It's okay to fire your real estate clients and customers. It should be considered normal nowadays.
Has firing a client/customer been on your mind lately?
Look it probably sounds weird, right? A real estate professional wanting to "fire" their client/customer. What does that even mean?
Below are some perfect examples of why you should normalize firing your clients/customers and how you can do this in a manner that is both professional and acceptable.
#1 - They NEVER Listen to Your Professional Recommendations
This is probably one of our biggest pet-peeves. You are a licensed and trained professional that has spent probably every single day working and studying in this industry. You know these markets like the back of your hand, but no matter what your experience level is your client/customer just never listens to your professional insight or recommendations.
Now don't get us wrong, there is a difference between disagreeing with your client, and your client just outright not listening to you at all. Here we are only referencing the type of client that NEVER listens to anything you say. You could tell them an asteroid just crashed in front of them - after one really did - and they just wouldn't listen to you. They would go out of their ways to find anything else rather than take your word for it.
This is one of the TOP reasons to fire a client/customer. Let's look at it like this. If something could go wrong, you advised them, they didn't listen, now guess who they blame when it happens? They were never actually ever on your side to begin with, so why keep them around? In real estate we speak about liabilities and assets a lot. These types of clients are liabilities. It's best to fire them if you cannot handle them in a timely manner.
#2 - They Disrespect You - A LOT
If your client/customer likes to disrespect you it's time to kick them out! No one deserves to be disrespected. Especially not agents that are genuinely working themselves into the ground to help their clients/customers.
For example, let's just say that you get a new buyer client and that they go over their needs and expectations with you. You fulfill everything perfectly, but the smallest inconvenience ticks them off. Maybe their inspector had to reschedule because he got covid, or maybe the listing agent didn't let the buyer just randomly show up unannounced to the property without you. Now all of a sudden your client is insulting you and disrespecting you in a manner that is just unprofessional and unusual. You ask them to stop politely, but they just keep going. It's time to FIRE THEM!
No one deserves to be disrespected when they are genuinely working hard for their client/customer.
#3 - They Discriminate
Grrrrrr! This one you should NEVER allow. Honestly, if someone is going out of their way to make someone feel insecure about themselves by all means kick them out! It doesn't matter if they are doing it quietly or for all to see, do not ever allow people to do this. It's unacceptable and should not be tolerated AT ALL. You deserve respect and so do the other parties within a deal.
Let's say a client/customer of yours is refusing to rent/sell to a group of young people because they are young, or maybe they are discriminating against a single mother who is making money off of child welfares. THIS SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED - FIRE THEM!!!
#4 - Unrealistic Standards
Do not waste your time with people that have unrealistic standards and are unwilling to change their ways. You will drive yourself absolutely insane and broke doing this. When people are set in their ways there is not much you can do to change that. You just have to accept their standards and move-on.
#5 - Lying or Stealing
If your client/customer is lying or stealing at all, it's time to fire them!
How to fire your clients and customers
It's important to be human in these types of situations. Try to find someone that is on your team or within your brokerage to speak about the issues with. This way you can get a clear 3rd party opinion on the situation at hand. Definitely bring it up to one of your superiors and mentors. Once you've discussed remember to be respectful and calm. Maybe the solution is to give the client to another agent that is able to handle the job, or maybe it's best that your company just drops the client as a whole. In reality, all that matters is that you are kind and respectful. You don't typically need to always voice the reasoning of why you are firing your clients/customers, just tell them you're no longer able to serve them and do your best to guide them in a different direction. Remember to stand your ground respectfully and calmly. Ask for help from your superiors, mentors, and/or teammates so you hav
e extra support.