THE ETHICS GUY

Kim Spencer Manager Professional Standards kspencer@rebgv.org

Time, it’s not on our side; tick-tock, tick-tock Like real estate, time can’t be manufactured. There are only 24 hours in a day and each of us has a limited amount of time on this earth. We spend a quarter of the day sleeping, another hour or so bathing and grooming, a couple of hours eating, an hour or two in our cars, a few hours doing business support work and a bit of time on personal business.     This leaves three or four hours a day to find suitable properties for buyers, prepare CMAs and listing presentations for sellers, prospect for business, do showings, make presentations and most importantly, write and negotiate offers.     It would be a neat trick if we could stop the clock, slow down time or even manufacture more of it so that we could cram more things into our already busy day. Too bad we can’t. It seems to me that the only way we can create more time is not to waste the time we have. We, at least, can control what we do with our own time. What we can’t control, however, are the things that others do that waste our valuable time.     Are we respectful of each other’s time or do you think that our respect for another’s time has become a lost courtesy? Think about it. When we’re gasping out our last breaths at the end of our lives wouldn’t it be nice, at least, to know that our time on earth was well spent and not wasted?

Members’ least favourite time wasters Unsubscribing to new listing SPAM; deleting each one by one; calling the Board to ask what can be done about it. Sales not promptly reported, resulting in wasted calls making appointments for a property that is already sold. Listings that can’t be shown because “they’re off the market” (Please review the Rules of Cooperation 3.20 – Member access to listed property. Why then, are they still on MLS®?) Members who can’t be reached, are always out, who don’t return calls, pages, faxes, emails or text messages. Members putting their office number on listings when they are never there. When another member calls, the receptionist says to call the member’s cell number. Why not put the cell number on the listing or better yet, use Touchbase and designate the best number at which to reach you? One-bedroom and den units being advertised as two-bedroom units, resulting in unnecessary showings. Booking a property inspection with an inspector without first checking for suitable times with the listing REALTOR®. Incomplete showing request messages, e.g. “Call John at ABC Realty re 1234 Main St.” Why not say, “John Smith at ABC Realty, requests showing for 1234 Main St, tomorrow at noon, please confirm at this number.” (It would be great if that number was one that actually reached the member and wasn’t a number that had been call-forwarded to the office.) Touchbase is a good tool for setting up showings. Why not give it a try? Members making unnecessary calls to other members late at night or early in the morning when the matter is not time-sensitive and can wait. Incomplete listing information, resulting in extra calls by the buyers’ REALTORS® to sellers’ REALTORS® to get information, e.g. whether pets are acceptable but their size is restricted. Why not provide the details? Required strata documentation (Rules of Cooperation,6.4 – Strata properties) not being made available to buyers’ REALTORS®. MLS® listing comments that do not accurately reflect property data (especially strata information). Half duplexes with a common wall being advertised as a “detached” property.

And now for the good news! A bouquet Congratulations Mona Saffari of Royal LePage Showcase Plus in Port Moody! Nader Entezami of Sutton Grp-West Coast Realty in North Vancouver has sent you a bouquet.     Here’s why. Nader made arrangements to show Mona’s listing in North Coquitlam. Mona was busy with clients so she put a lock box on her listing. Nader drove to the property from North Vancouver and discovered he had forgotten to bring his lock box key. His buyers were on their way and there wasn’t enough time for Nader to return to his office to get his key. He phoned Mona who was at a showing in North Burnaby. Nader told her his sad tale, Mona spoke to her clients and they agreed to meet her again later in the day. Mona then drove from North Burnaby to meet Nader so he could show her listing. Nader said that Mona helped him in a “beautiful, beautiful way even though she didn’t have to, and of course, saved my life!” Kudos to Mona!