Ring-Ring-Ring

I'm not sure if educating a client, after they tell you that they thought it would be much cheaper, is of much value. The average person would expect you to try to justify your price afterward.

I think it would be good to educate some lawyers, and real estate agents, while asking them to please not give their clients quotes for your area of expertise. It's just unconscionable to me that they quote prices for a survey. It does both you and their client a great disservice. If they're looking to help their client, they should be researching how much a survey like that should cost.

You really have to wonder how ethical a person is when they charge 6% for their services and go out of their way to devalue another's practice by offering that they should only charge far less than 1%.

Typical realtor.

CT-

Maybe a drive by to see who the real estate company/agent is and then ask if their commission is the same $ value as your professional opinion ?

Then ask what is the cost of the front door of the house ?

Dollars for something the real estate agent can see may get through.

Cheers,

Derek

I got involved in one like this. VERY thickly wooded, some 10 acres. Needed lines marked. I had already solved the section, so, I told him some price like 1500 or so. I went and looked at it. It was BOTTOM land, FILLED with briars. I knew it was easy a day of cutting brush, and so, since it was not far from where I live, it was not a big deal.

He was a motorcycle dealer, and had money to pay for it.

He later went with mr cut rate surveying out of Mt Ida.

Cost? 800.00. Later, I spoke with him, and he was real unhappy. Lines were not marked. I said, "I looked at it, and knew going it what was a realistic cost". I don't even think it had all the corners set!

I never worked for the guy, but was GLAD I had not. He learned a valuable lesson. Maybe. Who wants a Chinese "Knock off" honda atv, or one of those cheap chinese motorcycles? Not me.

They are not worth even putting air in the tires!

Some jobs you make money, by not doing, and some you make money by doing.

N

Anytime someone tells me that their realtor says I'm charging too much I always reply with: your realtor should only be charging 2%, they're charging you way too much.

I have absolutely no respect for someone else telling a client that my fees are too high.

I don’t see the point in spending time trying to educate a single lot survey client after the fact, the chances that you are going to get further business from them because you educated them is pretty small. The people needing education are the realtors because they are advising many clients. If you can’t get a realtor to see the light then return the favor they did for you by telling the client what Tommy said. - In this day and age of slow home sales many realty companies will lower their percentage cut of the sale and if your realtor won’t do that then maybe they should be looking for a different realtor. After a few clients try this approach with realtor and it gets back to them that a surveyor advised them of this approach you will get a call from the realtor and more than likely they will be more willing to look at your professional approach to surveying rather than their unprofessional approach to advising client about something they know nothing about. Turnabout is fair play.

2% is too much

Phone up realtor and, without announcing who you are or why you are calling ask what he/she thinks of One Percent Realty (this isn't an isolated case, there are lots of such realtors - google it). What sort of service should one expect? Is it a good deal? After they have made their case then you can explain the true purpose of your call.

I thought the realtor would only take a 1% commission and provide the remainder to you.

If the realtor says it can be done for 350, then they can do it for that.

Go down to the car lot, a new car should only cost a few thousand.

Inflation hit rapidly and nobody sent a memo to that realtor who benefited from the increased value of your purchase.

That realtor always drops a 0, 350-500 should be 3500-5000. I need to train him to add a zero, 35000-50000, then you'd be relieved at my 'modest' proposal.

The realtor told me gas was only 35 cents a gallon. He must have wanged his head and thought it was 1972.

I've thought of doing similar. (I have a vengeful mean streak in me a mile wide :pissed: .)

But, I always end up not trying to burn the realtor. I figure the shear number of people they interface with during the course of their work is very, very high. And once a professional surveyor burns them good just once, they will absolutely go out of their way to ensure every single person they come in contact with never calls me.

So, although vindication would feel good that day, the potential bad mouthing for the rest of that realtor's career would be worse.

I always ask them to tell me how much AC man charged them last time they had a service call . And then why would they not spend $$$$$ on the most important investment of there life . Then I explain what we do from start to finish. I usually win the argument.

> I thought later how I could have used that opportunity to 'educate' this potential client to everything involved, BUT she had already made up her mind and decided against it. Oh well, onto the next misinformed client (Misinformed only because we have not educated anyone on the intricacies of the profession!!)

In my opinion, it is always a losing strategy to try to justify your fees. If the client is mainly interested in lowest price, they won't care. In my opinion, where things went off track is when you tendered what in effect was a "bid" without having already determined that the client was someone who wasn't just shopping prices.

The best answer is that "I've been in practice for XX years and have a very good idea what your survey will almost certainly require. I'd be kidding both of us to tell you otherwise."

Thanks to all for the posts and good advice. Many ways we can skin that cat...just trying to vent a little at the continued bottom feeding going on. Lots of good laughs out of this one.

If you want to get away from the bottom feeders, you need to swim near the top of the water. That is the market for those services. Find another market. Or find the better clients in that market.