Professional: Text vs Email vs Call

[Travis Munroe]

What are your thoughts when it comes to communication.
While a text message is the easiest I feel that communication with clients is most professional with a phone call. With that being said, I myself prefer to receive text messages/emails when it comes to 80% of inquiries I take.

I guess what I am really asking is: If I were to be working for you, how would you want to communicate? Primarily on the phone where its easier to get straight to the point or primarily via text and email where it is more convenient.

[ken0042]

Email; if the person is comfortable with email. I text between my friends but don't think I'd want to communicate with my realtor via text; unless it was a "running 10 minutes late" text or something.

I recently bought a new vehicle and my saleman had a Blackberry and was easliy accessable via email. Because all of his communications were of a professional nature there was no issue about understanding "tone" via email. Plus I could share those emails with my fiancee.

[KTrain]

Text messages still seem really lazy and impersonal to me. Especially from someone I am doing business with. It's fine for quick messages friends but someone I'm paying thousands of dollars to for selling my home better take the time to call me or send me a well written, error-free email to communicate with me. Proper punctuation. No spelling errors. Correct grammar. It sounds unreasonable but someone who is responsible for all the details of selling/buying my home needs to be a detail oriented freak. I actually prefer email so everything is in writing and can be referred to later.

[bizaro86]

I definitely prefer email. I can check it when it's convenient for me, think about it, and respond when it's convenient for me. Honestly, I would just ask people what their preference is.

[Phanuthier]

Email. When I bought my car (my first major purchase) I gave a fake number when I had to give email/phone numbers for searches. After giving real information when I stopped by a dealership and told them to email me and not to call me, they still called me and I call screened those dealerships.

[Jimmy Stang]

Email is tops for me. I actually get annoyed when a business displays an email address and doesn't respond within a reasonable time - what's the point? Text messages are fine for quick blurts, but it falls short for any type of substantial communication.

I would say that you should ask your clients (or prospective clients) what their preference is. If a realtor (or any other business/professional) gives me the option to communicate mostly via email, I'm all over it. Of course, that's as long as they can expect a reply within a reasonable length of time.

[FlamesKickAss]

I am going to jump on the email bandwagon. I am not a big phone person so that's what I would prefer

[bizaro86]

I actually get annoyed when a business displays an email address and doesn't respond within a reasonable time -

This is a great point. Email is wonderful, but not if you don't get a reply for 2 days. I check my email often, and I would expect someone I'm doing business with to check it at least a couple of times a day.

[Jimmy Stang]

To add to that, I once had a client (wedding photography) that communicated almost exclusively by text message. Aside from his initial inquiry which was done by phone (voice message actually), literally everything was done by text. We set up a couple of meetings, arranged payment, confirmed a few last minute details, etc. all by text. Not how I typically roll, but he seemed really comfortable with it, so I was happy to make it as painless as possible. I didn't actually hear his voice until we met in person, and the next time was on the wedding day.

The funny thing is, you'd expect that he'd be some early-twenty-something guy who lives his life with his head in his cell phone. In actual fact, however, he was easily in his forties and was one of my oldest wedding clients.

[Travis Munroe]

^^^ Thats funny, I have noticed that even people 60+ forced themselves to learn how to text and its pretty impressive. No matter how often they do it I find the speed always stays in a low gear lol.

Thanks for the responses. I agree on email needing quick responses otherwise it is useless.

[Tyler]

Email for sure - being able to keep track of documents and conversations is definitely key whenever there is a large amount of money being discussed, quoted, negotiated, etc.

[Kybosh]

Email for sure - being able to keep track of documents and conversations is definitely key whenever there is a large amount of money being discussed, quoted, negotiated, etc.

Exactly why I prefer email as well. It's good to have a date stamp and record of important information.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Email for sure - being able to keep track of documents and conversations is definitely key whenever there is a large amount of money being discussed, quoted, negotiated, etc.
This is the biggest key IMO. Email gives documentation that you can go back to if there's disagreements, legal issues etc.
Phone is great for lots of the conversation, but some stuff is best in writing.

[bubbsy]

Email is needed to put the agreed upon details in writing for tracking purposes. However, i do preach my team to follow it up with a phone call for urgent matters, or matters with external clients.

[pylon]

If I could use email, even face to face with a client I would...lol. When you are dealing with high ticket items, and contracts, email leaves zero room for misunderstandings, and grey areas. Texts are not professional for business, and I only send one if it is absolutely urgent I talk to someone. And it is always a "Please call me ASAP, urgent"

[Rathji]

Email for sure.

[Sr. Mints]

Email, I agree, Follow up with phone calls if necessary.

[Jimmy Stang]

It doesn't seem that long ago that anything "official" was still done by fax if it couldn't be done in person. I remember signing some papers about 8 or 9 years ago and I had to fax everything in with a signature.

"I have a scanner - can I just email you a PDF?"
"Sorry, we need a hard copy."
"You could just print the PDF. It would be higher quality than the fax anyway."
"Sorry - that's the policy."

[YYC in LAX]

Email is leading the way in business communication these days. It's convenient and allows you to review everything you and other parties have talked about.

[Winsor_Pilates]

It doesn't seem that long ago that anything "official" was still done by fax if it couldn't be done in person. I remember signing some papers about 8 or 9 years ago and I had to fax everything in with a signature.

"I have a scanner - can I just email you a PDF?"
"Sorry, we need a hard copy."
"You could just print the PDF. It would be higher quality than the fax anyway."
"Sorry - that's the policy."
Still is. As much as we email contracts in real estate, it's still no officially legally recognized, and could get you into trouble if it was ever challenged. Fax is legally valid.

[bizaro86]

Still is. As much as we email contracts in real estate, it's still no officially legally recognized, and could get you into trouble if it was ever challenged. Fax is legally valid.

Shouldn't emailed contracts be ok if the document says it is valid if countersigned?

[Travis Munroe]

I believe emailed contracts are accepted by the real estate board as of just over a year ago. This was one of the issues with using a tablet computer.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Shouldn't emailed contracts be ok if the document says it is valid if countersigned?

I believe emailed contracts are accepted by the real estate board as of just over a year ago. This was one of the issues with using a tablet computer.
I was in a CREB course in November, and the instructor was saying it's still not "officially" legal.
Not sure to be honest, obviously it's done and accepted all the time, but if push came to shove in a courtroom I'm not sure if there'd be any issues. Instructors are sometimes wrong as well, maybe he missed the memo.

[bizaro86]

Thanks guys. Although it really doesn't matter what CREB or any other real estate board thinks. They don't make the law. I'll have to ask my lawyer the next time I see him.

Alternatively, I'd be interested in hearing from one of CPs resident lawyers. Would you expect a contract countersigned after having been emailed to be legally binding?