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I'm A Real Estate Expert - What's Wrong With This Statement?

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photo courtesy of Mai Le

Being an expert.

I read a comment on someone's blog today (and won't link to it as the comment doesn't really apply to what I'm writing, it just sent me down this path) that made me think about the word expert and how we use it consistently in real estate. Everyone wants to hire someone with expertise in their field, no matter what industry you're coming from. We like to know we're getting the best of the best. We don't want to hire someone who has no experience in their field.

Merriam-Webster defines expert:

2 : having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience

I certainly don't want someone without training or experience helping me buy and sell my house. I might as well let my cat sell my house then, right? I want an expert, right? But what makes a real estate agent an expert?

Sure, when an agent has sold a ton of real estate, there is a certain level of experience that goes with it. They train, they read, they learn, they practice. This is an expert by the very definition of the word.

But once; they didn't have that training, that level of experience, they hadn't sold those homes. They weren't an expert, right? They were just somebody with a real estate license.

You learn something new everyday.

Every time I speak with an agent who has more real-time experience than I do, I ask them about how they feel about this or that involving the ins and outs of a contract. I love to learn from other people when it comes to ideas and theories of real estate. The one common thread I have found in all of these conversations is the phrase, "You learn something new on every contract you do."

Wait, read that again. Let's use some logic here. Follow me. If an experienced agent learns something new on every contract, that means they encounter something they don't know, don't have experience in, or have not seen before. It's new to them. So while doing that contract, that real estate agent isn't an expert (in regards to that specific contract), right?

Now, I know I'm stretching definitions a bit here, but I'm attempting to get you to think a little bit differently. An expert isn't someone who has training and experience. You heard me.

So what is an expert then?

When I was young, I had a hard time in school. I found myself bored and rarely challenged. Because of that, I often slacked off and just sort of made my way through school. I felt I was an expert, that's for sure (I may have had a little bit of an ego when I was younger). One day, while having a conversation with my parents, I told them I was bored and not learning anything in school. My step-mom explained to me the reason we go to school from her point of view:

You're not going to school to learn facts and figures, you're going to learn how to learn.

That message has stuck with me all my life. You don't have to know everything, you just have to know how to find the answers to everything. This, in my book, is what defines an expert. Everyone in real estate started at the beginning, when they did their first transaction were they so clueless that they shouldn't have been near a real estate contract? (Possibly.) But most of us made it through our early transactions - not by being an expert, but knowing how to learn from others' expertise. We asked questions, read blogs, called agents in our office - whatever it took. We learned what we needed to in order to complete our first transactions.

When I see someone using the title of expert (especially when it applies to particular disciplines such as short sales or foreclosures), I often wonder how they got there. Did they sell a few blindly to start? Did they tell their clients not to worry, they were an expert? Did they use the experience to learn?

Real estate is a hands on experience. I was well trained at my first office (and my first broker is known for his training) and excelled at school as well. I did so many "practice" contracts, I probably killed several forests just trying to figure out how many days it took to get a survey or how much a residential service contract (home warranty) costs. Despite all of the that training, my first sale was a piece of a land. A completely different form, a completely different contract. On top of that, it contained a unique twist of having a mobile home on it that was owned by a third party who wanted to leave it behind when they moved, but wanted to lease it back from the buyer for a few months. Talk about not being prepared! Instead of folding; I asked a million questions, got the help I needed, and completed a successful transaction with my buyers walking away very happy.

I was an expert.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® Becker Properties | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Posted by Matt Stigliano on 09/22/2009 12:09 PM

Comments (83)

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83 Comments on I'm A Real Estate Expert - What's Wrong With This Statement?

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2009

Such a good post! You said it all, and very well, indeed.

Well now I know you're really San Antonio's GENIUS Rockstar Real Estate Agent! Any expertise we have comes from what we just did. And we do learn one contract at a time. I like that you said "I was an expert! "Was" being the operative word. Every contract is a new opportunity to gain expertise.

Very thought provocing. I've been engaged in the real estate business for a lot of years and I've completed or supervised probably 2000 contracts for more.

I do not refer to my self as an expert. Do I have expertise? Of course. Expertise comes from training and experience, primarily experience IMO.

One thing for sure, when I seek referral agents, if there isn't one available in my network and/or trained by me, I look for experience.

I know there is always the contrarian who counters with "but what about the agent who has practiced for 25 years and doesn't know anyting?

