But in the day to day of the public we serve, Realtors get skilled at knowing more than what a buyer can afford, what a seller's motivations to sell are.

The professional agent or real estate broker is dealing with people, human beings that are emotional, sometimes erractic, sometimes very logical and always the number one priority. As you drive and show and talk on the way to properties for a real estate buyer to consider, you learn about the person, the family. Where they used to live, that their mother in law is coming with them from the west coast, that they have two kids in college, medical ailments...the works. You don't just talk shop about real estate. You learn the wife remembers as a little girl coming to Maine to spend summers on the farm, and would like a little rural living for her family to create childhood memories.  You expand on her knowledge of Maine, picking up with what she offers in conversation. The buyer asks you about Maine schools, their daughter wants a horse, the son wants to play hockey or football and from the Realtor's personal life, the conversation shifts to what the area he serves is all about.

     Often times, that broker or agent is suddenly a Chamber of Commerce employee, a local native given a chance to share why he is so excited about this or that in the area applying the barrage of questions answers from his own personal perspective. He waves the flag for his hometown. Over and over the buyer wants to know if you have live in Houlton Maine your whole life, how many kids you have, if you have a good hospital, what people do for fun, what the weather is like. So sure, we list, market and promote homes, land, farm, smal business and waterfront properties, but just as important to the out of town real estate buyer, we "sell" and educate about what this area is like. Much of it from just our own personal history and a give and take, back and forth sharing results. The buyer and their family gets to know the broker from a personal perspective and trust is started.  A local reference and their first friend in the area relationship starts. If you really love where you live, that enthusiasm and passion will be apparent to the buyer. Much of the talk as you go to one property after another whether a home or land or lakefront camp is an exchange of information. What the buyer did not like about where they came from, what they hope for in your area. And at the end of the day, a broker's fatigue is due in part to the downloading of personal information in addition to processing the real estate wish list and reaction to each property the buyer sees, likes, does not like.  I remember my sons' hockey coaches reminding them to swivel their heads, to "see the ice". And to process the possible direction of the puck, the entire game, not just their team position as their on board "processors" calculate and recalculate the variables as they change, as the period clock ticks on, penalties pile up. A Realtor does the same real estate analysis and does more than carry three or four sets of keys or merely open up lock boxes each day.  He deals with cranky tenants, not so friendly pitbulls, the weather and the tight schedule of the buyer, the timeframe of the seller.

     A back and forth as you tour a seller's propery during the real estate listing, opens up the same communication line as the broker learns about the person, the owner.

A down to earth, friendly broker is like truth serum for the owner or buyer depending on which that Realtor is working with to open up, reveal what we have here for a mission, a case, a challenge.

The public we serve is human, not robotic. Loaded with feelings, hopes, dreams, regrets, obligations, history and limitations just like the broker. Flesh and blood and needing our real estate services to buy or sell.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, Way Way Better Than City Living.

Expert answers to real estate questions..that Active Rain.