Why Don’t Real Estate Agents Answer their Phones?

Real Estate Agents get a bad rap from clients for not answering our phones. In spite of all the coaching and complaining, it doesn’t seem to get any better. There will always be agents who do not return phone calls, and we deserve all of the criticism we get. In the competitive Phoenix market having an agent that does not respond in a timely manner can cost you.

Troy Reeves noticed this problem when he began in real estate nearly 2 decades ago. Troy has built his business around the guarantee of a 1 hour phone call. Clients of The Reeves Team love that when they list their home with us, they know that buyers calling off of the sign in their front yard, no matter what time, will have an answer within an hour. Buyers love that if they find their dream home while searching on our website, they wont miss out on the opportunity to write an offer because an agent took too long to get back to them.

Below are some of the most common reasons agents fail to answer phone calls, and how the Reeves Team has been able to find solutions to keep our clients informed at all times.

1. The consumer is calling a number on a for-sale sign, thinking that it’s an agent’s number. It’s really the number for the front desk, and the receptionist is at lunch. Or the receptionist is a voice mailbox. Some real estate companies don’t let agents put their own number on the sign — probably for fear the agent won’t answer the phone, and a lead will be lost.

Solution – The reeves team has their own dedicated number for all sign calls, and all calls in general. We have dedicated lines for each agent, and if they are not in the office, the call is forwarded directly to their cell phone.

2. The phone number displayed with the property on the Internet is a general number for the office. After being put on hold, the caller gets an agent who just got her license last week, and who knows nothing about the property. This is only slightly better — and sometimes worse — than not getting the call answered at all. But this certainly isn’t unique to the real estate industry.

Solution – All calls are answered by a Reeves Team member, and team members are up to date and have toured all of the listings the team has.

3. The caller got the agent’s voice mail and left a message, but never got a callback, because he was inquiring about a $10,000 piece of land 50 miles away, and the agent had no interest in the business. The caller ends up calling six agents before he gets help.

Solution – If we don’t answer the call, we will return it within one hour, no matter what the call is about. Its a guarantee, or dinner for two is on us.

4. The buyer was sitting in front of the house and called the agent. The agent was out with buyers showing them a house and did not pick up the phone so the buyer drove away.

Solution – During business hours the Reeves Team has a full time licensed assistant answering sign calls, Lora Powers, who has been with the team over 10 years. She knows about all listings, a buyer will always get an answer with the Reeves Team.

We talk to agents all the time, and we will be the first to admit there is a problem in the real estate industry, there are many agents who do not return phone calls in a timely manner. Its important to us that you feel confident your call, and buyers calling about your property, will not be forgotten.

Have you ever had a problem with an agent not returning a phone call? Let us know in the comment section below.

And remember we are “The home of the one hour returned phone call, or dinner for two is on us!”