Oh yes, I try to be at least 15 minutes early, especially if I haven't been there before to make sure I can find it, then I can cruise a little. My clients run as late as I am early as well.

Before I could drive, my mom would take me places and pick me up and she was always late so I make sure I am early now.

Thanks for asking. I think this is a new topic for Relib, at least I have never seen it before.

I am almost always late.  Well, I can be on time if it is really, really fun...otherwise, I find one more thing to do before walking out the door and then realize, oh darn I'm going to be late, so I drive really, really fast!!

But I am early compared to my husband.  When my friends want him on time for a dinner party at 8pm, they tell him 7pm.  I just play along....

Shelly

I too arrive at least 15 minutes early to make sure I can find the addresses. If I am showing several and they are close together, I will drive by all of them for the same reasons. It is somewhat embarrassing to have the client or customer follow you and you get turned around in a subdivision.

I always try to be early wen it comes to business. Better I am waiting for them than the other way around.

When it comes to personal stuff  - I am always running late.

Absolutely ~ it allows time to collect thoughts and paperwork, double check arrangements and reapply lipstick. It's a luxury, in fact.

Phil, I try to be on time. I really do. But, it really doesn't happen that way. Oh, sure on occasion it looks like I'm there and ready for business but it was just by accident. I am always late or just as the bell rings. I have worked on it and still I am late or just on time. Even when a customer comes to the office and I have been sitting there waiting all day for him. Something comes up and they end up in the conference room waiting for me to finish something I never meant to start. Someone said, "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

John Lennon.

Thanks, Candice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY_xY_Q-kQE&mode=related&search=

Early, I can't stand to be late or do I need the stress that goes with it!

Jana

Early for first appointment.  My Open Houses - an hour before the open to make sure the house is ready.  My listings - the agent is always late!  Irritation.  I'm there 10-15 before the showing.  I allow 15 minutes for tardy from scheduled showing time and then I'm out.  

eeerilly, I am always on time. I start out early, like you said in case something happens, traffic, etc...And those things always happen to me, so my early turns into right on time. I find myself wondering...how do I do that. I look at the clock and sure enough, right on the dot.

Gravel truck in front, dropped my cell phone on the floor last turn, must pull over, briefcase just spilled on the floor and directions are there, must pull over. Gotta go. Must pull over. Water is in back seat, wow, I am thirsty.

And scheduling showing appointments, is that not an art? You have say 6 to show, and you have to give a time. I usually make it through the show as scheduled. Of course you have to give time for looking and petting the dogs, or bathroom breaks, some homes are eeewws, some or wows. Either way, to predict how much time an eewww and wow takes is an art of experienced agents. And I think arriving on time is great. Nothing worse than sitting out front a house for 15 minutes while the neighbors stare at you. I hate it.

Good post Phil! Keep arriving early!

I'm usually about 10 minutes early (I hate being late ... it drives me crazy) ... my clients are almost always late (I don't mind it on their part).

Today, as early as I left for my evening showing, there was an accident on the way and I knew I would be late, so I called the people to let them know I might be 5 or 10 minutes late ... and what do you know ... THEY WERE EARLY ... so they ended up waiting for me. Oh, well ... it happens

My dad was always late ... anytime we was supposed to drop me off somewhere, I had to tell him I needed to be there hour or two earlier otherwise there was no way I'd show up on time!

Well, there's a huge difference between meeting at a neutral location and meeting at a client's home - personally it makes me crazy when people show up at my house early for an appointment - probably as much as it does when they show up late.  In that situation, early isn't better than late, it's just a different kind of 'not on time'.  

In terms of meeting somewhere neutral, though, I expect punctuality from others and strive to be punctual myself.

Always arrive early to showings.  If it's a listing appt, I'm always early so I tour the neighbourhood..then I'm always on time.  

Steve is always on time for business and used to always be late for other things when we first met.  I've been an influence on him though as he is now on time!  

I think it's disrespectful to be late.  I don't like it.  There can always be circumstances..but for the most part everyone's time should be valued no matter what..so being tardy is not acceptable.

Have You Guys Never Heard Of "Realtor Standard Time?"  

Realtor Standard Time is what I operate on.  15 min late

I am a bit of a "compulsive punctual" so I'm most often a smidge early. I work in market where it's pretty easy to guess how much time I need to get almost anywhere. You can pretty much get to one end of the city to the next in 15 minutes. That's why 15 minutes is the maount of waiting time I'm prepared for. If they're not there by then, I'm gone.

I also have to agree that "early" can be as bad as late, especially if you're the one caught in a bathrobe. :)