Agent provocateur 11 Oct 06
One of the conversations any agent dreads having is the “I’d like to
bring a friend to have a look” variety. This seems to be a peculiarly
male affliction, and given that everyone has an opinion about property
you can guarantee that any friend will want to have an opinion about
yours.
Women appear to be less likely to want be negative, and in the same way that they make better estate agents they’ll want you to feel warm and positive about your choice. They have none of the machismo that obfuscates the male view and forces, willingly or not, a negative view designed to say “I know more about this subject than you do”.
The worst part of any such “bring a friend” visit is the opportunity it presents for a little one upmanship. The current ad for the telephone company we all love to hate on TV featuring Kris Marshall from Love Actually buys into this with a couple of quips at the stereotypical bumbling young suited and booted negotiator. The friend knows perfectly well that the agent wants to make the sale and it’s all too easy to play on this.
Several times I’ve had to bite my lip when goaded by someone with absolutely no stake whatsoever in what’s happening but yet has a determination to be noticed, especially if it’s a boyfriend asked to look at a girlfriend’s prospective pad. Wall tappers and amateur developers can easily impress the potential buyer whilst belittling the agent who only wants to help.
It’s human nature at it’s worst and affects the course of thousands of sales up and down the country. Indeed it’s almost so bad that it had crossed my mind to disallow any such viewings where the friend is male but sadly that’s not practicable.
It’s not an easy problem to warn buyers against either as they’ve got the best intentions asking a friend in the first place. It’s a big decision but next to a slow solicitor is the biggest deal killer out there. If you can afford to buy your own place you’re probably big enough to make the right decision yourself.
Women appear to be less likely to want be negative, and in the same way that they make better estate agents they’ll want you to feel warm and positive about your choice. They have none of the machismo that obfuscates the male view and forces, willingly or not, a negative view designed to say “I know more about this subject than you do”.
The worst part of any such “bring a friend” visit is the opportunity it presents for a little one upmanship. The current ad for the telephone company we all love to hate on TV featuring Kris Marshall from Love Actually buys into this with a couple of quips at the stereotypical bumbling young suited and booted negotiator. The friend knows perfectly well that the agent wants to make the sale and it’s all too easy to play on this.
Several times I’ve had to bite my lip when goaded by someone with absolutely no stake whatsoever in what’s happening but yet has a determination to be noticed, especially if it’s a boyfriend asked to look at a girlfriend’s prospective pad. Wall tappers and amateur developers can easily impress the potential buyer whilst belittling the agent who only wants to help.
It’s human nature at it’s worst and affects the course of thousands of sales up and down the country. Indeed it’s almost so bad that it had crossed my mind to disallow any such viewings where the friend is male but sadly that’s not practicable.
It’s not an easy problem to warn buyers against either as they’ve got the best intentions asking a friend in the first place. It’s a big decision but next to a slow solicitor is the biggest deal killer out there. If you can afford to buy your own place you’re probably big enough to make the right decision yourself.