The agent with years in business a better risk than ones with little time or experience.

Sea to Sky - Thanks.

Sherry - I think being an expert requires desiring to know more at every turn. If you feel you've acheived expert status, you're probably further away than you think.

Matt - My parents too told me about how school was to teach us to learn. Now more than ever, those that continue with the mindset that there is something to learn on every contract will better be ready for the changes yet to come down the pike. Great post and well deserved feature. Congrats!

Matt, I hate to see "expert" used in advertising. It suggests other agents are not. It's become an over use and meaningless word to the public. I never use #1 for the same reason unless it applies to a contest or monthly production I participated in.

I once helped a person with a landlord tenant suit. I appeared in court as a witness for them. Since I was a licensed Realtor I was sworn by the judge and the record noted I was an expert witness.

The term expert can be used to mean many things. I rarely can recount other members of a profession claiming they are experts. Usually the ones claiming to be an expert still have a lot to learn.

I think you have to be open to accepting that there is a lot of stuff that you still don't know. I don't let that scare me because I know that I'm better than most at learning new things and getting up to speed quickly.

If you waited to be an "expert" before you did something you'd probably be dead before you got started.

Matt - I guess you were inspired by our conversation yesterday to write this post, right? ;)

Of course, I am joking. This is a terrific post, my friend. I am always cautious about presenting myself as an expert on anything, although there are probably a few areas where I could claim this title. I think it comes across as narcissistic sometimes.

One thing for sure. If a person has completed real estate school, passed the test and licensed, received any post-licensing training and completed one successful closing, when compared to 99% of the consumer, we are all experts.

Matt,

I see lots of folks in real estate call themselves experts and often it is someone with only a few years in the business. I would think many would revise their profile if they read this post. Well done.

Patrick

Hi Matt, I have a certain level of expericne and expertise after more than 20 years, but every transaction is different, and I am always learning new things - about people, about issues, about marketing, about technology, etc. No one person can sit back and say they know it all, and the day I stop learning will be the day I die.

Matt-

I'm leery of "expert" and "guru" self-IDs. I see it in real estate a lot, but at least real estate has been around since the dawn of time. What really gets my goat is seeing people market themselves as social media or twitter gurus. There are such gurus, to be sure. But chances are, they don't label themselves as such, or the people who do aren't actually gurus. The SM has simply not been around long enough.

Could not agree with you more. As our industry is constantly changing. As a result, EXPERT is something that we can only aspire to achieve and, because of change, can never truly accomplish. I would like to see regulations created for the use of the word in real estate. Maybe a test (1,000 or more questions, an essay or two and specific areas in which one could choose to become a certified "expert"). Of course, one would have to re-certify each year for their specific area of expertise. My opinion: Using the word expert in ones marketing materials (with few exceptions) shows that they might be less of an expert than they proclaim. The addition of a string of doohillies and acronyms does not help either.

This is an interesting post. I recently have become aware that I have been mistaken in thinking that others know what I think are real estate basics and then I find out that they don't! I must have gathered some expertise somewhere, Let's see real estate classes, Texas brokerage license, Graduate Realtor Institute, Accredited Staging Professional Training, Continuing Education, Completed Transactions, Reading on Active Rain, Smile!

I'm afraid of people that proclaim to be experts. Now if someone else vouches that the person is an expert...that's something.

I loathe the word EXPERT! Anyone can use it.

"You don't have to know everything, you just have to know how to find the answers to everything. This, in my book, is what defines an expert" Your definition is appropriate. Like most things in life, expertise is relative. Most clients view their agent as the expert regardless of whether the agent claims this title or how other agents/brokers view the position. I am not quite as put-off by the title as some of your commentors. Having knowledge and working to gain more is admirable in my book. By the most stringent of definitions above, no one would ever be an expert in any field. Neurosurgeons, nuclear scientists, mechanics, professors, etc all have much within their fields that they can learn. But, compared to the average person they are experts.

Lenn - I have to agree that experience outweighs training. Training is good to build a foundation on, but without experience it's not as good as it can be.

Christianne - My step-mom drilled that one into my head. It wasn't until years after school that I really understood what she meant.

Bonnie - When I see the #1 stuff I always think of Cookie Kwan from The Simpsons ("Number 1 on the Westside").

Tim - If you're not open to that, you might as well give in now! Not being open is like saying the internet will never catch on in real estate.

