apparently leather face’s buyers were not important enough for her to attend to. The selling broker, in a nice manner, told her to go to hell.
The Grunt will be the first one to admit there are areas of gray where people need to make judgment calls. But there was no gray here. The poaching agent was reaping the benefits of the work of the hosting agent and was being disrespectful to the owner's home by treating it as their own personal office.
In retrospect I realize this broker was playing a scam by having her friends act as buyers, they served as her cover so she did not look like a broke down transvestite hooker trolling for johns in the meat market.
The Grunt will not post the agent's name because the Grunt is a big believer in karma. What you reap is what you sow. No permanent damage was done to the Grunt also posting her name will not stop other idiot agents from conducting themselves in this unprofessional manner. However to all the hardworking brokers out there please be aware of this type of behavior.
I guarantee that if this dumbass agent keeps pulling this scam she will run into a broker who will not be civil as the Grunt. I know of brokers who will come out guns a blazing (not literally) at people who look at their listings the wrong way.
To quote Preacher
This is not the way to get buyers ladies and gentleman. You get buyers through referrals, open houses and listings. The only thing you get by poaching is a ton of bad will, a bad reputation and bad karma.
This is just another symptom of the overabundance of untrained and ignorant agents. Hopefully once the bubble pops it will be an end to all of this insanity.
Fortunately this was not as bad as what the McNulty's had to deal with.
In the classic movie Highlander, immortals engage in duels with katanas and cutlasses and the winner takes the power of the loser by decapitating them. One place they do not do battle is holy ground aka, church or temple.
Open houses are treated with the same reverence as holy ground. It is a professional courtesy that brokers do not conduct business at an open house out of respect for the host broker. That means not handing out business cards, discussing with their buyers the pros and cons of the apartment in the presence of other buyers or engaging in any type of activity that they might disrupt or take away business from the open house. In the Grunt's mind an exclusive is not just about money but it represents the blood sweat and tears a broker has put in to get that listing. Getting an exclusive rarely happens over night. It takes years of mailings, talking to owners and tons and tons of rejection. Even when a broker gets an immediate exclusive it is a result of their toil in the past. That is why the Grunt maintains a firm policy of diplomacy when entering an open house even if the agent hosting it is a complete ass monkey.
At one open house the Grunt welcomed an agent from a brokerage that the Grunt never heard of and was accompanying a couple. All was well until the agent in question asked a pair of buyers that were leaving the open house if they had representation and gave them her card in front of the Grunt.
The Grunt was about to, as they say, put that agent into a world of hurt. But thought better of making a scene and berating the agent in front of a group buyers and chose discretion as a better part of valor. But the climate turned icy cold courtesy of the Grunt who went Iceman on her ass. The agent in question left with her buyers and tried to butter up the Grunt on how good the place was. Grunt smiled fakely and slammed the door.
It doesn't end here. This over bleached blonde, leather skinned victim of the Jersey shore proceeded to cause more trouble at another open house. At this open house the seller was present and the agent gave her business card to the seller in front of the seller's broker. The wench was lucky that she left with a full set of teeth because doing that is tantamount to urinating onto someone's new Ferrari in front of their face. The seller responded by handing off the card to the seller's broker.
Leatherface pushed her luck further by joining in a conversation between the selling broker and another owner who was interested in selling their apartment. Apparently leather face’s buyers were not important enough for her to attend to. The selling broker, in a nice manner, told her to go to hell.
The Grunt will be the first one to admit there are areas of gray where people need to make judgment calls. But there was no gray here. The poaching agent was reaping the benefits of the work of the hosting agent and was being disrespectful to the owner's home by treating it as their own personal office.
In retrospect I realize this broker was playing a scam by having her friends act as buyers, they served as her cover so she did not look like a broke down transvestite hooker trolling for johns in the meat market.
The Grunt will not post the agent's name because the Grunt is a big believer in karma. What you reap is what you sow. No permanent damage was done to the Grunt also posting her name will not stop other idiot agents from conducting themselves in this unprofessional manner. However to all the hardworking brokers out there please be aware of this type of behavior.
I guarantee that if this dumbass agent keeps pulling this scam she will run into a broker who will not be civil as the Grunt. I know of brokers who will come out guns a blazing (not literally) at people who look at their listings the wrong way.
To quote Preacher
When I'm done with you, you're gonna wish your daddy pulled out early.This is what is in store for this broker if she steps on the wrong toes in her theft of buyers at open houses. If you don't believe me Leatherface try pulling this on William Talcott May. I am sure you will enjoy his reaction.
This is not the way to get buyers ladies and gentleman. You get buyers through referrals, open houses and listings. The only thing you get by poaching is a ton of bad will, a bad reputation and bad karma.
This is just another symptom of the overabundance of untrained and ignorant agents. Hopefully once the bubble pops it will be an end to all of this insanity.
posted by Grunt at
8:09 PM
