Real Estate Agents

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aline

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I get this call today from a real estate agent.

She has a home that needs two light fixtures intstalled & wants to know how much I charge. She has the light fixtures already.

I give her a price for the first one and then a lower price for each additional one.

She has a fit and says; It costs that much to install a $10 dollar light fixture?

I reply; Yes. Our expenses are the same whether you buy a cheap $10 fixture or a more expensive $100 fixture. The price you pay for a light fixture has no bearing on how much we need to charge to install it.

She said; But it would only take you 15 minutes to do the work. (This sounds like some electricians.) :)

I told her we would have at least an hour into the job by the time we traveled to the job, got the ladder and tools out, removed the old light fixtures, installed the new light fixtures, cleaned up, did the paperwork and traveled back to the shop.

She said she would keep my in mind and maybe call me back.

I'll be sitting by the phone hoping she does. :) Yeah right.

Why do people think just because they only paid a few bucks for something they should be able to get it installed for next to nothing?
 
aline said:
Why do people think just because they only paid a few bucks for something they should be able to get it installed for next to nothing?
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Very simple answer to that...because out there somewhere is a bozo who will do it for nothing. Emphasis on do it...not necessarily do it correctly.

c2500
 
something for nothing

something for nothing

Some people just want something for nothing! Years ago a lady ask me to quote a price to hang a ceiling fan. I told her my price, and she said.. "I did not pay that much for the fan", and I told her..."you bought a cheap fan"!
 
I think some of this comes from people buying appliances, carpeting and other things and the place they buy it from gives them free delivery and installation.

I had a lady call me wanting her wiring connected to the swamp cooler a neighbor had given her. She wanted a pall park price. When I gave it to her she wanted to know why it was so much when some places will install it for free when you buy a new swamp cooler from them.

I told her if she wants to buy a swamp cooler from me I'll install it for free but she probably won't like the price I charge for the swamp cooler.

All the advertising out there with free delivery, free installation, free labor with the purchase of the item doesn't help. People expect things for nothing.
 
Here is what the realtors and property managers did in my area. They got together and formed a "Purchasing Hui" (Hui means group here). They send out a form letter each year to all the licensed electrical contractors in the book. This letter asks you to start at $65 an hour and bid downward from there. In turn they will always only call somebody who joins the "Hui". They probably get hundreds of earnest reply's from the sheep herd. Good luck to em all. The realtors won't be selling any new homes to the sheep crowd thats for sure. They can't come up with a down payment.
 
I wouldn't work for real estate agents or car salesmen, because they can negotiate much better than I can.

I don't negotiate; it's a slippery slope.

One day I got a call from the ambassor to a foreign country (I know because I Googled him). After greeting me like I was his long-lost brother (I think this trick is designed to flatter you), he said, "I will meet you at my house in 10 minutes." (there's nothing like taking control of the conversation! I should have asked him if he was psychic)

I eventually said I could offer him an opening in a week. He fell silent (they want you to fill the silence with something that they can use).

He said, "Are you a handyman?" I said, "Yes; licensed, bonded and insured." At this point I was ready to hang up on this pile of dog excrement, but instead I started falling silent for long intervals, the same as he did, so then he started saying, "Are you still there?" The balance of power was shifting.

I didn't work for him. This phone call was just a prelude to the kind of trouble I'd have with this manipulative dude (who had had dinner with US presidents and has about 1000 hits on the Internet). There are easier ways to make money.

Also, have you noticed that the person who asks the questions controls the conversation?

I "fired" a customer. They asked, "Why?" I said, "Instinct."

I declined a job, and when they asked why, I said, "I don't wish to say." Even an attorney was unable to use this answer against me.

It's unfortunate, but you need to have a Black Belt in Word Games with some customers.
 
It would be hard to price that over the phone anyhow.

What would you have done if these were flush fixtures, requiring 90 degree supply conductors, and the old fixtures were served with K&T and no box? That can take a 100 dollar install and turn it into a 400 dollar install (or more).
 
On a separate but related note...

