SPEAK UP. ANNUNCIATE. GEEZ.

It is a well deserved fact that one of the knocks on real estate agents is that they don’t return phone calls. I have been there, & bought the picture they took of me walking in. Really, I have. 

It is a little discussed fact that some members of the public don’t have the same familiarity with voice mail that we have, and I’d like to give equal time to the other side of the issue. What prompts my little diatribe is a mumbling message that was left while I was visiting my son’s Pre-K 3 Valentine party today where I have no cell coverage. Someone, I don’t know who, left a garbled mumble about a new listing and no number. And of course they work for the CIA like most people it seems these days, so their number was blocked. 

I want to call them back. I just can’t. I have no name. I have no number. A few suggestions when you leave a message for one of us no good, lazy agents:

• Speak up. Low talkers don’t translate. I can’t hear you if you mumble in person and it is only worse over the phone. 
• Leave your number. It wouldn’t kill you to repeat it, either. You wouldn’t believe how many people leave their life story on my voice mail but forget to leave how I can call them back. 
• Enunciate. Was your name Ronald or Rhonda? You are in town for the week or have to catch a plane at 8 tonight? I couldn’t hear you over that jackhammer/crying baby/fog horn/rutting wildebeest in the background. 
• Less is more. I think it is great that you were attending a seminar around the corner at the church and saw the sign and wondered if the lot next door was part of this house and blah blah blah, but I kind of don’t care as much as I just need to know how I can reach you back. It’s like explaining a compound fracture to the doctor. Let’s re-set the bone and then we can trade ultimate Frisbee anecdotes. 
• I don’t have total recall. We spoke 6 months ago? Great! About what? Your first name isn’t exactly enough information! 
• Call back. If you don’t hear from me in a reasonable amount of time please give me the benefit of the doubt and call back again just in case one of use is a victim of human error. It is the civilized thing to do, especially if you didn’t leave your number the first time.