Everyone’s got a list.
You know what I’m talking about. Or, in case you don’t, let me narrow it down a bit.
I’m talking about a list of things you keep in your car—because you’ve learned (from harrowing experience) that it does not pay to go minimalist when you’re on the road as a real estate agent.
Back in July, The Broke Agent posted a list of 10 items every agent should keep in their car.
The list was a hit, and plenty of agents chimed in to answer the question, “What did we miss here?” Folks were doubling down on several of the items on the list and volunteering their own must-haves, including:
- Climbing spikes
- Anti-anxiety pills
- Floss picks
- Zip ties
- Flashlight
- Ear and nose hair trimmer
- Magic eraser
- Tide stain stick
- Adult diapers
- A pillow to scream into
To say it’s been educational would be an understatement.
But we don’t think anyone said this!
Realtor.com recently interviewed Tamany Hall, a real estate-focused social media influencer, after she posted a video to her Instagram revealing another must-have for every agent’s car kit: a clothes hanger.
In the clip, Hall demonstrates how keeping a hanger in your car can save your buyer years of frustration by ensuring the closets in a home have been properly installed.
In some homes, the hanging rod is set back to make the space appear larger than it is. Try a standard-size clothes hanger, though, and you find the space behind the rod doesn’t fully accommodate it, leaving the hanger tipping up in front.
It’s a little thing, but it does make a difference. And for Hall, that was the detail that helped her decide not to move forward with a home she was considering.
Her video, posted to encourage real estate agents to keep a clothes hanger in their car at all times, has over four million views and dozens of comments from followers who, until just recently, had no idea misplaced hanging rods were even a thing.
In her interview with Realtor.com®, Hall recounted how she had gotten the idea after searching for her own home and nearly putting in an offer when she realized something was off with the built-in storage.
I was in the market for a home, and we were going to put an offer in on a cute older home that had been redone. We were standing in the home, and I was hesitant because of the storage space.
I asked the realtor if he thought a hanger could fit in the closet, and he said he actually had one in the car. It didn’t fit, so that was the deciding factor. It was a super last-minute idea to film it, and the video went viral.
Hall posted the video to encourage real estate agents to share this information with their buyers—and to be prepared when touring homes. Many agents in the comments seem to agree with her heads-up and have offered suggestions of their own for savvy agents to keep handy for property tours.
Some commenters said they’d seen homes where an average-sized dinner plate couldn’t fit inside the kitchen cabinets. Another kept a marble handy to check for sloped floors.
I really think one of the most important things is finding a realtor who is proactive. Every market is different. I couldn’t necessarily afford a new home. Having a Realtor who is familiar with issues like mold and knows the ins and outs of the market is very important.
When was the last time you posted content on a discovery of your own that could help your fellow agents ensure the best possible experience for their clients?
