[Porsche-O-Phile]

Last week, the wife and I went and scoped out about two dozen properties I'd identified on the Internet as good potential targets for follow-up (most were foreclosures with substantial price reductions, bank-owned, etc.) This past Monday, I called the listing agents on five of them to get additional information. Two never returned my calls, a third told me there was an offer pending and a fourth told me that the place in question had some kind of problem that was going to cost $20k to fix. The final agent called me back late Monday night with good info. I set up an appointment for earlier today (Sunday) to get a showing. I then called back on Friday to confirm. She called me back Saturday evening to confirm the appointment. Good deal (so I think). Here's how my afternoon went:

(11:00) - leave my place to drive down. I have a few other "potentials" I want to check out before meeting this woman at 1:30

(11:45) - phone rings. Goes like this:

Me: Hello?
SARC (Stupid-Ass Realtor Chick): Hi Jeff?
Me: Yes, is this [SARC]?
SARC: Yes, I imagine you're on your way down right now?
Me: Yes, I am.
SARC: Well... Um... There's a little problem with that.
Me: What's the problem?
SARC: Well, I have to cancel our appointment?
Me (annoyed): The one we just confirmed last night?
SARC: Yes, I'm terribly sorry.
Me: What gives?
SARC: I have another couple who's in from out of town to see property. They weren't supposed to get in until tomorrow but they got in a day early and now they're sitting at my office waiting for me.
(long pause)
Me (now seething with rage): Let me get this straight - they set up an appointment with you for tomorrow. You set up an appointment with me for today, and now you're canceling your CONFIRMED appointment with me for today in order that they might have the luxury of not honoring their appoinment with you at the 11th hour?
SARC: I'm terribly sorry.
Me: So what's really going on here is they're paying more money and are worth more commission to you than you stand to net from my potential purchase, right?
SARC (indignant): Excuse me?
Me: You heard me. You stand to make more money off them than me, is that it?
SARC: That's not it at all.
Me: Well, please explain then.
SARC: Well, they're from out of town.
Me: In case you don't recall our discussion earlier, so am I. Hence my reason for wanting to schedule AND confirm this appointment. Twice. To avoid driving an hour and wasting my time.
SARC: I'm terribly sorry, but they flew in from 2,000 miles away and are relocating.
Me: On the wrong day. Now inconveniencing you AND me. That is monumentally inconsiderate to both you AND to me, if true.
SARC: I know. I'm terribly sorry but... I just had to make a judgment call here.
Me: And so it seems you did.
SARC: Maybe you have time to see the property later this afternoon?
Me: As a matter of fact, no I do not. In fact, I set up my schedule for this entire day around this meeting we had scheduled Monday. Our meeting was my last scheduled stop in the area and I have somewhere else I need to be immediately thereafter. [this is true]
SARC: Well why don't you give me a call later today or tomorrow and we can reschedule.
Me: You're kidding, right?
SARC: How do you mean?
Me: You seriously think I'm going to reschedule this?
SARC: You're no longer interested in the property?
Me: More like I'm no longer interested in dealing with YOU as an agent showing me the property, but now that you mention it, even if I go retain a different person to act as my buyer's agent at this point - which I'm going to do - you'd still get a portion of any commission from the sale as a result of your being the listing agent, correct?
SARC: That's how it works, yes.
Me: In that case, fine. I'm no longer interested in the property. In fact, I'm not interested in ANY property that you're the listing agent for. I will make certain to have those excluded from my future searches.
(long pause)
SARC: Well, I'm terribly sorry.
Me: Thank you. I must be going now. Goodbye.

- - - - -

Are they fking all like this? This is literally about the sixth or seventh one I've dealt with over the last few years to look at places and all but one of them has been a c0cksuck1ng pr1ck similar to this in some way, shape or form. WTF does it take to get a real estate agent NOW, in a flippin' RECESSION, that won't be a complete jackass, who will actually return their calls, who will honor their appointment commitments and who gives me something RESEMBLING "service"?!?!

Good news is I have three new potentials from today's searching around. I'll call those guys tomorrow and see what inconsiderate stupidity ensues... This is great entertainment if nothing else.