We’ve called attention, on occasion, to what we call “stupid Realtor tricks.” The tricks tend to cause little, if any, harm because they’re so transparently stupid.
Stupid Realtor traits are often more damaging to sellers and would-be buyers. One very common Realtor trait is a sloppy approach to location (neighborhood name), location (spelling of street names) and location (ZIP codes).
That sloppiness can result in a property lingering on the market longer than necessary. If you were doing a ZIP code search on 60602, for example, you’d miss 8 of the 23 listings at The Heritage, 130 N Garland. Seven listings are in 60603 and one is in 60610. You can repeat that exercise on your own, ad nauseam.
If you’re a buyer interested in a particular building, search by address – and even that won’t always get you all the listings. If you’re a seller, triple-check every piece of information your Realtor enters in the MLS.
Sometimes it’s difficult to determine whether erroneous info results from a trick or trait. Does a Realtor not know where Bucktown is or is he deliberately misleading? Are the two low-priced rental listings in 60657 that come up in a search for 60607 dyslexic or duplicitous? I’d bet on the latter, but can’t rule out the former.
Share your stupid Realtor and real estate agent tricks and traits in the comments.