Property Agents – Ethics Please


image credit: arboltsef

The Case

Awhile ago I was with my client who has give me exclusive to market her place in Sunny Palms (D15 – Telok Kurau) and also to find and secure her a new place.

She was mentioning about this rogue agent (name not mentioned) who actually has an expatriate couple who might be interested in the place;

The agent mentioned to my home owner his interest to go directly to her and advised her how to go about nullifying my exclusive by writing in to Knight Frank. Fortunately my client is very responsible to me and told him that unless he’s able to fetch even higher price to pay the both of us, else undercutting is totally out of scope.

Well, this happens from time to time with the cut throat business’s risks that we have to bear.

Which Reminds Me of Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching!

There’s a chapter in Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching on Competition means prepare to be your best which damns people like these and yet it reminds me to be always at my best while I’m at my job.

Principle 27 of Cha Ching (abstract from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Book)

1) Going over the competition

The ideal way to win. It assumes that you take the high ground. It doesn’t mean sit back and wait. It means rise above in such a way that the competition has to respond or lose. Here are a few “over” ways: e-zine, seminars, and referrals. Building value by building profit. Earn testimonials and using them to get “over” again.

2) Ignore competition

I go for “best”, not “beat.” It’s a better, cleaner win.

Do I always win? No. But I always feel I should have. And I have a self confidence that keeps me ready for the next opportunity. I wake up the next day and go to work sharpening my skills.

Ethics Please

While I work on my code of conduct and bringing the best to my customers, it still fumes me a little with such scum being in our industry.

Play fair if you’re in this for the long run, else we’re sure to cross each others path one day and should you need any help, I’m sure it will backfire with one or another fellow agent some days.

6 thoughts on “Property Agents – Ethics Please

  1. Yeah i have a fair share of other agents undercutting me when i first started out. You are lucky that the owner is responsible for you. For me I’m not, I was told right in my face by the other agent that he got the exclusive from the owner to market the house. To all new agents out there who is reading this comment. Keep a look out of such rogue agents that are ever ready to snatch you business.

    Benson, do you have a feedburner email link so i can follow you?

  2. Hi Benson, I totally agreed with Lawerence that there will always be some rogue agents from our industry. I do had some bad experiences with them. However, I feel that our conduct should not be influenced by their bad behaviours, but instead we should choose to uphold our conduct uprightly and give our best service to our clients and our follow colleagues.

  3. Hi Leon, that’s luck for you I suppose! :) At the end of the day, if you have a good relationship establish with your owner, they’ll probably protect you.

    But for open listings, the competition is high and you’re bound to hit some rocks at some point. Again, it’s part of the ugly culture that agents have to face to perform effectively for their clients from time to time.

    Thanks for dropping by!

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