{"id":78237,"date":"2019-09-10T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T15:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/renewsblog\/?p=78237"},"modified":"2021-09-12T21:06:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T03:06:06","slug":"2016-05-25-stop-aeoeinvestor-friendlyaereal-estate-agent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2016-05-25-stop-aeoeinvestor-friendlyaereal-estate-agent","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Stop Looking for an &#8220;Investor-Friendly&#8221; Real Estate Agent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In my research through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/forums\" target=\"_blank\">BiggerPockets Forums<\/a> attempting to understand the needs of potential future clients as a new real estate agent, I have come across countless threads looking for \u201cinvestor-friendly\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/agent\/match?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog-ad\" class=\"rank-math-link\" target=\"_blank\">real estate agents<\/a>. Are they really the unicorns of real estate? I don&#8217;t think so. Let me share my perspective with you. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Let&#8217;s start with the term \u201cinvestor-friendly.\u201d This implies there are agents out there who are investor-unfriendly, and if the posts on BiggerPockets are any indication, they seem to be out in great numbers since every newer investor seems to be searching for the friendly ones with no luck. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In life, if we wander around every day not being able to find a friendly person, at what point do we start looking in the mirror?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"p1 wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">Are You Looking for a Friend or a Professional?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It may sound harsh, but agents are not friendly or unfriendly towards you because they need a new pal. By statute, agents owe every client the same fiduciary responsibilities. These responsibilities are confidentiality, loyalty, obedience, disclosure, care, and accounting. These may vary state to state. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">That being said, even though all agents are required to perform these duties for all clients, a true professional will exceed in every category. When they are exceeding in every category, they tend to make a good living, and their time becomes scarce.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"702\" height=\"336\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/shake-hands-deal.jpg\" alt=\"Young business people shaking hands in the office. Finishing successful meeting. Three persons\" class=\"wp-image-108818\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/shake-hands-deal.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/shake-hands-deal-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/renewsblog\/2014\/07\/05\/cant-find-investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-just\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Epic Guide to Finding an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In combing through these threads, the following are actual statements from investors that give me some insight into what they consider&nbsp;\u201cfriendly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI need someone who answers the phone.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI&#8217;m a first time buyer, and I need reliable information on my market.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI want an agent who will be patient and educate me on what to look for so that I will not get ripped off.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI really want an agent who will help me negotiate the best price.\u201d<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">I could go on and on, but what I have learned from these comments is investors are not looking for someone who is \u201cfriendly\u201d\u2014they are looking for an agent who is a \u201cprofessional.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Do you agree?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n    \n  <div id=\"visibility-group-block_2e5b8709fafa2b7b15c0a9b7f7b2d27c\" class=\"visibility-group alignwide  hidden\">\n        \n\n<div id=\"hero-block_9711e5bf7bac09a09594b4b3fdae580d\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4  alignwide   has-background has-slate-200-background-color has-text-color has-theme-gold-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\"gap-10 lg:gap-20 flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 lg:w-1\/2 \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<p class=\"has-slate-800-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:800\">Find the Right Agent, Close the Best Deal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-slate-900-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Step #1: Use Agent Finder to match with top <em><strong>investor-friendly<\/strong><\/em> real estate agents to help you find, analyze, and close your next deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_a4e82f08f3bd636f71c3ff2b935f058e class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a\n    href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/agent\/match\"\n        x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track('Blog Block | B2C Marketplace Agent Finder', {\n      referrer: 'https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2016-05-25-stop-aeoeinvestor-friendlyaereal-estate-agent',\n    });\"\n    class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-blue-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Find an Agent<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n                <div class=\"lg:w-1\/2 first:mt-0 relative h-full lg:flex lg:items-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"object-cover w-full relative z-20 my-0  rounded-md hidden lg:block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Marketplace-Blog-Blocks-Agent-v3.png\" alt=\"investor friendly real estate agent\" title=\"\">\n        <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n  \n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n    \n  <div id=\"visibility-group-block_64dd31c79f00f\" class=\"visibility-group  \">\n        \n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"hero-block_64dd2875dba9d\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4    has-background has-slate-100-background-color has-text-color has-theme-slate-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\" flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 w-full \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading my-0 tracking-tight font-extrabold has-theme-slate-dark-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\">Join the community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-theme-slate-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400\">Ready to succeed in real estate investing? Create a free BiggerPockets account to learn about investment strategies; ask questions and get answers from our community of +2 million members; connect with investor-friendly agents; and so much more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_64dd2888dba9e class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a\n    href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/signup\"\n        x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track('Blog Block | Acquisition | Free Membership Signup', {\n      referrer: 'https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2016-05-25-stop-aeoeinvestor-friendlyaereal-estate-agent',\n    });\"\n    class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-blue-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Sign Up<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div>\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"p1 wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\"> Why Is It Difficult to Find a Professional Who Will Work With Investors Consistently?&nbsp;<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Now that we know a professional is what we are looking for, let me share some of the reasons straight from the BP Forums as to why agents shy away from working with some investors.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cHe wanted me to write 15 offers on pristine houses, all at 40% below retail market price.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cHe constantly called me for weeks asking for information off the MLS, and then purchased with a different agent.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cThey continually talked about the &#8216;investor boot camp&#8217; and ignored my professional advice.\u201d<\/span><\/li><li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cI worked with an investor once, and they would call at all hours, expecting me to drop all my other clients to work on what they wanted.\u201d<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Again, I could make a lengthy list, but a majority of the complaints from the agent side have a common thread. The investors are wasting their precious time and\/or not respecting the advice from the agent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In addition to the above, there were countless investors looking to enlist agents for duties suited to an assistant or receptionist. There may be agents out there who will write endless offers, drop everything to get information off the MLS, and be willing to perform whatever duties are required by an investor with the hope of closing a single transaction, but in my opinion, these will not be the most professional agents or those who have extensive knowledge of the market. They are individuals trying to stay afloat in their business.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"> Is this the type of person you want working for you?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/renewsblog\/2016\/05\/08\/rentals-landlord-friendly-market\/\" target=\"_blank\">Are Your Rentals in a Landlord-Friendly State? Here\u2019s Why That Makes a BIG Difference.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"p1 wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">Become What You Are Looking to Attract<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">We want to find an investor-friendly agent, but are we agent-friendly investors? Sometimes it&#8217;s hard to acknowledge our own flaws. Devote some extra time to dig in deep and really get to know what an agent does during their daily activities. The juggling act that is discovered will most likely be a surprise and will help anyone have a deeper appreciation of the amount of time and effort that is involved to produce great results for clients consistently.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"p1 wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s1\">Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agents Do Not Exist<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">There are only professionals and non-professionals. When two professionals work together, it will naturally be a mutually beneficial relationship, and both parties will work to keep the relationship intact. The time and knowledge of both sides will be respected by the other. If either an agent or an investor finds it difficult to work with the other, there may be a need for one or both to step up the game to a professional level.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">If you are an agent or an investor, let me know how you feel, and share your experiences in the comments!&nbsp;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Leave your opinions below!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are investor-friendly agents the &#8220;unicorns&#8221; of the real estate world\u2014or are investors just not looking for them the correct way? Get valuable insight here!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2945,"featured_media":115317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5524],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-for-beginners"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2945"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}