Jason - You've been involved in more than one of the "social media experts" discussions I've been in with people and I know how you feel about the topic. Interesting you should mention our chat yesterday, because I was going to write a post about the education of the consumer in regards to what we were discussing. But between the call and somethings you made me think and the comment I read, this post just sort of came flowing out of me.

Lenn (again) - Not sure I agree with you there. In some ways, yes, you are correct, but I think that tide is changing. I think more and more consumers are becoming educated. That's half the reason we write blogs.

Patrick - I've only been licensed for about a year and a half now. I'm not afraid of that and never have been. I still call myself a new agent and will probably continue to do so for many years.

Susan - I have found that some of the more experienced agents (and this is no slight to them) often have the most to learn. They know plenty about real estate, but (and this is not meant to be a blanket statement as I know plenty it doesn't apply to) they have a long way to go to learning about technology and the new consumer mindset. I knew someone who would repeatedly say "I can't understand what these people don't understand about the fact that it's a great time to buy." What he didn't understand was the consumer mindset - he came from the old school where "sales tactics" trumped all in real estate.

Ian - The "guru" thing in social media got out of hand quickly and I was thrilled to see such a backlash against it. Sad thing is that many of the people I would label as "gurus" would never accept the title now and I think many people lost out, since these people would never move to make the world see them as an expert - even though they could help many people get the concepts of social media.

Christopher - A test? Then it will just wind up as another designation. Like the e-Pro I had to help during a training session - she couldn't figure out how to get on the internet or (get ready for this) turn on her computer. Thanks e-Pro, I feel much safer in your hands.

Beverly - Smile? I am smiling. I'm pushing the limit of the definition in my post for a reason there. I'm surrounded by people I consider experts, don't get me wrong.

Dynamic Page Solutions - Someone vouching for someone else as an expert does lend credibility to the claim.

Kat - But anyone can use the word "failure" too.

Erik - Perhaps the definition should be changed to be relative to one's position as they view another. That I definitely agree with.

To understand what an "expert" is, I had to stop and think of the roots of the word "ex" and "pert".

When I looked up PERT on Dictionary.com, I found one definition being: "P(rogram) E(valuation and) R(eview) T(echnique). A management method of controlling and analyzing a system or program using periodic time and money reports, often computer generated, to determine dollar and labor status at any given time."

Since "ex" is typically defined as previously being something, I guess being an "Ex-Pert" you are no longer are in control of a management method that you used to be!

I've always learned by jumping in over my head and then struggled to stay afloat. You'll never expand your horizons without pushing your limits. There's always more to learn

Great stuff my friend!

And your step-mom's quote was one that I'll never forget.

Congrats on the featured post status.

Well deserved indeed!

As one with younger children, I loved your step moms comment about learning. Great post

You are only as good as your drive to learn more, listen, surround yourself with mentors and be able to change and adapt to new ways to get to the closing. Remember walking in contracts in 1980 to the lawyer's office...black and white peel pack film for the local paper before digital, video, blogging. Developing new skills and stretching for knowledge, to be the best, to hustle and have fire in your belly the key. Otherwise, you're in the wrong profession.

It is an interesting twist to see those with "experience" say that their knowledge (by virtue of longevity) outweighs those they consider "inexperienced". Yet those same agents haven't completed a short sale in a market dominated by short sales, haven't sold a foreclosure or settled a buyer transaction in the last 6 months. Yet ask them and they will tell you they are the expert because they are experienced agents.

Matt, very well done, I do pride myself on BOTH my experience and my expertise and steer clear of areas where i do not feel completely comfortable with my skills! I even avoid parts of town where I do not have any knowledge of area statistics, history or current sales data because I don't feel comfortable not knowing everything I can to help my clients. It's another reason I try and specialize in certain neighborhoods, niches and price ranges. Maybe that is a bit over board but it's served my clients well over the years! I also like the fact that you continually ask questions and are open to new ideas. There are a number of us in our office that are veterans but like you are always seeking knowledge to help us better serve our customers!

BTW I once heard that an expert is anyone who is 50 miles from home with a briefcase...

Matt, I have been a Realtor for 14 years. I learn something new in every transaction. That is what keeps it lively and fun and challenging for me. Taking a class doesn't make you and expert. Experience helps definately but IMO we are ever learning.

Matt,

Anyone can say their and expert. Calling yourself one doesn't make you one. The only thing that makes you an expert is being good at your job, and that takes a few years of experience.

