No handbook? It can be very challenging stepping out into the Real Estate market for the first time. A myriad of questions are going through your head pertaining to the location, desired size, style, price range, etc. With all of this, who has time to consider the etiquette towards Realtors?
Realtors are people too... they have families, children that get sick, soccer practice, household chores, bills to pay and dinner to prepare. They attend church; have Birthdays, special occasions and friends. When you call, doesn't it seem as though they were waiting just to talk to you? Realtors have a gift for making you feel like you are the only priority they have in their life at that moment, that there are no other clients calling, e-mailing, wanting to look at property or existing Sellers that have anxieties regarding the showings, need information on the movers, when is closing, was there any feedback from the couple that looked at their home today.
Never mind the piles of paperwork that are mandatory for the Realtor, the endless "to do" lists consisting of; inspections, follow up, signs that need to go up, ads that must be written, agreements that need to be signed, packets to deliver, luncheons to attend, education classes, updates, keeping all of their data current, client obligations, photos taken, homes staged, repairs made, fliers printed and delivered, correspondence with Lender, Title, Bank, colleagues and all other clients, open houses, reporting, accounting, research, home search, price comparisons, market analysis, file management, stay up until midnight to write a blog, 
cleaning and polishing and yes, I have even performed yard work for a client or two.
All of this and yet, when you phone and we are there to take your call, cancel our dinner date, reschedule that oil change and promise the kids that we will go to the movies tomorrow night instead, so that you can look at that cute little ranch home on the corner of such and such that just went on the market and yes its late and such short notice but you show the home and be the hero and the next day when you make the appointment to meet them at the Lender's office to pre-qualify, you come prepared with the offer to be signed...this is the one!
Only to find out that there is another Realtor that they also talked to and that person wasn't available last night to show you your dream home but they are a friend of an Uncle and well, it really would be rude and you just have to let them write up your offer instead.
STOP right there! We pledge to uphold the law, we promise to be ethical and fair and use skill and care. If we show you the home, we sell you the home. If we spent the last 3 weeks preparing for your arrival, taking copious notes on your preferences, touring homes on your behalf, researching schools, neighborhoods, the perfect home...we deserve the courtesy of having the privilege to call you our client.
If you are shopping for a Realtor, be clear..."We have not selected a Realtor at this time, and we are interviewing others" or " We would like to look at this home tonight and have a Realtor that is unavailable" or "I can't promise to be loyal to you as I have met with a dozen or more Realtors and looked at several homes" or just do the right thing and do your home work before selecting a qualified sales associate in your area and then be honest, loyal and committed to becoming part of a team.
I promise to do the same for you!