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ma1green
23-09-2012, 01:03 PM
How do you guys that have worked for them originally approach them. Did you just give them leaflets or have a meeting with the manager?
What's the best way to get a foot in the door of these places? and does it bring much work?
Any tips would be appreciated.

simo
23-09-2012, 01:24 PM
Hi mate I`ve done some realestate work in the past they found me through advertising.... I found they had a good flow of work which was great ,but they always wanted it done that day or the next and were slow to pay as they would only pay if the funds were available from property owners...
Its good if you need the work but I stopped this kind of work due to having to drop other regular work to please them then not be paid for sometimes donkeys..
They would always be over grown gardens and odd jobs, good money hard work...
If you want this type of work give them a visit and show them your a keen hard professional worker...

Fred's mowing
23-09-2012, 01:40 PM
Very similar experiences to Simo.
Just this week, we were messed around by an estate agent.
We told the client that we needed to deal directly with her, or she would need to find someone else.
Thankfully she agreed.
We try not to deal with estate agents, that's just our experience.
Cheers Fred.

Stump
23-09-2012, 02:13 PM
Yeah, I stopped doing work for the one I was working for. Every quote was "too much" and getting money out of them was hard slog. When they finally did end up paying, it was like they were doing you a huge favour or something. Real estate agents always pathetically avoid phone calls too. Could stand the BS no longer.

NLALM
23-09-2012, 03:06 PM
Same here, they are all the same.Two people that will lie straight to your face, real estate agents and car salesmen

South East Mowing
23-09-2012, 03:30 PM
Yeah, I stopped doing work for the one I was working for. Every quote was "too much" and getting money out of them was hard slog. When they finally did end up paying, it was like they were doing you a huge favour or something. Real estate agents always pathetically avoid phone calls too. Could stand the BS no longer.

Bit like "all the above> Nevertheless it can provide a good flow of work and good experience to people new to the industry. Try to find one that you can get along with or at least tolerate and doesnt just used you when they cant get their regular guys. When time comes and you have good paying clients and have had enough of the ;dealers;b******* just tell them you are moving on.

cadase
23-09-2012, 06:22 PM
yeah you do get a bit tired of visiting open inspections on weekends asking for payment, :)

ma1green
23-09-2012, 06:49 PM
Thanks for the replies guys, I'm a bit quiet workwise so i might go and introduce myself tomorrow.

On another note, does anyone do window cleaning? If so how much would you charge? Or isn't there much call for it?

DavidS
23-09-2012, 07:16 PM
I don't have a problem with Real Estate agents, I have regular work from 2 in town. Then again we live in a rural area. In a big town or city could be different. They ask for quotes I give them some I win some I don't, mainly because I don't want the job so I over quote, it has backfired on me before tho as no one else wanted the job so did not even quote. Turned out to a pain but a bloody good payer. My agents pay 14 days on invoice issue, never have to chase them.

BobC
23-09-2012, 08:54 PM
Like most posters here, I've found Real Estate people to be slow paying PITA's.

I will only accept work from them now on the proviso that they confirm in writing that they want me to do the work and that my payment terms will be met.

I will not do any work for real estate agents on just the strength of a phone call.

wceagles1
23-09-2012, 09:30 PM
Hello

Yes i agree with with you all that with Real Estate work you have to move quickly and at times you put other jobs on hold to keep them happy.

However ,i think its worth keeping in mind if you can pick up work from a good agent with a decent rent roll this will insulate you from Winter and Drougt (i.e we have had no decent rain up here for 3 months and it looks like getting worse over the next 3 to 6 months with the onset of the El Niņo)

At the end of the day you will have plenty on over the so called slow months and as i do dread the onset of the growing season,up here it starts late Jan and runs thru to May.

Best way to approach them,walk into the office,ask to see the Property Manager,chances are she or he wont come out and leave a business card,flyer,etc.

Repeat the above every week untill you get an order from them,do a good job and you are on your way.

Hope this is help.

GardenGuy
23-09-2012, 11:41 PM
Some people I know are in R/E and they know my work, so they're happy to recommend me to their clients who are preparing to sell.

Pre-sale make-overs are kinda nice, except that the work is more 'theatre' than working for for long term perfection of the site. I've seen some nasty, ugly, pre-sale prep jobs (hint: looks like the Kokoda Trail - after our Boys went through it). However, what a client needs is the most important need of all - but it's nicer if they can choose a quality service menu.

I like honest rental clients too. The ones who rent top-notch digs and pretend that they are the owner are pests. The ones who come clean and let me know that they are leasing are so lovely. It puts everyone on an even footing because their expectations and necessities are plainly visible, so their needs can be accomplished in the same manner. The 'Mrs Bucket' renters who have fantasies about the property are TWAs (Time-Wasting-Ar5eh0l35) - they RFQ for significant works, dicker over details and eventually the truth comes out. Oops - way to ruin your personal reputation, lessee.

