How you keep make sure you don't accept an order that you or someone in your office has done in the past 6 months. I am more concerned about ones done by someone in my office. I can keep track of my own work.

I most of the time I work from my home office. I know there is 2 persons in my branch and one other person in another branch doing BPOs. I contacted each of these persons. None of them have return my calls. Too secretive/competitive, I guess. But isn't it an issue to do a BPO that someone in your office has done? Do you brokers request copies of BPO for your office? No one has asked for copies of my files. I currently keep them in my home office.

How do ya'll manage this?
Thanks

There's over 250 agents in my company, and to be honest I don't even know most of their names, so I sure wouldn't know if they do BPO's. There are 2 other agents in my office who do BPO's and I know I've done the same BPO as both of them, but have never had a problem - they have both done 2nd opinion BPO's on my listings, and have never had a problem. As long as you keep ethics in mind, and don't copy their BPO or tell them what price you came up with or what comps you used, I really don't think it's too big of a deal. That's just my 2 cents.

I have also never had to leave copies at my office. One of the other BPO agents in my office had brought up the idea that we should keep copies at the office 'for reference' but I didn't agree, I didn't want the others to have access to my reports, or my BPO contacts.

So what about those companies that specificially states that if you or anyone in your company has completed a BPO, or your office has the listing you cannot complete the BPO. Some companies do that this very specific statement.

Talk to the am's and see if they think its a problem or not.

I agree with bposteve, talk to the AM's and see what they say. In my case, I work from home - I don't talk to the other BPO agents at my office very often, maybe once every week or 2. And I think they would get pretty mad if I called them 30 times a week to ask if they've done a BPO.

Bingo--good communication with broker and AM's, and good ethics.

Pog, it's good that you are asking these type questions. The AM wants YOUR opinion, uninfluenced by others in your office. If you never have contact with others in your office, the AM will understand that and (maybe) say it is okay with you to do BPO's even though others in your office may have recently finished one on the same address...maybe but not always. This is because the two of you will be no different than two agents in different companies, as far as communication is concerned. Clients understand that today's real estate agents have portable and home offices and aren't sitting across from the other agent comparing repair comments. If your office situation changes and you become more in touch with fellow agents, then you can call the AM again for instructions on future orders.


Regarding copies for your broker, just ask him or her. And by all means, print out or download each job into a file the way you are now doing it, in case you or your broker ever need one. If you are just getting started, you may want to buy a flash drive and just stick it into the computer when you finish your BPO and download it right then. You'll always have your finished work hanging on a string in your office...for whomever needs it.

Be sure and confirm what we have said here by asking your client and asking your broker. Then you should be in good shape.