The Trib quotes Jim Kinney, VP of luxury home sales for Baird & Warner, commenting on the above RE/MAX video:
“To make (part-timers) appear as ineffectual or stupid or unethical, that they’re misrepresenting that they’re on the case when they’re not, that’s not fair,” he said.
“I’ve seen productive part-time people. Almost half the people in the MLS didn’t execute a deal last year, so we obviously have some part-time people who are full-timers.”
The key to a successful relationship with both full- and part-time agents is communication, he said.
“The problem with this guy (in the video) is, he should have told his client, ‘Hey, I flip burgers from 8 to 4, but I can show your house other times,'” said Kinney. “Or, he can say, ‘I have backup,'” because he works with a team of agents.
He also said that in this economy, it’s hardly surprising to find an agent who must supplement his income just to pay the bills. It doesn’t indicate a lack of commitment to real estate, just a bottom-line need.
This is a tough market. Buyers and sellers, in my take, should insist on a full-time commitment from an experienced agent, and the agents who can’t deliver that commitment should consider moving on to another occupation.
The video notwithstanding, city-based RE/MAX agents are often neither full-timers nor experienced.
If you disagree, comment away.