6 Signs Your Real Estate Agent Is “Quiet Quitting” and It May Be Time to Find a New One

The concept of “quiet quitting” came out of nowhere this year, and has quickly become a term pretty much everyone’s heard. But just in case you’re not familiar with what that is, it’s when someone doesn’t actually quit their job, but starts doing the bare minimum needed without getting fired.

Most real estate agents can’t even relate to what that would be like! Not only are they used to hustling and going above and beyond, it’s pretty much expected!

But there are definitely some agents who do the bare minimum and somehow manage to work with enough tolerant clients to make a living and stay in the business. Perhaps those clients don’t always know it’s not normal, and that they should expect more from an agent.

So let’s took a look at 6 signs that your agent is basically “quiet quitting” so you know that it may be time to find a new one:

1) They’re ignoring your calls

Agents are often very busy, so don’t think that your agent is ignoring you if it just takes them a little while to get back to you. But if you can never get your agent on the phone, or they never return your calls or texts in a timely manner, it may be a sign that your agent is a quiet quitter.

2) They’re a drive-by shooter

The first thing buyers typically see when your house is for sale is the front exterior picture your agent or their photographer took for the MLS listing. Technology has come a long way, so it’s possible that an agent can take an amazing picture simply using the camera on their phone, if they know what they’re doing. But beyond the front shot of the house, there should be a great picture of every room in your house and the property.

But there are some agents who pull their car up in front of a client’s house, roll the window down, and take a crooked, blurry shot of their new listing and drive away. If that’s the extent of your listing agent’s photo shoot for your house, that’s a telltale sign of quiet quitting…

3) They’re not even looking

When you’re a buyer searching for houses, there’s a good chance you’ll know about a lot of new listings at the same time as your agent, and maybe even before they do. Your agent could easily be on an appointment when a new listing hits, and you happen to see it online while you’re surfing listing sites during a break at work. So don’t be too quick to judge if you see it before they let you know about it.

But some agents don’t do any searching and basically just wait for clients to send them houses they want to see. So if you’re always asking, “What about this one?”, because your agent never sends listings and has no clue what’s on the market, then they may be quietly quitting.

4) They’re just throwin’ a dart

Coming up with the most appropriate price for a client’s house is as much an art, as it is a science. Most agents put a lot of time and thought into doing a thorough comparative market analysis (CMA) to help get their clients the highest price they can for their house.

So if your agent is basically throwing a dart at a board of random numbers to come up with a suggested listing price—or worse, just using the Zestimate for your house—you’ve got a quiet quitter trying to list your house, and you’re better off finding one who does a detailed analysis.

5) They constantly can’t make it

Again, agents can get super busy, so it’s normal if your agent has a scheduling snafu once in a while. Appointments run late, times get shifted, and emergencies happen.

But if your agent is never available when you need an appointment, constantly running late, or canceling appointments with you at the last minute, it’s a good sign that they’re willing to see just how far they can take doing the bare minimum before you fire ‘em.

6) They slouch on your couch

Real estate agents are divided on whether or not holding open houses are worth it or not. Every agent has their reasons and perspective, and neither side is right or wrong. Just make sure you and your agent are on the same page about whether or not they’ll hold open houses for your house.

But if your agent holds an open house at your home and you come back to find them sitting on your couch watching the big game, or binge watching Netflix on your couch, it’s a good sign they used your house to get away from their family for a few hours and find a little peace and quiet quitting…