Confidentiality is Key!
With the advent of reality TV and today's technology, Agents often take the wrong approach to promoting themselves and their image. Now days, most people have video with them, as well as easy access to camera's on their phones. Any conversation can be recorded easily with a cell phone just about anywhere and uploaded to You Tube or other video websites within minutes! Because of this, beware of who you hire to represent you!!!!
With your real estate transaction, confidentiality is key! Agents can take a call anywhere, be it in a restaurant, a nail salon, a theme park….anywhere! Ideally, it's always best for an agent to get out of where they are so they can have a private conversation with you to discuss your transaction. An agent (or anyone else for that matter) carrying a phone conversation on like there is no one else in the room while others can listen in and record simply is NOT a good idea.
Today I witnessed an agent talking to another agent on speaker phone at a title company in the hallway no less! The agent was trying to quip up with serious anecdotes, however, being funny was not appropriate for the conversation they were having loud enough for everyone to hear. The scene looked like the agent was being recorded for a reality TV show and it was a popularity contest to see who could be the biggest comedian. Anyone could have easily recorded her and had it up on You Tube in minutes for the whole world to watch. If this was your agent, I am very, very sorry for their behavior! Any buyer or seller would have been completely embarrased if they had watched this scenario unfold. She was trying to embarass the other agent also. It was not funny nor amusing at all and was quite uncomfortable for everyone around her.
Arrogance has no place in our industry,nor does lack of confidentiality. Your business should always be kept private and definitely off of speaker phone in public. It's always best to either return the call or walk out of an establishment to have the conversation in private. At the very least, making sure you aren't on speaker phone would be ideal to start with!
Last week I overheard an agent bashing their office fee and talking bad about their office while on a call about a transaction, also in public. She didn't know she was sitting next to a real estate agent. I found out everything that was wrong with the transaction while having to sit next to her in a public place. Another instance that had me shaking my head!
Adding "In what ways do you work to keep this transaction private and confidential while you are out in the community?" might be a great question to ask any agent you are thinking of working with. Your privacy is very, very important. Are you looking for a Reality TV Realtor who is going to publicize your every move? Please be aware that some agents aren't quiet on professional matters while out in public!
At My Florida Lifestyle, our team does not even publish "Just Sold" marketing unless the buyer or seller allows it. Many people want to keep their information private. Personalized web pages are available to share with family and friends, however, we don't send the link out to anyone except the clients for their use with their family and friends. If they don't want to share pictures of their new home and their experience, they don't have to. We won't publish anything on social media or other areas without permission. Some people want to show off their new home after they close. Others do not. Your privacy is of utmost importance and we'll never blast it out to our networks without your knowledge or approval first!
In this world of instant gratification in social media and technology, you have our promise at My Florida Lifestyle that we won't share any of your private affairs online or in public. We certainly value your business and we are pretty sure you value your confidentiality!
~Karen