Tips for Real Estate Agents: Difficult Clients

Do some of your clients drive you crazy? Read these tips for real estate agents on how to handle them!

Real estate is a people business. While working with clients can come with plenty of rewards, there are also some headaches. Sometimes, a real estate agent will be in a situation where he/she has to deal with a difficult client who’s unrealistic, demanding, or just plain rude. Nevertheless, it’s only by succeeding to work with such clients that an agent will earn the title of a professional.

No two clients are alike. Your prospects are individuals with different personalities, so a successful real estate agent needs to have the ability to identify these personality types. Of course, it’s tough to please everyone, but if you know the types of personalities you work with, you’ll be better prepared to deal with any issues and have happy clients. Here are 6 types of difficult real estate clients and a few tips for real estate agents on how to handle them.

Types of Negative Clients

tips for real estate agents

Know It All: These clients think they know the real estate market better than you and are highly critical of your recommendations, convinced that they know what they’re doing. What they perceive as “knowledge” can ultimately get in the way of you doing your job of finding them the best possible home.
The Negative Client: Pessimistic and discouraging. They’ll find something wrong with everything; either with what you show them or with your recommendations on how to sell their house. They can be unreasonable and difficult to negotiate with.
People Pleaser: As opposed to the negative client, a people pleaser is agreeable and hates to say something negative. These clients always say “yes” but are slow to deliver. This gets in the way of giving the real estate agent honest feedback, which hinders moving forward.
The Do-Nothing: These clients don’t tell much nor provide feedback. Their first response to your questions is usually “I don’t know.” Because they are uncertain, they might tell you one thing on the call but have a different opinion later on. This can become an obstacle to communication and can prevent you from finding their dream home.
Rant-and-Rave Clients: Loud, pushy, and overreact about anything. For example, they might say “Are you crazy? How can you list my house at such a low price?” These real estate clients will need a minute to rant and demand immediate action. Such characteristics could create tension between you and your client.
The Aggressive Client: This client feels that his/her needs should come first and acts like you don’t have other clients. They’ll constantly follow-up through text, email, and voicemail before you’ve even had the chance to assess the situation or put together a list of homes to visit. Ultimately, they’ll lose out on your service.

5 Tips for Real Estate Agents to Handle Difficult Clients

#1 Pre-Screen for Difficult Clients

The best way to deal with difficult clients is to not take them on in the first place. Agents find it effective to interview or meet up with every potential client prior to working with them. Conducting a pre-screening meeting is one of the best tips for real estate agents as it’ll prevent conflict throughout the buying/selling process. Not only is this a great way to understand your client’s wants and needs, but you’ll get a sense of what type of client you’ll be working with.

During the pre-screening interview, be alert to any signs of a difficult client that is not worth the time and stress. Some leads or prospects will have unrealistic expectations, some are not serious or ready to buy or sell, and others expect you to devote 100% of your time only to them. As mentioned, these traits could cause tension or problems along the way, so make sure to use your skills to identify them.

Other tips for real estate agents during pre-screening are to 1) explain to potential clients what you need from them to do your job effectively and 2) ask about their objectives, challenges, situation, and expectations. Doing so is important to determine if their needs are in line with yours and that you’re the right agent for them. Furthermore, this ensures that both of you are on the same page and, if not, you can withdraw and save yourself from dealing with a difficult client.

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#2 Listen Closely While They’re Talking

Let your clients talk until they’re finished. Why? First, this allows them to get their concerns or questions off their chest and feel that their concerns are being taken into account. Second, this also allows you to see if any of their concerns are legitimate. Yes, some difficult clients are unreasonable. However, more often than not, clients either don’t know what they want or how to articulate it. By listening to them, there’s a chance that you’ll find that they’re misunderstanding something or that their concerns can easily be solved.

For example, your client said he wants his future home to have “plenty of space.” This could refer to an open floor-plan rather than a lot of square footage. So by listening closely to your clients, you can take note and help them better understand their own needs. This is one of the most important tips for real estate agents as it’ll 1) prevent you from any uncomfortable situation throughout the rest of the process and 2) prevent the client from becoming unsatisfied with your efforts.

#3 Educate Them Early

Some real estate clients are demanding or negative simply because they don’t understand the industry. First-time buyers and sellers, especially, don’t know the process of buying and selling. Therefore, our next tips for real estate agents are to address this problem and educate your clients. Instead of being defensive and losing a deal over a difficult client, explain to them the current housing market in simple terms. Also, tell them at each stage what you’ll be doing to serve them.

In addition, many buyers and sellers look up data and see what other homes are selling for on different real estate websites. They do so because they want to feel secure and confident in their decision since real estate is usually the biggest investment they’ll ever face. Rather than saying “It’s a good time to buy,” a great real estate agent will take this data, translate it, and provides useful insights.

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All of this will not only give your client a clearer understanding of the real estate market. It’ll also provide proof of your knowledge and enhance your image as a successful real estate agent, leading to more trust. Thus, your clients will be more motivated to take your suggestions and make more confident decisions.

#4 Get Ready for Emotions

Emotions can run high during real estate transactions, especially for non-investor clients. Buyers are looking for the perfect house to raise a family, while sellers are choosing to leave the place they call home. You can expect there will be lots of emotional ups and down, which is why some clients have trouble making decisions or procrastinate.

Therefore, instead of being stubborn, prepare yourself (and your client) for these emotional phases. A little empathy can go a long way – put yourself in their shoes and try to see things from their perspective. Here are some additional tips for real estate agents dealing with emotional clients:

Stay calm and professional
Avoid arguing
Listen and acknowledge the problem
Offer to fix the problem
Identify the reason behind the client’s behavior

#5 Stay Calm and Decisive

Empathy can go a long way, but a good real estate agent needs to set boundaries. You are the professional in the real estate transaction, so make sure your client understands what services you provide and what you will and won’t do. It’s smart to lay down the groundwork and realistic expectations at the beginning of the relationship – preferably during the pre-screening interview – and remember to remain calm while doing so. This will prevent problems from occurring later on.

Other tips for real estate agents in this regard include repeatedly asking for questions or concerns and preparing your clients for the worst possible outcome as well as some challenges and how to tackle them. In addition, make sure they understand how long each step in the process will take and what is required from them to complete it successfully. Some things that you need to set include:

The preferred method of communication
Availability
Preferred reports, feedback, or previewing of homes
Necessary documents
Services you provide
Client’s obligations

The Bottom Line

Difficult clients come in the real estate industry, but it’s important for an agent to understand why they are being difficult in order to provide a solution. So, take a step back from the situation, identify the type of client you’re dealing with, and react calmly. You want them to see you as their ally, not an obstacle. Following these simple tips could help you do just that and build lasting relationships with your clients who will appreciate your efforts more when you’re patient with them.

What are some tips for real estate agents that have helped you deal with difficult clients?

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Tips for Real Estate Agents: How to Deal with a Difficult Client