Puppy Dog Sweaters!??!?

Another busy weekend filled with Christmas shopping, open houses, and even a little house hunting of my own! After my open house Saturday on Cleveland in Old Town, I ran over to meet with an agent to view a property in the West Loop. This 2 bedroom condo was a potential home for my husband and I, plus I enjoy seeing as many listings as possible to keep me up-to-date on the current market.

When I arrived, I was greeted by a woman from a well known Chicago agency who has been in the business for quite a while. We chatted for a moment about real estate, where I live, and what I am looking for. However, almost immediately she seemingly forgot everything we had just discussed and began asking me obvious questions that I had already answered.

Firstly, she mentioned how, "This is a fabulous location, there is a dog park nearby, you can walk to the Metra, restaurants on Randolph street, and Greektown is just 2 blocks away." I just ignored the fact that I had already told her twice where I lived (Greektown). Moving on.....she also casually mentioned, "I just want to let you know that I have had five showings today, and I have a second showing tonight, Oh and by the way this unit is priced to sell."

The conversation carried on in this same fashion; me repeating myself, and her ignoring every word that I said. Although I was clearly uninterested in buying this property from her, she continued to go on and on about how great it was. I do realize that everyone has their own approach to sales and real estate in particular, but there are just some things that I would do a little differently with my client. At least I was able to learn something from my short conversation with this seasoned agent, mainly that I never want to become an automated salesperson, one who simply goes through a routine with every client, denying each person a tailored approach, and trying to force a client into buying something that isn't suited for them. This was definitely a life lesson learned about what type of agent I want to be and what standards I will set for my business.

Most importantly, I want to be an agent who listens to my clients, and refrains from wearing any sort of knit sweater, especially one with puppy dogs and/or Christmas trees on it!

(This particular agent will remain anonymous due to possible embarrassment from fashion crimes formerly committed).