9 Pet Peeves of Every Real Estate Agent

The real estate agent lifestyle isn’t for everyone. We usually love what we do, but some people would be horrified if they spent a day in our shoes. Our lives involve lots of traveling, variety, and very rarely are two days ever the same.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that being an agent doesn’t come with its share of irritations. It can be very stressful, and a lot can go wrong. Most agents have developed their own pet peeves over the years – things that drive them absolutely crazy. Here are some of the most common pet peeves of real estate agents:

1. Close friends and family who hire someone else

Of course, everyone is free to hire whomever they please as their agent. But it does sting a bit more when it’s a close friend or family member, especially if you’ve helped them with real estate advice in the past. You can’t take business personally, but in this instance, that’s easier said than done.

2. When a prospective client refuses to get pre-approved

Clients who are stubborn and refuse to go through the pre-approval process before looking for a home are a thorny issue. What many people don’t understand is that getting prequalified is for their own good. Why would you want to waste weeks or months looking for your dream home if there’s a chance that you can’t even line up financing?

3. Showing a filthy property

Real estate agents can only do so much to make a property more marketable, and having an unkempt house makes it harder for agents to do their job and get as much money for their clients as possible. Of course, no one can force someone to clean up a property, but it will always be a smart thing to do.

4. Clients who ask to reduce the commission

Agents understand that clients want to get the best deal possible, but cutting an agent’s commission isn’t the right way to go. Many people forget that an agent only gets paid if a transaction goes through, and is not only working for free the rest of the time, but spending their own money on marketing, travel, etc. This is why a client asking for a reduction in the agent’s commission is such a major pet peeve.

5. Appraisal issues

Agents can’t control the outcome of the appraisal process, which makes it that much more frustrating when something goes wrong. Issues during an appraisal — whether it’s a dramatically reduced value, or the discovery of catastrophic structural issues — can stop a deal dead in its tracks.

6. People who say that being an agent is easy

There’s nothing easy about being an agent unless you play one on TV. Agents don’t get paid if they don’t find clients, and market forces, random events, and the universe all seem to conspire to get in our way sometimes. Being an agent is a lot of things, but easy isn’t one of them.

7. Issues putting up signs

You know those beautiful real estate signs you see when you drive by a listed property? Well what you didn’t see is the occasional battle royale that’s involved in violently trying to force the sign into the ground and have it stay in place the right way. Eventually you get the hang of it, but it can be daunting.

8. Problems with mortgage financing

Mortgages can cause more problems for a real estate transaction than anything else. Tight, oftentimes irrational guidelines can make a seemingly easy deal a complete nightmare. And don’t, under any circumstances, even think about taking on any new debt if you’re in the process of buying a house. Seriously!

9. Zillow

Zillow seems to conspire to drive agents crazy from all angles. Convincing homeowners that their house is valued at significantly more than it really is, calling agents constantly to overpay for advertising, and generally being the bane of an agent’s existence should all be in Zillow’s ‘about’ section.