In our business who is the biggest Friend-turned-enemy? Is it the buyer with whom you were working, that just wrote an offer with an agent in an open house? Is it the other agent who tries to throw cogs into your works or business dealings? Or are you your own worst enemy?

Either way, I'll officially admit right now, that when I'm out of the area, I do walk into other agent's open houses (in plain clothes) and shop them to see if they ask any qualifying questions. I also want to see if my technique of engaging clients is up to standard of if I need to adjust my direction or my approach.

Today for example, I went to an open house in my sister's neighborhood. I was just waiting to see what the agent was going to do, specifically with me. This agent spent 90% of her time talking about herself, and about 10% of the time talking about the property. This fact threw me off a little because I wonder if while doing an open house she knows that the chances of selling the home are statistically low with that approach, or if she was crazy like a fox, and wanted us to get to know her so we would work with her in the future.

I'm going to have to vote that she just plain liked talking about herself.

Now mind you, that she did weave many other people and details into her life story. It is just that her story mentioned started in a large midwest town, then extended to LA, and finally to the neighborhood where we were. Am I my own worst enemy by focusing on buyers in an open house, by highlighting the state of the property and conditions of the market?

Should I be smarter and approach prospects more like a politician would approach some voters, and let them know that I'm the best guy for the job when it comes to representing them in their Real Estate transaction?