The Agent as Counselor

We all know that purchasing a home will be one of the most important purchases in a lifetime and for most people it takes a real emotional toll. For our clients, the process can be fraught with hair-pulling, head-pounding and sleepless nights, and they look to their agents for guidance.  Real estate agents are expected to wear a lot of hats to help their clients make it through the process gracefully with smiles on their faces.

Clients aren’t the only ones dealing with stress. Even real estate experts can find themselves getting hit with the emotional shrapnel of the business of real estate, especially with the market we’ve been dealing with over the past few years. Career Cast listed the job of Real Estate Agent as one of the top 10 most stressful jobs of 2010, which is no surprise to anyone working in this industry.  Even while working on the frontlines and handling all of the little details that come up during the transaction, a great agent must also masterfully manage her client’s stress level.

Clients really appreciate agents who take this extra step to alleviate their fears and rave about it when we survey them on what they thought about their agent. This is what we liked about a review we received last week for one of our Las Vegas Partner  Agents, Vicki Knopf. Her client said:

“Vicki was absolutely wonderful. This was our first home, not only did Vicki explain every little thing to me, she also was our cheerleader and our support group. She took the time to guide and support us. From appraisals to lending to extensions to closing, she was there fighting and explaining and calming me down, even lifting me back up when it seemed hopeless. She is very knowledgeable, funny and supportive. This house would not have happened without her. I would definitely recommend her to anyone."  

We love this review because the client has taken the time to acknowledge the work that Vicki is doing to help her out on an emotional level.

We also recognize that agents often need support as well. We don’t just want to refer clients to the agents in Redfin’s Partner Program, we also want to provide support to the agents that work for us. We hope to be able to do even more for them as we continue to grow together.