Matt:

The agent who said, "You learn something new on every contract you do" was so right. It's dangerous to ever start to think that you know everything in this business (and in life). Just when I think I have encountered every situation, something comes at me from left field and it's a whole new learning experience and I've been doing this for 17 years.

You are on the right path by being open and inquisitive and asking for help when you need it. You will certainly go further than anyone who thinks they know it all because, honestly, I think you never do. The great philosopher Bob Dylan probably said it best:

"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."

- At least that's my interpretation...

Matt,

Excellent post.

Real estate agents are not "experts," they are professionals. Big difference. We're like project managers and the deal is our project.

Matt, I think being an expert in real estate is a work in progress. As you pointed out, LOTS of practice.

I claim to specialize in certain niches, but don't often use the word expert. I am always up for the challenges of real estate - they make life fun and I learn more about our business!

Matt, I am a student of real estate and have been for 30 years. BUT I am far from being an expert. Real Estate is just like golf......we can always get better.

How about being an "expert" finding the answers to tough problems? The best kind of expert there is.

Matt,

I always avoid use of the term "expert". I don't like it, and there are often inappropriate criteria for the designation when it is permitted.

I do try to learn something new on each deal. However, it's not so much about the contract as it is about the people, That is always new and different.

Brian

Same thing with Certified, when you can take 63 hours and sell the most expensive item someone owns then what can one expect. Realtors in general are ego maniac. I tell business owners all the time if they want to make money invent or come up with something and sell to Realtors, If another agent bought one the next will buy two. Get what I mean.

I think if you are driven to be the best you can be ie: expert then be with th erest of the 80% 95% of the bottom feeders in our business.

Jim - Interesting way to think about it. I like it!

France and Mark - I try not to jump in over my head, but I certainly flirt with the deep end.

Craig - I spent a lot of time at odds with my step-mom until I grew up and realized just how right she was about so many things.

Brian - Feel free to use it, I'm sure she'd be proud.

Andrew - "Fire in your belly" - I like that quote.

Cindy - Short sales is part of what set me to thinking about this. I often hear people talk about how you have to hire experienced short sales people - well where did they get their experience? It seems to me that the question of expertise and experience are often a round about issue.

Russell - 50 miles from home? How far is Austin? I guess I'm not an Austin expert.

Missy - Your one of the people that helped me form my opinions on "expert" and "experience." When I started writing at AgentGenius, I was certainly neither of those, but you were one of the ones that encouraged me in a way that made me realize that I could build my experience as long as I knew when to ask the experts.

Ann - Who says it takes years to be "good at your job?"

Claudette - I've had many agents tell me that. I was lucky that I learned from people I considered to be smart, talented, and the kind of agents I aspired to be.

Ron and Alexandra - Excellent comment.

Aaron - In many ways real estate is like being a project manager - good call on that one, I never thought of it quite like that.

Gary - I think it should remain a work in progress...unless you want to continue to sell to a handful of clients who just seem to stick with you because they don't like change either.

Emily - The thing I love most about real estate is the constant change and challenge. If you knew what today has been like for me, you'd nod your head in agreement.

Bryant - If real estate is like gold, I'm screwed.

Ginger - You know my opinions on experts and how I like to call them out. PS We still need to chat this week if we can find time.

Brian - Even if all the contracts were cut and paste affairs for all of us, the people would always keep it different. Agreed.

Charles - There is a goldmine in real estate products. Seems everyone is looking for the magic bullet.

Great post Matt. I think people get a little to over confident with themselves at times. Humility is a much more admirable trait in a person than arrogance.

Exit Pleasant (it's George isn't it?) - Humility is always a good thing. I learned it early when I was in the band, having five guys more than willing to smash any ego you might get was a great tool.

Everything counts in large amounts and all transactions will teach something while leaving something untaught. I have always made new agents do practice contracts too.

Excellent point, we try to avoid that term altogether. An expert is not something you call yourself, it is something that other people assign. And you're right, we always need to be learning, no one knows it all.

Matt:

I have found that the more I know, the more I realize how much I don't know.

The years I spent as a competitive debater LOVES this post!! I am very picky about wording. An "expert" is a very subjective thought. I agree with Kevin & Monica above - if you call yourself an expert, you're probably not one.

I think anything involved with human relationships is too complicated to hold much "expertise." Sure, you may be well-read, experienced, inquisitive, or passionate, but with such rapidly changing variables, I'm not sure it's accurate to designate anyone as an "expert."

