Why Most Realtors Fail (And What Makes Great Agents Different at Boise's Best Real Estate)
- The BBRE Team
- 14 hours ago
- 6 min read
Let’s be real.
Most real estate agents fail—not just at the job, but at serving people. I’m not here to sugarcoat it. Some will spend more time picking out the font for their $30 business card than they will asking you the most important question in real estate: “What matters most in your life, and how does this home fit into it?” That’s the truth. Too many are focused on appearances, social media likes, and cheesy slogans. Meanwhile, you’re over here trying to make a half-a-million-dollar decision in one of the most competitive housing markets in the country—Boise, Idaho.
It’s backwards. It’s broken. You deserve better.
Most Realtors Fail Because:
1. They Sell Homes Like They’re Selling Shoes
They memorize a few key features, talk fast, and hope you sign, but a home isn’t a product—it’s a foundation for your future. If your agent isn’t asking about your lifestyle, goals, finances, or even your commute, they’re not doing their job.
2. They Can’t Handle Saying “Walk Away”
They’re so desperate for a commission that they’ll push you toward anything that closes. I’m not afraid to say, “This isn’t the one.” Because sometimes the right move is no move at all. That’s how great agents operate—especially in a competitive market like Boise.
3. They’re Reactive, Not Strategic
Most agents wait for listings to pop up and then scramble. There’s no plan—just reaction.
A great agent does the opposite: they build a strategy around you—your timing, your lifestyle, and your financial reality. That means identifying neighborhoods that actually match your priorities, tracking off-market or coming-soon opportunities, and prepping you financially before the right home hits. This isn’t a game of speed. It’s a game of precision and in Boise’s fast-moving market, strategy wins every time.
4. They Don’t Know the Numbers
Cap rates. Exit strategies. Local market dynamics. Most couldn’t analyze a deal if their license depended on it, and here’s another layer: Boise is a stratified market. That means different segments of the housing market—starter homes, move-up homes, and luxury properties—are all behaving differently. Just because one price range is hot doesn’t mean the others are. If your agent doesn’t understand how stratification affects pricing, negotiating power, and appreciation potential, they’re flying blind.
If they don’t get how this decision impacts your long-term financial health, how can they possibly advise you in a city like Boise, where prices, interest rates, and submarkets all matter?
5. They Don’t Double-Check the Fit
Here’s one that almost no agents talk about: A buyer finds a home in a good area and within budget, and the agent says, “Great, let’s write an offer.”
Wrong move.
The first question should be: “Is the price correct for this home—not just is it within your budget?” And more importantly, “Does this home actually have the things you told me you needed?”
Buyers get excited. They fall in love with kitchens and curb appeal, but it's the agent's job to bring them back to reality when a home is missing key must-haves they asked for. It’s not about how great the house is—it’s about whether this house makes your life better based on what you said matters.
What You Should Expect Instead
You will want a an agent who:
Asks better questions than “What’s your budget?”
Cares more about your outcome more than their commission
Knows how to read a market, not just follow one
Thinks like an investor, even if you’re buying your first home
Tells you the hard truth, not just what you want to hear
Protects you from emotional decisions, not just cheers them on
Great real estate agents don’t just help you find a house—they help you make a smart, lasting decision that improves your life, and in a hot market like Boise, that difference matters more than ever.
Why Sellers Need a Smarter Agent
Sellers aren’t off the hook either—because most agents fail them, too.
They’ll take your listing, slap it on the MLS, post it to social media with a few buzzwords like “charming” or “turnkey,” and then wait. That’s not marketing—that’s hoping. One of the biggest red flags? When a seller casually mentions the price they want, and the agent immediately says, “Sure, sounds good!” with zero hesitation or analysis. That’s not guidance. That’s negligence. A good agent doesn’t just agree—they ask, “Why that number?” Then they show you what the market says your home is worth, how buyers will perceive it, and what pricing strategy will get the best result—not just the highest number. Because Boise is a stratified market, and every price tier behaves differently. Overpricing in one part of town might mean your home sits with no offers. But underpricing in another area—if demand and timing are strong—could actually create urgency and spark competition, driving the price up.
