What Is It With Real Estate Agents and NOT returning calls?

A cell phone to a real estate agent is something that is absolutely needed. How else would they communicate with someone if not in the office or in front of the laptop. The cell phone is the quintessential item needed besides your briefcase with your business cards and listing agreement. In most cases a real estate agent glorifies their cell phone and become mute without it. Without the phone they are lost and in most cases unable to do anything. Agents get the most expensive, hi tech, can do any transaction, and they probably have an application that allows them to run their office which is their world.  But the question remains why can't they answer and return a call?

I've learned that when you can't answer and a message is left, RETURN THE CALL! It's valuable for your business and in some cases it could be a new listing or connection. However I'm seeing that most calls are being put through the do not disturb button so that all calls go through voicemail, agents look at their phone and think should I answer it should I not? Question the validity of the call and say "well if it's important they'll leave a message", and in some cases "oh it's my negotiator let them leave a message"!

I can admit I have done the examples above, however I do return calls because you never know who it can be. I've had to process files where I know the agents and how they are in their work life and have been fortunate to come across true professionals where they enjoy an update on their files. I would think that getting the update via phone or email is satisfaction to the agent especially when they rely on processors, assistants, or negotiators such as myself to handle their files.

It's the agents with their fancy outgoing voicemail  messages that put you through their voicemail and claim that they are unavailable and super busy.  As a negotiator I have found out through social media like Facebook that those agents that your processing a file for are updating their status or advertising selling Laker tickets for that nights game. The status for that is, "message me if you're interested in Laker tickets", knowing very well that you could have important news they don't answer, don't return calls, or emails.

For agents that are like that there is no need to put the title as "Professional" in front of there name because if clients really knew how they were in their work life I'm pretty sure they would think twice in hiring them. This is just a general opinion in what I have observed and go through but I'm pretty sure many can relate.

-The Short Sale Department