Real Estate Agents Need to Mind Their Auto-Correct

Real estate is a fast-paced, always changing career – agents use a variety of ways to communicate with their clients and others involved in the buying or selling process. The problem when some agents forgo proper communication skills in favor of being more casual and approachable. The results are misunderstood statements, contractual errors, dissension between parties, and failed negotiations.

It seems most people would prefer to communicate via text message than making a phone call or send an email. That is why the Division of Real Estate now requires the agent’s text messages to be included in every transaction folder. You would have expected that rule to make agents reduce the number of text messages they send but apparently such is not the case. If you are conducting your business through a series of back and forth text messages, then, at the very least, you should be checking to make sure that “auto-correct” didn’t change words and, therefore, alter the message you were trying to convey. The recipient of that text may not find your message amusing or understandable. For example, the text you intended to send was, “I’m running late. Be there in a few.” but it actually said, “I’m running later. Be there in a feel.” Why would the recipient care about your exercise program and exactly what are you feeling?

Emails inherently have the same problems, especially via a mobile device. Agents are not watching as they type to make sure words are not changed by the auto-correct feature, they are not utilizing grammar and spell check, and/or they are not proof-reading their emails before they tap the send button. The result? Agents present as careless, uneducated, and in too much of a hurry to do things correctly. Here is an example:

Dear Mr. Smith,

I just spoken to your loan originater and he says you need to provide him with you’re three most recent pay stubs. Their waiting on those or he can’t process your lone approval.

Thank you, David

After Mr. Smith gets done laughing at all of the mistakes in a two-sentence email, he’s going to start to wonder if he should ask the broker to allow a more qualified agent to finish out the transaction because he no longer thinks his agent is capable.

This isn’t just a problem with emails. Agents are actually sending contracts out with the same spelling and grammatical errors. Here are just a few examples from various contracts written in the past month:

“Roof sheeting on right side of chinney is sunken prolly because of water intrusion.”

“Buyer requests wagon wheel decoration in the fron of home to remain.”

“Seller agrees to plug holes in the siding with clear cauking.”

It takes so little effort to make sure text messages, emails, and contracts are correct and concise so why are these mistakes being seen on a daily basis? Take the time to read and reread every communication before pushing the send button. Your reputation depends on it.