Beware of Noncompliant Behavior (NCB)
Beware of Noncompliant Behavior (NCB)
Dr. Fred Kleinsinger, MD begins his medical journal article entitled, Understanding Noncompliant Behavior: Definitions And Causes with a caveat. “Some of the more frustrating experiences I have had as a physician have involved patients who refuse to follow my perfectly good clinical advice”.
The doctor talks about patients failing to take pills, not losing weight or exercising, missing office visits, shunning conventional cancer treatments, declining to follow doctors orders, not using crutches, filling prescriptions, continuing to smoke, and not having needed surgeries that may save their lives.
Doesn’t that sound like a few real estate sellers that you know? They are reluctant to listen to their agent, unwilling to reduce the price, disinclined to paint the property or replace the worn or outdated carpeting.
How should a real estate agent handle a seller with noncompliant behavior (NCB)? In my opinion, the agent should do the ‘Russell Shuffle’. My friend Russell Shaw demonstrated this move at the 2008 CRS Sellabration in Hawaii. An agent simply puts one foot in front of the other, and turns the seller down now, rather than letting them down later.
Russell has the courage to tell sellers with NCB that this is not a real estate market for stubborn sellers unwilling to listen to their agents. This top producer turns down half of the sellers who call for listing appointments due to unrealistic expectations. His listing specialists refuse to list half of the appointments they physically attend. Avoiding noncompliant, unrealistic sellers is the first line of defense.
In this market bloated with inventory, it is important that agents are kind, caring, and compassionate with frustrated sellers. It is incumbent on agents to be soft with our clients, but hard on the problem. The seller’s problems should not become the real estate agents problems.
It takes courage to confront reality and avoid listings that will not sell. Abraham Lincoln said, “You can’t please all of the people, all of the time”. Noncompliant behaviors are frustrating for physicians. Real estate agents should also avoid these clients.
