Los Angeles-based Realtor Ted Iversen, who works with RE/MAX, is a senior lending officer with Easton Mortgage and the author of the irreverant and eye-opening book, Games Real Estate Agents Play. His Web site includes a series of "Tips from Ted," including an all-too-familiar day in his life as a Realtor. His crazed and frantic schedule, muddled with an abundance of voice mail messages and appointments that keep getting bumped and rebumped, is bound to strike a familiar chord with every successful Realtor. You've all been there. So sit back and laugh.

Ted Iversen

What's it like to be a real estate agent? A day in the life of a residential agent follows, including the typical ups and downs:

6:00 a.m.:
Rise. Work out. Shower. Prep. All with National Public Radio blaring in the background.

7:30 a.m.:
Breakfast meeting with a client. Discuss the marketing plan for a home valued at $2.5 million. Client wants extra guaranteed "freebies," e.g., front-page layout on Sunday supplement, open houses every Sunday ... client tries to grind commission down from 6 percent to 4 percent to equal the same as a competing firm. Drive to office. Already a headache! Feels like a great day!

9:00 a.m.:
Office meeting begins. Glance at this morning's 12 phone messages. One is from escrow: deal may be falling out. One is from a loan officer: potential clients cannot qualify for the home they want to buy. One is from a client: wants name of a reliable contractor. Another is from a client: wants to change 1:30 p.m. appointment to 2:30 p.m. Another client: wants to reschedule 4:00 p.m. showing for 2:00 p.m. Another client: wants the name of a good handyman. An agent: bringing in an offer on a listing; would like to present it tonight. Another agent: Can you recommend a good home inspector? Another agent: also bringing an offer on the same house! Another client: calling about a listing. Another client: received brochure in the mail and would like to talk. Last call: personal. Looks like a slow day. Who's paying attention to this meeting anyway? Who wants to ask sellers to be more "realistic"? Inventory of unsold homes has increased by 35 percent in the last six months, while home prices have tumbled 10 percent. How "realistic" should sellers be?

9:55 a.m.:
Meeting is over. Two more messages. Phone escrow: ASAP. Phone a seller: ASAP. Try to work in office. Three agents stop by. Chit-chat. Speak to head broker regarding 4 percent commission request. Am reminded that people
don't work for free in this office.

10:20 a.m.:
Glance at clock and notice that last 1 1/2 hours have not been too productive. Prepare for caravan.

10:25 a.m.:
Retreat to safety of car. Begin driving to our office's open houses. Begin returning phone calls. Call two agents with presentations. Leave messages. Call seller for presentation meeting. Leave a message. More phone: escrow deal fell out; buyer submitted cancellation instructions due to poor home inspection (i.e., really bought another house; home inspection info can always be negotiated). Seller call: very upset (shouting!); an agent showed the house this morning without making an appointment and saw wife exiting shower naked and let dog out. Commiserate. Promise to "give the agent hell."

10:45 a.m.:
Pull up to first house. It barks. The agent overpriced it. Will be bad for our firm. Wish her luck ...

10:49 a.m.:
Back in car. Continue calls. Move 4:30 appointment to 2:00. Let 1:30 appointment slide until Saturday. Why? The 4:30 client has a fat wallet and is in a hurry to buy.

11:02 a.m.:
Next house. Not bad! Lots of charm for $399,000. Briefly discuss details and terms with agent.

11:10 a.m.:
Back in car. Annotate that the Johnsons must see this house. It suits their needs perfectly. Better idea: Phone Mrs. Johnson. Please come and see the home ... agent is waiting, house is open.

11:20 a.m.:
Next house. Great. Will try to keep it in mind.

11:25 a.m.:
Next house. It also barks. But it's undervalued. Annotate it for an investor as a potential purchase.

11:38 a.m.:
Next house. Great. Will try to keep it in mind.

11:45 a.m.:
Next house. Great. Will try to keep it in mind.

11:55 a.m.:
Next house. Great. Will try to keep it in mind.

