Plenty of people work around others all day long, but real estate agents are pretty much on stage all day, with clients watching and witnessing their every move.
Inevitably, things happen that agents wish a client weren’t around to see! But if and when they do, it really helps when a client laughs with them, instead of at them!
For some reason, it seems like there’s a handful of embarrassing things that happen to almost every agent at one point or another. Let’s take a look at 7 of them, to give you some practice laughing with them if it happens on your watch:
1) Getting lost
It was way worse for agents back in the day before GPS was around and had to use actual maps, but getting lost can still be an issue every once in a while. Whether it’s an incorrect address, a lack of satellite service, or simply getting distracted and missing a turn, it’s so embarrassing when clients see you get lost!
There probably isn’t a person in the world who hasn’t gotten lost, so it shouldn’t be that embarrassing, but agents (and probably a lot of clients) often feel like they need to at least look like they know the location of every house, on every street, in every town they show houses in.
Instead of getting frustrated or quietly judging your agent if he or she gets lost, share a funny story about a time you got lost! You know you have one…
2) Falling
It’s so embarrassing when you trip and fall in front of someone, but it’s even more humiliating when you’re in the middle of showing a house to a client! It’s bound to happen to an agent sooner or later due to a slippery floor, stairs, or a pair of high heels.
If you see your agent take a nosedive, first make sure they’re not truly hurt, and if they’re not, feel free to joke with them by scoring their fall like it was an Olympic dive!
3) Having a stain on their clothes
Considering how often agents have to quickly scoff down a drink or some food in their car between appointments, it’s a miracle they don’t always have a stain on their shirt or pants! While it’d be smart for agents to travel with a spare wardrobe in the trunk, most don’t, and there’s rarely time to head home and change before their next client. So there’s a decent chance your agent will show up to an appointment one day feeling a little self-conscious about their appearance.
You can either try with all your might to never glance at it by maintaining eye contact at all times, or you can make light of it by taking a guess at what type of food or drink caused the stain. (Bonus points if you give them a bib or stain remover as a thank you gift on closing day!)
4) Can’t get into a house
Unlocking and opening a door doesn’t sound like a tough job description, but you’d be surprised at how often an agent runs into an issue getting into a house they’re trying to show their buyers.
Sometimes the lockbox that holds the key gets jammed, or the key is missing. Other times there’s an issue with an electronic code. Or perhaps the owner locked the deadbolt and there’s only a key for the actual knob.
Trust that it’s as frustrating for them as it is to you! Also trust that it’s nothing they could have prevented, and not a sign that they don’t know what they’re doing. If it happens, crack a joke about giving them a boost to hop in through a window to break the tension and let them know you understand and aren’t mad.
5) Losing house keys
Once an agent gets you into a house, they need to make sure they keep track of the keys. Might not sound like a big deal, but most agents have a routine and put the house key in a certain spot every time they show a house in order to not forget it or lose it because it’s certainly happened to them at least once in their career! But no matter how organized they are, every once in a while, they get done showing a house and can’t remember where they left the key to the house.
If it happens when you’re out with them and you want to make ‘em laugh, hit them with this classic as they frantically look: “Where was the last place you saw them?”
6) Letting a pet escape
Many houses an agent shows have pets, and your agent is usually given instructions on the listing to make sure not to let the dog or cat get out of the house. Agents take this seriously and do their best to make sure the door is closed once you get in the house, but sometimes a pet is faster or sneakier than an agent can react to.
It won’t be a laughing matter until and unless the pet is wrangled and back in the house, so look for the pet’s favorite treat to try and help your agent catch it and bring it back inside. Once the escapee is back inside you can laugh all you want and resume the tour of the house!
7) Walking in on someone
You’ll probably notice that your agent rings the doorbell at least once, maybe twice before entering a house they’re showing. They may even throw in a loud knock, and then holler “Hello…real estate agent!” as you walk in. This is on top of the fact that they’re already set an appointment with the owner, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they’re there.
But sometimes owners forget, or not everyone in the house was notified that an agent would be coming, and they’re still sleeping, or taking a shower (or something else) in the bathroom, and don’t hear the agent announcing him or herself. Next thing you know, your agent opens a door, you hear a shriek, an apology, and a door quickly slam.
It may seem like your agent was being a little careless, but rest assured they most likely did as much as they could to avoid walking in on somebody unannounced.
To ease the tension, ask if they were naked…
