The path to failure is trying to please everyone with whom you come in contact daily. I believe that I was not put on this earth to help everyone buy and sell. I can't help everyone, and I don't want to. Too many agents believe that they are forced to work with anyone who shows up. By excluding people, you will create better and more loyal clients.

Many of the people we meet are unreasonable and should not be clients of anyone. They don't deserve the honor of any agent's time and attention. Our job is to recognize their low probability of ever becoming a quality client and to run away quickly. The feeling of walking away from someone who would otherwise cause my staff and me great frustration was even better than that of getting a new listing. The look on that person's face was always priceless. Most agents never experience the thrill of doing business on their own terms. Most agents compromise their philosophy and beliefs for dollars. Below are four different categories of people with whom you will find yourself working regularly.

Terrific Clients:

Terrific clients respect people who are highly skilled at their professions. They listen to advice and guidance that is presented well and that has supporting documentation. They open up about their goals and desires for real estate, and their expectation for service. You will always know where terrific clients stand; they don't play “hide the ball.” You are not the enemy. You and the terrific clients will be on the same team, working toward a common goal. They also will be fantastic referral sources for your business.

These clients are easy to identify - they are the ones all professionals would like to have.

No-clue Clients:

No-clue clients live in a dream world. It is difficult to get them to look at facts and the figures that might upset the fantasy worlds in which they live. These clients really don't want to know the truth, that their homes are worth 15% less than they think. Each one believes that he or she will land the one buyer who will pay dramatically above fair market value. Unless the no-clue client has extremely high motivation – job transfer, divorce, new children -- you will have no sale. If the bottom line is that they have to move, you may be able to bring them to reality. In that case, the no-clue client could eventually make progress toward becoming the terrific client.

You can spot these clients easily: The have unreasonable expectations and won't listen to reason.

Free Information Seekers:

These people just want information and expertise from you. They have no intention of creating a relationship of trust; you are there only to provide your knowledge. The information-only client truly believes that this approach is justified. He or she also believes that if you are foolish enough to give your knowledge for free, then that's your problem. These clients will take your knowledge, then either use it to buy or sell on their own, or give it to a friend or family member who doesn't have your skill level and put the business into that person's hands.

How do you spot free information seekers? Information-only clients will rarely answer direct questions. They are evasive. They will challenge your knowledge, beliefs, advice, fees and services; these challenges will usually become their justification for not working with you. Sometimes they get offended at your questions. Their belief is that the expertise that they can get out of you is useful, but that their way is better.

Distrustful Clients:

These clients believe that everyone is out to get them. They believe that everyone is trying to reach into their back pockets. They believe that every question you ask comes with its own hidden agenda, that what you are really looking for is the weak point that will allow you to destroy them. Even when, with a lot of care and attention, you manage to win these people over and make them your clients, if you or your team make one honest error, these clients will be gone. They believe that whatever negative experiences happen to them are all part of the big conspiracy against them.

You'll know this kind of client because you will always be aware that you are on the defensive - defending the real estate industry, defending your company's policies, justifying your commission, etc. Watch for complaints about situations over which you have no control - what the last Realtor did, what the neighbor got for his house, and so on.

Selecting and excluding people at the outset is the best way to ensure good client relations. Many problems with clients are caused, not by external events or by deficiencies in our interpersonal skills, but by the perceptions and expectations of clients themselves. Some people just don't make good clients. Create a strong interview process, so that you can quickly and efficiently remove the problem prospects before they get inside your inner circle. The price you pay for letting them inside is wasted time, wasted energy, emotional drain for you and for your staff, and certainly loss of revenue. Focus on working only with terrific clients. You'll be amazed at the increased income and job satisfaction you will enjoy.

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Published: September 10, 1999

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Dirk Zeller only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.

Dirk Zeller is an Agent, an Investor, and the President & CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. He's the widely published author of Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. You can get more information by visiting RealEstateChampions.com.