It's been close to 10 months since I started my new home search. I remember when I started working with my first realtor - she was cordial, professional, but barely gave me the time of day. It was always "I booked the showing for 9pm, as that was the only time the listing agent and I could agree on. If you can't make it, then I won't bother rescheduling, as the listing agent said they have at least 3 offers on the way".
Finding a good, knowledgeable realtor at that time was impossible.
I remember attending an open house in August 2009. The listing agent didn't even greet me or many of the other potential buyers viewing the property.
10 months later there has been a seismic shift. Today, I attended 2 open houses. There were no other potential buyers around during the entire 20 minutes that each open house lasted. The realtors were super, super friendly - I would even dare to say they were nice.
One of these realtors I met last August at a showing. At that time, he was very curt, unattentive, almost dismissive in his attitude. I won't have recognized him today, if not for his unique name. Today, I met a most humble man, willing and full of answers and receptive of any question that I had.
A friend that works in the office of a real estate company here in Vancouver, said to me today "the realtors in my office are depressed now and not pleasant to be around". She said that many realtors have no listings or buyers - and cold calling, once considered a sign of a rookie or unsuccessful realtor, is now becoming the norm.
She did say, though, that the realtors that have always been more client service oriented and put the interests of their clients first, are still busy and not phased by this new reality we are in right now.
