A seller brings up another agent by name during a listing appointment. The temptation to say something like “Oh, I’ve heard about them…” sits right there, and for many agents, it feels like an easy way to look good by comparison.
Shannon Gillette has heard what happens when an agent falls into the trap of badmouthing a competitor to make themselves look better.
In a recent post, she breaks down the habit and the damage it causes.
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So many fall into this trap without realizing how their reputation with other agents follows them into every deal, or how the sellers’ perception of them changes (and not for the better).
Here’s why and what to do instead.
The Listing Appointment Trap
Picture this: an agent sits down with a seller for the first time. A competitor’s name comes up and the agent says something negative about them.
Could just be just a surface-level hint. Or it could go deeper and more personal.
Either way, Gillette calls this moment a red flag for sellers, and for good reason. If an agent will criticize a colleague by name in front of other people they just met, a seller has to wonder how that agent talks about the people who aren’t in the room.
In a word, it’s unprofessional. And the cost is far higher than any perceived possible benefit.
Gillette addressed this in the reel:
“I know how tempting it can be in a listing appointment to say, ‘Oh, I heard about this.’ Don’t do it because you don’t make yourself look better by making someone else look worse.”
Instead of bringing up a competitor’s name, Gillette suggests agents put their energy into what they can control and prove:
“Show your marketing, show your results, show your experience.”
All three of these give a seller everything they need to decide, without a word about another agent.
Your Reputation Follows You
Real estate is a small industry, and word travels between agents fast. Whatever gets said about a competitor at one kitchen table has a good chance of getting back to them.
This reputation carries weight beyond one listing appointment. The same agent who gets criticized today could end up:
- Bringing the buyer for that very home
- Sitting across the table during negotiations
- Handling parts of the file through closing
An agent who treats colleagues with respect tends to have an easier time in all three situations. A buyer’s agent is more likely to show a home listed by someone they respect, and negotiations tend to go smoother between agents who get along.
Gillette’s final sentence sums up exactly why badmouthing the competition is not the move:
“How someone talks about their competition when they’re not in the room tells you a lot more about them than it does their competition.”
Let Your Work Speak for You
Start by reviewing your own listing presentation and noticing how often a competitor’s name comes up. If the answer is often, that habit can change before the next appointment.
Swap comparison language for a rundown of your own marketing plan and pricing strategy. You can certainly contrast your process with that of “the average agent.” But avoid naming a specific agent in your market, or even a competing brokerage.
Sellers hire agents who can explain their value without diminishing anyone else’s.
Where other agents are concerned, being the kind of agent they want across the table opens doors long after any single listing closes.