Cheers - GardenGuy.

Lawn Mowing Professionals
24-09-2012, 12:08 AM
Hello

Yes i agree with with you all that with Real Estate work you have to move quickly and at times you put other jobs on hold to keep them happy.

However ,i think its worth keeping in mind if you can pick up work from a good agent with a decent rent roll this will insulate you from Winter and Drougt (i.e we have had no decent rain up here for 3 months and it looks like getting worse over the next 3 to 6 months with the onset of the El Niņo)

At the end of the day you will have plenty on over the so called slow months and as i do dread the onset of the growing season,up here it starts late Jan and runs thru to May.

Best way to approach them,walk into the office,ask to see the Property Manager,chances are she or he wont come out and leave a business card,flyer,etc.

Repeat the above every week untill you get an order from them,do a good job and you are on your way.

Hope this is help.

X2

The property manager is the best person to speak to.

want to get there attention... send a box of chocolates with a hand written note to give YOU a call when they have a spare 5 minutes to talk and enjoy the chocy's.

P.s they really do have one of the worst jobs in the world.

Simmo.

Blaktop
24-09-2012, 12:35 AM
I have one real estate that I do a regular mow for.....it's a pity he doesn't pay a regularly as I mow. It's only a $25 mow.....at one stage he was $100 in arrears. I ended up printing out the invoices and walked in to the office and asked if there was a problem. They said they didn't have the invoices but now they had them, they'd pay......and they did.....3 weeks later. I have another that throws the odd feral job at me.....he pays well......the jobs are usually $200-$500 jobs so they're good to have. Just be pretty blunt about your trading terms. Mind you, if I was as late with the rent as they are with paying my invoices they'd have me out in the street......luckily, I pay the bank, not the real estate.....lol.

bb1
25-09-2012, 10:42 PM
I avoid them as much as possible, because although they commit to the job, it is the owner who has to pay the bill. So now when I do get cornered into putting in a quote, my terms clearyly state that the the Real estate agent (not property owner / tenant) who is fully responsible for payment of the invoice within 7 days of completion. So if payment is not recieved, I am straight on the phone, and they run out the normal, "waiting for rent" excuse, I than ask them to have a look at my original quote, and to put me through to the managing Agent, suddenly the money will appear in my account within a couple of days.

Scooby Steve
28-09-2012, 08:43 PM
I don't mind working for them can be a good source of work when other things are quiet and if going for commercial work they are the best way to go imho.

VJinTownsville
07-07-2014, 12:16 PM
Simmo we kindve think alike here.

I always ask my customer if they rent and find out their Rental Agency. Approach them and say you are servicing one of their rentals and bring all your contractor forms and insurance details. Then I ask them what are the things that annoy them from contractors and they will give you some real good examples of WHAT NOT TO DO. Then thank them for their time and feedback and give them either a punnet of strawberries or tim tams. Just bunch up all the RE leads you have and visit them all at once if you have an esky full of chocs or fruits blah blah.

I dont just go to an agency without any ammo...I would only go if I'm already servicing one of their rentals or properly introduced by someone they already know. And visit them regularly. And don't go in there covered in crap either, good workclothes only

That is only if you want regular work with them, given that it is a 2 way street and I've been told some contractors just sit there and wait like a bm or begging for work yuk!!!

If you already have a good round going then prospecting for work with RE's will spin you out of your regular schedule so bear that in mind. I dont deal with agents much just property managers. Relationship is very important here if you want your foot in the door.

gm2005
17-02-2015, 02:49 PM
Reading this thread hoping I havent made a mistake, anyway short story long, we just sold our house and while chatting with the agent he mentioned he had a job for me if I wanted, quoted him $150 and he gave the ok, so now I am chasing him for the cheque, says the owner is in syd and he will see him next week, now normally I despise RE but in this case he got us a really good price for our house, but on the other hand I am out of pocket $150 until he pays, oh well will chase him again in a few days and note the advice on this thread!

Mick
17-02-2015, 05:13 PM
Reading this thread hoping I havent made a mistake, anyway short story long, we just sold our house and while chatting with the agent he mentioned he had a job for me if I wanted, quoted him $150 and he gave the ok, so now I am chasing him for the cheque, says the owner is in syd and he will see him next week, now normally I despise RE but in this case he got us a really good price for our house, but on the other hand I am out of pocket $150 until he pays, oh well will chase him again in a few days and note the advice on this thread!

Dont stress just yet. They usually have an account that rent goes in. If the property wasnt tenanted there is probably no money in the account. Either the owner will pay up or you'll have to wait until they get some money in that account.

