Ding-dong: It's your local real estate agent at your door

How would you feel if a real estate agent came to your door looking for your business? Would you be turned off by the forward solicitation or happy to receive it?

I was speaking with a real estate agent a few months ago. She confided in me that she was not having an easy go of it. She said she felt she was confident in her services, but nobody knew she existed. She couldn't drum up any business and had bills to pay. This real estate agent decided she was going to start going door-to-door and let people know she was available to help them buy or sell houses.

I have lived in my house for three years now. I work from home and any solicitations during business hours are a disturbance to me. After 3:45 p.m., my two school-aged children arrive home. This is an even worse time for me to be interrupted by solicitors. That last hour and 15 minutes of my work day is a balancing act and usually manages to run well. My children are too young not to be distracted by a visitor and they certainly wouldn't let a rung door go unanswered. My lifestyle is not conducive to a door-to-door salesperson.

I will say, however, I would welcome a postcard or a letter. In the three years I have lived in my neighborhood, I have received one "Just Listed" post card. You want to know something? It was from a real estate agent in Colorado. I still haven't quite figured that out. I thought maybe she was trying to capture second home and retiree business, but Lake Geneva, WI, is a resort town.

A few months ago, I logged into a website. I was intrigued by an ad I saw for a house in a neighboring town. I signed up for email notifications of listings within a $250-300,000 price range; 4 bedroom, 2 bath. I opted in for emails.

I received emails for the first 2 months, then a random email 1 1/2 months after that. I have not received any emails since then. Are there no listings anymore within my price range? Is there no news to share about real estate in my area? Am I a non-entity?

I have not had any local real estate agents knocking on my door.  In fact, there hasn't been one real estate agent in my area in 3 years who has tried to communicate consistently with me--not one. I will probably purchase in the next 2 years. But if I had a better reason to move up my time frame--the perfect house, a special mortgage program, the right price or a sudden uptick in prices--I could change my mind.   

And no one yet has left an impression on me with their area knowledge or service level. So when it comes to an agent choice, I will be making that on my own. 

And it would be so cheap and easy to have made me a customer through a little attention, consistency and good advice.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

Comments

[Laura Bergells]

Wow. Door-to-door. What a reputation killer.

At least that beats the Realtor who was standing at the gas station, handing out his business cards... "but only to people with nice cars."

Door-to-door and gas stations...what next?

And why would anyone want to work with someone that desperate? If these agents can't market themselves effectively, how can they possibly market your home?