Great agents don’t just list homes—they set expectations. They’ll tell you:
What the data says about your price
What kind of buyers are active right now
How long homes like yours are staying on the market
What updates or prep will maximize value
When to act—and when to wait
Selling your home isn’t just about a number—it’s about strategy, timing, and positioning. If your agent can’t walk you through that with confidence, they’re doing you a huge disservice.
At Boise’s Best Real Estate, I won’t just tell you what you want to hear. I’ll tell you what you need to hear—so we can make the smartest possible move together. In a market like Boise where buyer segments behave differently, strategic pricing and positioning are everything.
You need an agent who:
Understands Boise’s stratified market—so your home is priced and marketed for the right audience
Does more than just take photos—but knows how to tell your home’s story
Knows when to price aggressively—and when to wait
Can advise on prep, staging, and timing based on actual data, not just guesses or my favorite thier gut feeling (G.U.T. Give Up Thinking)
Listing your home isn’t just about getting top dollar—it’s about getting the right offer, from the right buyer, at the right time. That takes more than a license. It takes strategy. If it’s not the right time to list? I’ll be the one to tell you, because that’s what real representation looks like. Here's something else most agents miss: feedback. After your home is shown, your listing agent should be actively following up with the buyer’s agent to gather real, honest feedback. What did their client think? Were there objections? Did anything catch their eye—or turn them off? This feedback can be gold if your agent knows how to use it. It can help guide price adjustments, staging tweaks, or even highlight things buyers love that you can double down on in your marketing. You shouldn't have to chase your agent down to get updates. You should hear from them at least once a week, and definitely after every showing. If your agent disappears once the sign is in the yard, that’s not a partner—it’s a placeholder.
Actually, scratch that…
"You didn’t hire a pro—you just gave your front yard away to a free billboard offering bad service."
-Rob Inman
How to Hire a True Professional Agent
Whether you're buying or selling, hiring the right real estate agent makes all the difference—and no, it’s not about who has the flashiest Instagram account or the fanciest headshot.
Here’s what to look for:
1. They Take the Lead—With Confidence, Not Arrogance
When a true pro walks into your home (or shows you one), you can feel it. They’re calm, prepared, and fully in command of the process. They’re not rude—but they’re definitely not passive either. This is what they do for a living. You should feel like they’re running the show—because they are.
2. They Ask More Questions Than You Do
A great agent doesn’t talk at you—they dig in. They ask about your goals, your timeline, your lifestyle, and what success looks like for you. If they’re not asking great questions up front, they probably won’t have great answers when it matters.
3. They Can Back It All Up With Facts
Every agent has opinions. But the good ones have data. They know local comps, trends, days on market, price-per-square-foot variances, cap rates, and buyer behavior in Boise. If you ask them why your house should be priced a certain way or what makes a listing a smart buy, they should be able to show you, not just tell you.
4. They Know What to Say “No” To
If your agent never pushes back on an unrealistic price, bad idea, or risky move—run. Great agents protect you from yourself when necessary. They’ll say, “That’s not a good buy,” or “This might not be the right time to list,” even if it means not closing a deal.
5. They Communicate Like a Pro
If you’re doing all the chasing, you hired the wrong agent. A true pro follows up consistently, delivers honest feedback, and keeps you in the loop at every step—no guesswork, no ghosting. Remember—your agent doesn’t have to give you the warm fuzzies. They need to make you feel confident in their abilities. You’re hiring a professional, not a new best friend. That said, if you get to the end of the transaction and feel like you gained a new friend and got world-class results—well, congrats. You probably hired a real pro, And chances are, you’re a pro at what you do, too.
If you’re looking for someone who will actually listen, think, and fight for the right result—welcome to Boise’s Best Real Estate.
I’m Rob Inman. I’m not here to sell you something. I’m here to protect what matters to you.
LET'S DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY
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