12:08 p.m.:
Next house. Great. Will try to keep it in mind.

12:15 p.m.:
Next house. Great. Will try to keep it in mind.

12:22 p.m.:
Continue phoning seller. She will be available this evening at 7 p.m. for the presentations. Phone agents. Leave one message. The other cannot meet at 7:00. Can make it 7:30? Take a personal call: You are loved! That helps!

12:30 p.m.:
Back at the office. Most people out. Good. Can now get some work done... Close office door. Pull food out of refrigerator. Back to phone. Call investor: discuss undervalued home. Suggest buying it. He wants to wait and see whether prices keep falling. Phone client: Recommend contractor. Phone client: Recommend handyman. Phone client: recommend home inspector. Phone agent: Recommend another line of work! How dare he walk in on my client when she was in the shower! And didn't he see the dog! What if the poor animal ran into the street and were hurt? The agent tries to make a joke out of the situation. Thank you. Appreciate your sense of humor. Hang up. Talk about crass! Some "free" time. Read paper. Notice that section of town with this morning's undervalued home is being renamed. Immediately call investor. Still wants to wait. A knock on the door: more phone messages. New temporary secretary had misplaced them ... sorry for the delay. Mrs. Johnson: saw the home. Likes it. Wants to think about it. Agent: offer that was coming in tonight has been delayed. Still working on buyer. Phone the seller: reschedule 7:00 p.m. appointment for 7:30.

1:34 p.m.:
Open office door. Chit-chat with agents. Then leave for appointment.

2 p.m.:
Pick up family. The kids are noisy in the back seat. Show neighborhood. Show house. He likes it! She's not sure. Can the kitchen appliances be updated? Can another closet be added somehow in the master bedroom?
Everything is negotiable. Will price it out. Drive to next home. Pick up ice cream on the way. It's a hot day! Next house is great, but they like the floorplan of the last house slightly more. Husband preferred last house. Wife finally decides on last one also. Of 15 homes shown this week in their price range, they prefer the last home. Please price-out closets and appliances, and they will write an offer adjusting for these items.

4:10 p.m.:
Drop off family. As they leave, notice ice cream on the back seat. Call office. Four messages. Agent with undervalued home phoned: house is sold! Recommends submitting a backup offer if the investor is interested. This morning's client: decided to go with other firm; they agreed to a 4 1/2 percent commission. Good luck we'll talk in a few months. Irate seller: apologizes for overreacting about wife and dog. Escrow: Another deal may be falling out. Oh well ... mind wanders in traffic ... reflect on the virtues of never drinking. Not only stay sober through all this fun, but the bar bill would probably exceed the phone bill.

4:42 p.m.:
Back home. Change. Scan Wall Street Journal. Scan local paper. Eat. Nap. Shower. Dress.

6 p.m.:
Phone new client regarding brochure: Arrange for an appointment tomorrow. Jump on computer. Obtain latest "sold" data for 7:30 p.m. appointment. Check phone messages. Investor wants to put in an offer on the undervalued home. Too late! Received five inquiries on an ad. Will tend to those later.

6:47 p.m.:
Leave for 7:30 appointment.

7:18 p.m.:
Arrive at 7:30 appointment. Other agent has arrived early and is already inside the home. Great. Trying to get "chummy" with someone else's client? Oh well, offer is too low. Buyer's client wants to steal it. Buyer's agent talks about selling-price trends. Apologizes for buyer -- wants a counteroffer and believes she can "talk up" the buyer. Please counter! Seller feels offended. Spend 20 minutes talking about the psychology of real estate. About tacky buyers with crummy first offers. About tacky agents who show up too early. Seller feels better. We counter.

9:58 p.m.:
Arrive back home. Call five ad inquiries. Leave two messages. Describe home to three people. Set showing appointment with one. Check messages. Home inspector: Thank you for the referral. Mrs. Johnson: can we see some more homes this Sunday? Personal: Please call!

11:12 p.m.:
Lights out! The end of another slow day.