Many state and local real estate professional groups have codes of ethics that they ask their members to uphold. As a real estate professional, you should absolutely pursue ethical conduct in all areas of your business. However, great client relationships – and therefore a prosperous business – go beyond this code. Here are ten specific promises real estate professionals should make to each client.
10 Realtor Promises to Clients
Excellent customer service goes beyond simply following a code of ethics. Here are ten promises you should make to every client.
1. I promise to tell you the truth about your property
I will give you my honest assessment of what your home is worth. I won’t mislead you about its value in order to get your listing or make you feel good.
An honest evaluation is vital to a successful Realtor-client relationship. Overvaluing a property will only lead to frustration when it sits on the market longer than it should.
2. I promise to disclose all my relationships in the transaction.
If I am representing both the buyer and the seller in our transaction, I am obligated to tell you. However, there are other kinds of relationships that may influence our business together, so if you’re thinking of buying my brother-in-law’s house, I’ll tell you that too. I believe that complete honesty is the best policy.
3. I promise not to put my commission ahead of what’s best for you.
Of course I earn more money if you buy a $300,000 house instead of a $200,000 house. But if the $200,000 house is clearly best for you, I will respect your choice and work hard to complete the deal successfully. I’m more interested in finding you the right home than increasing my commission check.
4. I promise to respect your confidences.
When you hire me as your real estate agent, you may share personal, financial, and other confidential information with me. I will not disclose this information to anyone, nor will I use it to gain any kind of advantage in a transaction. What you share with me stays private.
5. I promise to show you all the available properties in your price range.
Some Realtors may try to steer you toward listings that benefit themselves or their brokerage firm. I’ll show you any property that meets your needs, regardless of who has the listing. Your satisfaction is my number one priority.
6. I promise to give you good, well-researched, and knowledgeable advice.
I deal with lenders, home inspectors, appraisers, and countless other professionals on a regular basis. I can give you solid recommendations about who to contact, which professionals I trust, and who my clients have used in the past. If I don’t know the answer, I won’t guess. I’ll find the answer for you. If I think you’re making a bad choice, I’ll tell you.
7. I promise not to push you into a bidding war.
Real estate is a competitive business and there are offers and counter-offers that go on during any business deal. Today’s market often finds buyers engaged in unavoidable bidding wars. However, I will not encourage you to go beyond your maximum budget to buy a property. I won’t tell you that other people are interested in the property or about to make offers in order to get you to make a higher offer. I will respect your financial decisions and help you find the best possible home within your budget.
8. I promise that you will understand what you’re signing.
Any real estate deal involves a mountain of paperwork. You’ll be asked to sign all kinds of documents, both before and during closing. I will explain them all and make sure you are comfortable every step of the way. I will allow adequate time for you to review these documents and ask questions. I never want you to feel that you don’t have time to read through the paperwork carefully.
9. I promise to tell you the truth about myself.
I’ll provide you with information about my background, my training, and my experience as a Realtor. I won’t make any false claims. I’ll discuss my commissions and any other compensation I might receive as a result of our transaction.
10. I promise to follow through and follow up.
I don’t list and leave. I’ll discuss with you exactly how I work and what you can expect, every step of the way. I’ll communicate with you regularly and you’ll know everything that’s going on as soon as I know it. Even after we close the deal I’ll keep in touch to ensure you are completely satisfied with your decision. You can count on me to be in your corner long after we leave the closing table.
Want to know what else makes a real estate agent successful? Check out this post about the personality traits of successful Realtors.
Very impressed by this document. It describes exactly the manner in which my husband and I work. We would love to use this, but there is a typo in #9. I’ll discussion my commissions?? Do you think that you could fix this and reissue the document?
Thanks Kathy, I did just make the update. Just goes to show you that errors can sneak in no matter how many times you review it…Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention…
Realtor’s Promises To Clients – 10 Commitments to Make
Fantastic, Can I use this information on my website and in my Listing, and Marketing ?
Warm Regards,
Sumii Jhingon
510-909-5652
Sumii, of course you can use it:) however remember not to just copy – take a look at an article I posted on How to Share, Use and Enjoy Others Content.
Thank you for sharing this very reliable and informative article. I appreciate this a lot, actually, I love it. It is worth reading and share.
You are very welcome Casey!