Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Think about walking a mile in other members’ shoes before you drop the hammer to tell them. For example, an early offer has materialized in a 4.02 Direction Regarding Presentation of Offers (DRPO) situation. This rule says we’re obliged to tell all buyers’ agents who’ve asked to be kept informed about that early offer.

But, have you noticed that the rule doesn’t mention anything about how long you should give the buyers agent to talk to their client and get back to you? This is because a rule that’s too prescriptive can cause more problems than it prevents. So, similar to other professions, your colleagues and Professional Conduct Committee members expect you’ll “act reasonably,” in keeping with your client’s instructions.

Obeying the letter of the rule by saying “an early offer has come in, you’ve got 15 minutes to reach your client and get back to me,” could be construed unreasonable given that members and their clients have busy lives. Often, it’s impossible to reach a client during their busy day. Would 27 minutes be better? Probably. How about two hours? Even better. Or, if the other party is nine time-zones away, a much longer time would be useful.

Sure, the early offer may have a short fuse driving the situation. But a short fuse shouldn’t short-circuit our professional obligation to act (and aim to get others to act) reasonably. It’s a balancing act with us being mindful there are living, breathing humans involved. And all of them have opinions about us as a profession.

It all comes down to balancing our clients’ instructions with our general obligation as professionals to act reasonably and fairly. I’d suggest a longer time fuse is better than a shorter one in the above scenario. Give colleagues and their clients time to react to the information you’ve just provided. No one likes to be rushed and pressured.

It’s situations like these that can have an impact, good and bad, on our approval rating.

Yes, client instructions are important. But agents who are respected by their clients and who suggest their client act reasonably, are more likely to end up with even-handed instructions. Being seen to be reasonable creates an environment that’s more likely to bring parties together, without the sour aftertaste a dish of pressure can serve up.

Lastly, a reminder: The Ethics Guy® would be happy to “drop by” your office sales meeting if you’d like him to. Just ask. Email me at kspencer@rebgv.org.