Even the very best real estate agents at the top of their careers have to deal with clients who are upset with them after the transaction closes and everyone walks away from the table. But even though it's a fact of life, that doesn't make it especially pleasant or enjoyable; experienced agents can feel overwhelmed and put on the spot when confronted with a buyer who's extremely upset and not afraid to let you know all about it. What should you do if a buyer reaches out weeks or months after leaving the closing table and informs you that they aren't thrilled with some aspect of their new homeownership experience? Talk to your broker about how they'd like you to manage these scenarios and follow these steps to smooth ruffled feelings and try to resolve what you can. **Know the big causes of buyer's remorse upfront** Every buyer is different, but the big reasons for buyer's remorse tend to stay consistent across time and space. If you as the agent understand why buyers tend to be unhappy in the homes they purchase, then you might be able to thwart any future buyer's remorse well before it sets in and avert the situation entirely. **Let them know you hear them** Listening to an unhappy post-purchase buyer isn't an admission that you did anything wrong as their agent or that you have to do anything moving forward to rectify the situation. It's connecting with them as a human and telling them that you understand that they are upset and why -- that's it. **Consider your responsibility** After you've listened to your unhappy buyer, thank them for sharing their experience with you and then take some time to reflect on what they've told you. Assess your own behavior in the transaction minutely and ruthlessly to determine what your responsibility in this situation is. **Talk to your broker** After you feel like you have a good handle on the situation, your responsibility in it, and what your buyer wants, spend some time giving your broker a rundown on the situation and ask them for their take. **Ask how you can help (but don't promise anything)** There's no harm in asking whether the buyer has any ideas about how you can help them resolve the situation and make it right. **... Then do what you can, within reason** For some agents, this can be an opportunity to turn the buyer's experience around and provide a solution and a level of service that leaves the formerly angry buyer with a fantastic "listen to how awesome my real estate agent is" cocktail party story. **Do some reputation management** Depending on the situation and exactly how upset your buyer client is, you may want to embark on some reputation management. **Learn from the experience** No real estate agent ever wants to hear from a buyer who's feeling remorseful about the home they bought. If you do, one of the very best things you can do is pay close attention throughout the process so that you can determine exactly where the disconnect happened between expectations and reality.