I doubt I'd work for a RE again.
Heres a long story long! ha (I know no other way!)lol

So, I get a call fro a RE to quote on this small acreage. This was like 18mths ago. Its broken into 2 areas. The owner pays for front ($80), the tenant pays for the back ($80 per). The front gets done once a month, the back every 2 weeks. Absolute PAIN IN THE AZZ!
I regretted taking it on straight away but anyway, I did. (I used to mow the place several years ago for a previous owner. Just cr@p but knew the prop, how long it took and what was involved.)

It was all going along ok until the tenant moved out. They paid me, all good.
The RE was super slow to pay, they had received the invoice at the same time as the tenant.
Anyway, after several reminders the RE gets back to me and says they have no money in the account and they dont list the property any more! (Well, you were looking after it when I sent the invoice.)
I ask for the owners details. "NO, the owners will just pay it!"
2 weeks later no payment so I email RE again explaining that I wasnt working for the owner but the RE and I will let it go if they give me the owners details.
They give me the details so I email the owner. "OH, the RE should of paid it out. I dont know what happened but I'll sort it right away." They did!

That all took about 8 weeks to sort out!

In the end, I got my money but man, what a mission! I'd say, I'd never I take on a RE again. Ive always been paid but the cr@p you need to go through sometimes is BS.

I hate it when the RE that takes care of a rental changes. Know one tells you and your there sending email, reminders etc to the "now" wrong agent!

The best way to deal with rentals IMO is to go through the owner, work for the owner.

NLALM
17-02-2015, 05:15 PM
All real estate agents are far quits. They all use the same stories , no money in the account , owner away, you charged to much . You did the work the prick should pay. Here's another story, I as like mick was pulling my hair out trying to get paid for work I had done for a RE. Anyway I'm out mowing one day and the house next to where I was mowing had a for sale sign up , with the line ring so and so the listing agent, it was the Sheila that I was having trouble with, so I rang the number and asked for her, the secretary wanted to know who I was and what I wanted, so then she says, so and so is not in today BFS. I mowed the lawn then rang up again, I gave a false name and said I wanted to sell my house and would like to talk to so and so, so she puts me straight onto her. FARK I let her have it both barrels , and guess what, got paid the next day, scumbags

Stump
17-02-2015, 07:04 PM
My advice is to avoid RE at all costs if you value your business. Cash flow is king, and they are all lying big country punts

djkgrounds
17-02-2015, 07:34 PM
I deal with one real estate, and really only do one job for them these days as they have their usual guys to do the work, always been paid on time (they pay twice monthly)

I dont know how much longer I will be doing the job for them as its a fair way out of my way now.

I took the job when I first started the business, under quoting etc. Got bigger and better clientele now.

Mick
18-02-2015, 05:56 AM
How this for irony! After writing that earlier post I went into QBO and saw a payment from the RE I was talking about in that post.
Its for $160
Problem is, they dont owe me any money, I havent sent them an invoice or done any work for them in over 2 months.

Im just going to keep it and see if they try and chase it up! Oh, the irony! haaa

Fcukin idiots, dead set! Hows the timing! I write a post then find that in my account! Fark canal!

djkgrounds
18-02-2015, 10:48 AM
How this for irony! After writing that earlier post I went into QBO and saw a payment from the RE I was talking about in that post.
Its for $160
Problem is, they dont owe me any money, I havent sent them an invoice or done any work for them in over 2 months.

Im just going to keep it and see if they try and chase it up! Oh, the irony! haaa

Fcukin idiots, dead set! Hows the timing! I write a post then find that in my account! Fark canal!

LOL, Cant complain with that

Mick
18-02-2015, 12:34 PM
LOL, Cant complain with that


Oh. Im not complaining! I wonder how long it will take until they realise the error.

"Mick, I think we put a payment into your account?"
Nope, no you didnt.
"yes, I think we did."
Nope, no way!
"Mick, Im sure we put the money in by mistake. Can you transfer it over to Mowballer?"
Oh, ok, found it. I'll transfer $80 over tomorrow.
"Its $160!"
Oh no, all these emails, transfers etc are going to cost $80. Remember when you made me chase up that payment etc. That cost me time I will never get back. Time= Money!
Now this doesnt have anything to do with that but I am now charging Administration and account keeping fees! What are his account details?

It probably wont go like that but Im laughing at the prospect!

Who ever did the work, REALLY earned it so I feel a tiny bit bad for him. The sh!tty weed/grass was 3, 4, 5 feet tall and all done with a brush cutter!

You see, they never actually told me to stop maintaing the property. They lost the listing but didnt say sh!t to me at any time about stopping.
Due to the tenant moving out, I just had a bad feeling and it turned out to be right.