I've read some on this site tout real estate agents as potential sources of work and I have to disagree with this. Part of the reason is the exchange between the TS and the agent. When I first went on my own I actively sought RE agents thinking they would be a good source of leads (I used a courier service that would place flyers in each individual agents box in a given area). I found the experience of the TS to be right on target. I realized that their entire goal is to get the housae looking as good as possible for least amount of cash. The other favorite thing was to get you out to quote some work only to realize that they were the buyers agent and just wanted a number to bring to the table, they generally had no intention of getting the work done.

It's another group of peole that seem to think that their time is worth something but everyone else should be willing to give their's away.

(and in the interest of fairness I should say that I did hook up w/ one RE agent that has turned me on to a fair bit of work but she came from some other advertising I was doing)
 
I had the exact same situation last week. A customer whose kitchen I did last year called and asked how much to install a new light fixture in her hallway. I told her my price, and she said, "But I only spent 25 bucks on the light fixture!"

And, like you, I explained that my labor, gas, overhead, etc. is the same, whether the light cost 5 bucks or 5 grand.

Oh well, I refuse to lift my smock and grab my socks....
 
They almost all never believe you when you tell them really I wont be mad if you go with the other guy. I dont work for peanuts anymore. I would rather sit on the couch playing with the kids and dog watching tv then beating myself up for peanuts.
 
from what i've seen most real estate agents eventually team up with a handyman -- no license-insurance-permits and CHEAP!! and one guy does it all! they are also responsible for the creation of the "home inspector" . and what really upsets me is they are basically spending someone else's money, yet unbelievably CHEAP!!! you know there once was a time when people were afraid of electricity -- there were no handymen -- and near all the work was accomplished through electrical contractors--- "the good old days" !!!
 
The deal with real estate agents is that you have to wait until there is a home inspection report and there is an item that they want corrected prior to escrow closing. Then the price is relevant to how fast you can get it done.

The tough part is getting them to pay you. With RE agents, I want a credit card number before I even start. As a group, and in my experience they are some of the slowest payers.


- Greg
 
I like realestate agents and get alot of service truck work from them.Most are GFI replacements or new fixtures but also service upgrades.I make money on these jobs and after all that is what I am in business for.I also get repeat business with the new owners .
 
Poolside said:
The deal with real estate agents is that you have to wait until there is a home inspection report and there is an item that they want corrected prior to escrow closing. Then the price is relevant to how fast you can get it done.

The tough part is getting them to pay you. With RE agents, I want a credit card number before I even start. As a group, and in my experience they are some of the slowest payers.


- Greg
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Your state must be different but here the realestate agent doesn't pay me the Title company pays me from the escrow account you can't close the sale until everyone is paid and it is the title company that holds the money in escrow until closingI usually have a ten day window to do repairs and bill to the title company before closing and have my check a few days latter or I can pickup at the title office.You cannot get stiffed for payment which is a plus.
 
Rewire said:
Your state must be different but here the realestate agent doesn't pay me the Title company pays me from the escrow account you can't close the sale until everyone is paid and it is the title company that holds the money in escrow until closingI usually have a ten day window to do repairs and bill to the title company before closing and have my check a few days latter or I can pickup at the title office.You cannot get stiffed for payment which is a plus.
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Getting paid from the title or escrow company works the same here, too. I would have preferred that as well, but the agents that I have worked for paid me directly. I don't know why they did it that way. I don't mind since they know to pay me when I'm done. I don't send them an invoice in the mail.

- Greg
 
charlie tuna said:
from what i've seen most real estate agents eventually team up with a handyman -- no license-insurance-permits and CHEAP!! and one guy does it all! they are also responsible for the creation of the "home inspector" .
Click to expand...

Here the homeowner (seller) and the Real Estate people can do what ever they want to the home before the potential buyer gets a home inspection ( this is where the handyman comes in ). Once the inspection report is submitted to the buyer, to cover his rear end the inspector will normally state that all electrical items will be repaired by a licensed electrician. If the owner and agent have done a good job of covering up faults the list will be short. Just like any other service call you are only required to repair items on the inspection report ( contractor is not required to inspect and submit and opinion ).

In my opinion what they like to leave for the inspector is a couple of minor problems so they can get an invoice from a contractor for repairs giving the potential buyer the idea that all is well.

It's just a game they play.
 
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