REALLLY!?!!

Ok, I think I know why Real Estate is doing so poorly right now. I am outright DISGUSTED with the professionalism and manner in which real estate agencies deal these days. I've never dealt with any before, and it is PITIFUL. PITIFUL, people!

I honestly would be blowing smoke out of my ears right now if it was humanly possible.

I just got done calling a bajillion real estate agencies to ask if they had any rental listings, just so I could get some information and see what companies actually dealt with rentals.

First 4 agencies I called-no answer, no answering machine to pick up missed calls.

Next agency- lady that answers that phone is sweet as pie and buttering me up like toast and telling me she will put me through to the rental department, but says first she will get my number in case the lady doesn't answer. In the meantime, she manages to ask what I'm looking for.

I respond with "oh something small, I'm getting married and we just need a starter house"

lady: "oh, well...you don't just want to BUY a house?"

me: "no, my fiance builds houses for a living...hahaha, cheesy laugh."

lady: "oh....ok. i'll put you through. click."

No answer from rental department (but there was a voice mail system!), and of course, the other lady failed to ever get my number.

NEXT agency-
young girl answering phone in an "i'd rather shoot myelf in the eye with a bb gun than be here, and i stayed out drinking all night last night so i barely have a distinguishable voice" tone:
"Hi, _______ Realty"

me: "hi! I was calling to see if your agency has any rental listings at the moment in the ______ area?"

chick: "umm k, what's your price range?"

me: "I'm not as of yet, it depends on the size and neighborhood I guess. I would say under ____. "

chick: "oh, nope. nothing."

me: "umm....ok, do you have ANY rental listings?"

chick: "for houses...i mean yeah?"

me: "umm....yes. i am just trying to get some information and figure out price ranges and such, and figure out what you have listed. That price range isn't set, I just need an idea of what is available and rates."

chick: "oh, well....i mean.....the best I can do is call you back in a couple of weeks when maybe I know of something."

me: "nevermind. click."

REALLY?!!! REALLY?!! Do you have rental listings or not? Let me know! Have you ever actually sold or rented a house before? Because I'd be shocked if you had. Take a thoat losenge and maybe a redbull, sister. Or I might be forced to come and take your job out from under your feet.

LAST agency: the agency that broke the camel's back. and made the camel think that if she possibly went into real estate she'd alone outsale every AGENCY as a whole operating in this town.

me: dee doo doop dee dee (dialing number)

guy: "yeah, hello"

me: "..... I'm sorry, I was trying to reach a real estate agency."

guy: "that's what this is. i'm one of their agents"

me: "oh, sorry....I wasn't sure where I had reached because you just said HELLO."

guy: .......crickets.......

me: "ok, well I was calling to see if you have any rental listings at the moment."

guy: "ahhh, yes. umm.... actually, we have a lady that handles that....." yes, that one. (not talking to me at this point, but still talking into the phone).

me: "oh, great!!'

guy: "yeah, i'll give you her cell phone number and you can call her. (gives number).

me: "ok, and her name is?"

guy: "connie. but her husband's in the hospital, so you might not want to call her for a while."

me: "ahh, ok. thanks for your help."

guy: "yep." click.

REALLLY?!!!?!!! REALLY??!!! Ok, what company/business answers the phone "hello?!" I don't care if your work number is your cell phone number (which, in this case, it WASN'T). If you know people reach you by that number for business, you should always answer the phone with either YOUR name or the company name. GEEZ!! I had NO idea who I was calling.
I swear, I had to call and get a work reference on a guy when I was working at an employment agency one time and I had to call McDonalds....and you know how they answered the phone? "Hi, thank you for calling McDonald's on _____ St." I mean, REALTORS, if McDonalds has the respect to answer the phone as if they are working out of a respectable establishment, why don't you?!
PITIFUL! REALLLY!!!