Curious as to what some property seekers have to say about agents they’ve engaged with in the past, we head out (until the Movement Control Order was implemented lah, then we had to do it virtually) to interview 5 people to talk about their experience, perception and how dealing with agents in general have been for them.

Peter Michael on “The Over-Promisers” 

“The first thing that comes to mind when I think about property agents would be, “over-promising”. Some really try to lure you with a sense of hope through things like Guaranteed Rental Returns (GRR) or 100% loan guarantees. When I deal with these type of agents, I feel they’re unnecessarily dishonest.

Fortunately, I’ve also met some really patient ones. One, in particular, helped my mum and I find the house we currently live in. He was willing to bear with us for two whole years and even took into account things like cultural and religious considerations. You know lah, like how some families don’t like houses directly in front of a junction and all that?

If there’s one thing I feel property agents should stop doing, it’s to stop uploading developer photos, or photos found on Google when trying to push and promote your property.”

Richard Augustin on the “Ninja Agents” 

“Mention property agent and of course, I think about someone who deals with property, particularly an agent who deals within a certain area, be it rental, sublet or sale.

My thoughts on agents is that I feel they should be more proactive. I have dealt with agents that were enthusiastic about representing my property and finding me a property, in essence very proactive. But I’ve also dealt with property agents who also get in touch and then with no follow-up thereafter. These ones are likely to just prod up their listings, which is of no benefit to anyone. This is a business after all and also understandable as some properties do not command a great price or an easy flip, but both the agent and the agency they represent should understand that it reflects badly on them from a professional standpoint. This is a detriment as a whole to the real estate industry.”

Yenyi Goh on the “Try-Hards”

“I feel that agents can and should brush up on their knowledge and be more presentable in terms of how they carry themselves. I have met a couple of property agents who are well versed about the market and well spoken, I guess this depends on which area the property is located as well. For example, if it is in the Bangsar area, I find that the agents are more knowledgeable. I’ve dealt with humble, straight-to-the-point type of agents who don’t beat around the bush nor are they pushy.

But I’ve also dealt with some who really sound like they’re trying too hard to make a fast deal. I feel like I’m in a wet market! I feel that some agents definitely need to be more factual and really throw it out there, the advantages of the property and area while sounding like he/she really knows the place really well. Brushing up on communication skills won’t hurt either.”

 

Denise on “Agent Etiquette” 

“From a seller’s perspective, I find property agents to be like a convenient service as you don’t have the time to take off just to see potential tenants. Generally, they are able to rent out your place faster. I like that they do the stamping for you, and help you collect the deposits – you know, the tedious stuff that not everyone may have the time for.

At the same time, I do worry about agent ethics. Once, an agent made me wait for almost 1 hour just to meet her and get the keys back.

I feel agents should put more effort into their endeavor. For the most part, once they have a tenant interested, they’re willing to ignore certain specifications and guidelines that you’ve given to them – for example, not having more than X amount of tenants in the unit if it’s being rented out and all that.

Also some of the standard tenancy agreements they use is rubbish and does not really protect the tenant or the landlord. I had to use my own amended tenancy agreement… so be wary of that one.”

 

Kiran Sathar on the “(Thirsty) Trust Abusers” 

“Unfortunately I’ve not had much good experience with agents that I’ve dealt with in the past. I had one who only looked into the 1 month rental payout as their fee and then went missing in action. They force potential tenants to sign the contract, pay the first month rental as their fee and let the tenant and owner figure everything else out on their own. There was no assistance offered after the contract is signed.

I was trying to rent out my unit and despite the agent finding the place slightly messy, took no initiative to clean it up and even had the cheek to consume some of the drinks in the fridge for himself.

I would’ve liked for my agent to not just focus so much on the fee but also the after-service to check up on owners and tenants. Stop misusing the trust empowered by home owners.”

 

While we, at Mudah.my have been blessed to have a great bunch of agents whom we’ve dealt with, the experiences shared above do provide some great insight and value as to what people are looking for when engaging with property agents.

Patience & Understanding – when your main goal is obviously monetary and not to be of service and assistance to those in need, it shows. And quite frankly, is off-putting. Your role as an agent is to help people find (or sell) their homes, so taking initiatives like listening to and properly understanding your client’s needs and wants, giving them options without trying to rush them into deals they may later regret and being patient in explaining things they aren’t familiar with, will do you and your client a great deal of good!

After-sales Service & Follow-up – none of that “k, thx, bai” stuff upon getting your fees. Do check up on your clients, see if everything is alright, offer any assistance should there be any concerns or unwanted occurrences.

Be Real & Transparent – don’t just give clients what you know they’d want to hear. Empty promises and false sense of hope are things an agent should avoid at all costs. Instead, give them the whole clear picture, weighing in both the pros and cons and potential outcome.

Look & BE the Part – having a fancy watch with a slick hairdo and a shiny ride doesn’t really count for much unless you live up to that image in terms of service and etiquette. Do your research, know your area of focus inside out and remember, always be punctual and not flaky.

 

And there you have it, just some of the many types of agents Property buyers have encountered. Be it good, or less than ideal, there is much that can be learnt from both ends of the spectrum! This can be further proven through our collaboration with the nice folks at IQI Global. Check out the link below to see what kind of problematic buyers agents have dealt with in the past!

5 Problematic Home-buyers and the Secrets to Transforming Them into Lifetime Clients