Things Your Realtor Does Behind Your Back

Have you ever wondered what your realtor is doing when you are not looking? The world of a real estate agent is oftentimes confusing, hectic and stressful. But no matter how demanding their jobs are, they still manage to put up a good show in front of their clients. How do they keep up with their profession? What is really behind their smiles? Here are the things your realtor has never told you.

They shop for property online.

In the world of real estate, listings come and go. To keep up, agents need to check their multiple listing service database constantly.

Darbi McGlone, a realtor with Jim Talbot Realty revealed that she spends about 2 hours each day to research potential properties online. "This could include looking up flood zones, previewing the homes for out-of-state clients, or any number of specific things," McGlone said.

They go prospecting.

Even in this digital age, agents still go prospecting to see a house in all its brick-and-mortar glory. Many realtors spend hours driving around to check new listings. In San Diego, they call it "caravan day."

"It's a good way to preview properties and it's a good time to network with other agents and talk up your listing," shared Rachel Collins Friedman, a realtor with Sotheby's International Realty.

They spend their own money on marketing.

For realtors, selling properties is a business. To market their listing, they spend their own money on magazine and newspaper ads, fliers, hiring a photographer, glossy prints and other advertising strategies.

"Agents can spend thousands marketing a property," Friedman said.

They smooth bumps on the road.

"Hassle-free transactions" do not happen magically. Behind the scenes is a hardworking realtor who took care of all the problems before they blow up.

"It's called putting out fires," McGlone said. "It's just fixing issues that a lot of times buyers and sellers never needed to be made aware of."