Dan's Papers - March 14, 2008

Articles about how and why to choose a real estate agent are filled with well-intentioned recommendations, like choosing someone with tremendous expertise in the field, years in practice, professional affiliations, and who comes via great word of mouth and personal referrals. The same guidelines could apply to picking a neurosurgeon. But, while buying a house isn't brain surgery, it is a tricky operation - not to mention the largest investment most people make in their lives. And anyone who's ever sat at a closing table knows that something as mundane as a chandelier can suddenly seem like a matter of life or death.

The real estate agent involved in the process becomes an enormous part of what can perhaps be a highly emotional experience for the buyer. Often assigned random roles by customers, agents end up acting as couples counselors, investment planners or spiritual advisers. Throughout the process, buyers may change their perception of agents on a dime, turning them from trusted family members into Freudian hate objects.

So it's not surprising that some homebuyers choose agents out of sheer emotion, looking for some connection - no matter how tenuous - that will elevate the trust level. Other less paranoid buyers make their decisions based not on emotion, but on a whim. You played tennis in college, too? That'll work! Like cats? Okay! Anything is possible.

"I once got a customer because I knew John Lennon and Yoko Ono," said Arlene Reckson, a senior vice-president at Corcoran in Amagansett. "I was part of their entourage in the '70s and when the Daily News did a piece on the anniversary of Lennon's death, I was mentioned. The customer had seen my name on the website for Alan Schneider, where I used to work, and made the connection." Clearly, some buyers imagine there is a heaven and it's called real estate, others just look for a sign.

Spending hours on real estate websites but never contacting agents, author Barbara Ascher was looking for something more while looking for a property. Finally, she clicked on a house she really liked and was directed to the listing agent's information, which included a bio - and photo. For the first time in her search, Ascher felt comfortable enough to contact the agent, Beth Troy of Town and Country in East Hampton. But it turned out it wasn't just the house that got Ascher's attention. "It was her haircut. I just loved it," said Ascher. "That was a first for me," said Troy. But the haircut may have been symbolic of some shared aesthetic sensibility. "As it turned out we really clicked," said Troy, "and Barbara ended up referring other customers to me."

"It could be anything about your personality," said Christopher Stewart, an agent at Prudential Douglas Elliman in East Hampton. "I've gotten customers because my son, J.B. ends up playing with a kid in a playground or on the beach. The adults start talking, and it may turn out someone is looking to buy or rent. It's very organic." Stewart pointed out that customers with kids see agents with kids as trusted resources for everything from social activities to finding babysitters.

This being the Hamptons, of course there are buyers attracted to agents whom they perceive as having an element of snob appeal. Katia Delouya from Devlin-McNiff in East Hampton is not a snob, but she does have a certain...je ne sais quoi - otherwise known as a French accent. "Many Americans find that very attractive," said Delouya, who was born in Morocco and also speaks Italian. "When I pick up the phone, they ask, 'Are you French?' Then they're very excited because they like to practice the language with me and talk about Paris, cheese and wine."

Finally, some agents feel that the choice comes down to a personality - if not a beauty contest. A Prudential agent recalled a story about a notorious broker who has left the area. Instead of going to those tedious chamber of commerce meetings, he did his networking at Two Mile Hollow Beach. "He was never around on Saturday or Sunday afternoons but he was always coming up with new customers by Monday," said the agent. "He worked the beach blankets!"