My office phone rings maybe once an hour, if that. Half the time it's a wrong number, we get a lot of phone calls here looking for a doctor's office.
It sucks, because while I still get paid my hourly rate, I feel bad for the agents whose income is based solely on what they sell. Don't sell=don't get paid.
I guess that's why The Mortgage Guy didn't come around for a while, there is just nothing moving right now. He's all about selling home loans and refinancing, but if no one is buying a home, who can he sell these to?
Prices on homes are going down...
Sellers are getting frustrated when their home doesn't sell...
It's crappy. It makes me feel crappy that Self-Proclaimed Supermom has to sit on her hands until someone makes an offer on her house. It makes me feel crappy that people go out and look at a house and don't make offers. (In her case as well as the agents in my office, who have to go out and show houses just to hear "We'll think about it.")
The problem is (and this is totally just my opinion) that everyone is trying to enjoy their summer. Everyone is on vacation, or preparing for school and no one is actually out looking for houses. I'm hoping everything picks up in September, because when I started here last year it was much busier in the Fall.
I couldn't be a real estate agent with out something else bringing money in, I'd die if I had no idea when my next paycheck was coming in.
9 comments:
I agree about not being able to do a job without any idea when and if my next paycheck would be. I give so much credit to agents cause that has to be a difficult job...unless of course they are independently wealthy and just working for the hell of it.
Hope things pick up soon cause I know when I am slow all I can think about is what I could be doing if I was at home.
I'm doing that now. Thinking about the laundry...the mess in my kitchen...
but since I'm stuck here till five I'm catching up on blogs. Believe me when i tell you I've gone through my own blogroll before lunch this whole week. It's sad.
There is a nationwide slowdown of home sales. I am following this closely as Hubby just graduated as an Appraiser but can't get any jobs. He hasn't quit his other job yet, waiting on a loan for that. I'm willing him to go out and start earning his keep since he promised that as soon as the job starts bringing in money, I can quit working and go to skool full time. Supposedly the summer months are the busiests for home sales.
I think the slowdown (at least in L.A.) is part higher interest-rates and the really high home prices (more than double in the last 3-5 years).
Also, the recent boom has caused a HUGE influx of new agents in the last few years who think the market is the same as 2003 when people and their dog's were selling and buying like crazy.
I think the slowdown (at least in L.A.) is part higher interest-rates and the really high home prices (more than double in the last 3-5 years).
Also, the recent boom has caused a HUGE influx of new agents in the last few years who think the market is the same as 2003 when people and their dog's were selling and buying like crazy.
Tony- absolutely right about the influx of new agents. This industry appears to be a "Get rich quick" thing, and suddenly everyone wants to be an agent.
Here in my state, the interest rates are pretty good, but the homes are being priced higher because the owners are actually putting money into them now, not just selling junky homes.
SPB- appraisers at least get more jobs than these agents! (well, here anyway! See above w/ influx)
SPSM-I know! ;)
What you need (is a market where homes move like hotcakes off of the griddle) is ... now do not dismiss this out of hand... on-line poker tournaments!
Or Canasta, or Euchre?
Think about it...The wife.imp is hooked on Spider Solitaire.
I used to work in advertising sales and a lot of my income was commission based...I dreaded the summer months, they were always painfully slow. It always picked up in the fall until the holidays slammed us to the ground once more.
Gotta love it!
oh Dennis, i bought a game at Best Buy called Rollercoaster Tycoon...let me tell you how addicting that game is! And I LOOOOOVE spider solitaire. I just can't get past two suits.
Brooke-Welcome! And yes, I'm actually looking forward to Sept. like a kid going into the first grade!
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