Excellently spoken..........This has been a source of discussion for months now especially those with the short sale designation after only going to classes........

Being an "expert" definitely holds one to a higher standard and in court I think one would be in dire straits in litigation for errors in performance when one advertises themselves as an Expert.....

Hi Matt. Perhaps some people correlate being a professional with being an expert.

One thing's for sure.... the spelling of our favorite descriptions, titles, etc., may all be easily looked up in the dictionary, but the values and importance of being an 'expert,' or an 'experienced' agent, are being redefined as we speak. ;-) Great read and great conversation you have inspired!

I think you are right on the mark. Real estate is such a diverse field that it's hard to be an expert in just about anything real estate.

Matt the thing that came to my mind the most was how beneficial it is to have great partners / co-workers / friends / accountability partners, etc. to bounce ideas off of. My boss, company partner, and a bunch of other AR loan officers are always around for me to throw ideas off of, because as you say, we are ALWAYS learning!!

Hi Matt - Telling me you're an expert or a professional will get you absolutely nowhere. Proving it through your actions is what really counts, and in that case, your reputation will precede you.

In florida, when dealing with residential customers, all real estate licensees are considered, in the eyes of the law, to be experts. So when push comes to shove, the customer will come out on top.

It is, however, how many "experts" we have in special areas of real estate such as short sales, foreclosures, problem properties, mortgages, etc. Even when there is a certification available, that does not necessarily mean a person is an expert. We have all met brokers and others that are supposedly a step above the rest of us who in reality cannot chew gum and walk at the same time. To me, the best indicator of being an expert is performance, past and present.

This is a great post. Nice read. :) I have tons of experience and even more training and education, but I don't call myself an expert. There's too many of those out there, and I'd like to do better, without thinking that I'm there. In other words, I hope to learn something more every day, and keep reaching for the 'expert' title (which I'll never use). I hope my actions will show it more than my title.

I always think of an expert as one of the very top in the business. An expert is in the top 1% in my opinion.

Great post. I really enjoyed reading it and all the comments that followed. Not much else I can add:)

learning whats new or changed in any profession does not take away from ones expertise,but enhances ones knowledge and adds to the scope of expertise

I learn something new every day, and while I may not be an expert, there are many facets of my market I am more familiar with than my competitors. Then again, I still have so much to learn!

I am reminded of a comment made by a psychologist. He had his doctorate degree and many years of experience in the field. Basically you need a masters or doctorate degree in his profession. He claimed that those with a masters often believe that they now know everything about the topic while those going on to get their doctorate degree come to believe that they know very little.

Funny how when we become more experienced we understand that their are many nuances and every situation is different. There is always something new to learn.

Food for thought.

I would consider doctors and lawyers to be very smart with there years of education and often years of experience. In spite of this what they do is always referred to as practice. They see something new all the time and must know how to research and come up with answers.

Great post. I really enjoyed reading it. I have been using the phrase expert lately and I have to say compared to 95% of the consumers and agents I am an expert. Not braging or boasting but realizing that even an expert makes mistakes but learns from each of them and becomes a better person. Thanks!

Matt: Wow – reading this took me back to my Philosophy courses in college. A cause for reflection and introspection … the term expert in the real estate industry is over used. Great Post – I enjoyed reading it … thanks!

Matt,

I guarantee I'll be an expert tomorrow.

But I heard tomorrow never comes.....

There goes my chance to be an expert. Nevertheless, I will keep learning.

SEP

2009

I spent three years in law school. When I came out, I didn't not consider myself an expert in the law; in fact, I felt I knew almost nothing.

What law school did was teach me to think like a lawyer and to know where to look for the answers.

Sounds similar to you above.

Matt,

A very thought provoking post from the RockStar Real Estate Agent. :)

I find this post very relevant mainly because we advertise agents on our website and we used to advertise them as "Local Real Estate Professional". Some agents got back to us stating that "Professional" didn't add as much 'punch' as "Expert" or "Specialist" would. And after much debating and discussing we decided to go with what the agents suggested and changed the advertising to "Local Real Estate Expert".

If you happen to check my blog "Which banner works best for Real Estate Agents", you can see a screen shot of what i am referring to. On the first image you would see "Local Real Estate Professional" (which we changed a few days back to "Local Real Estate Expert"). The second image is only a suggestion on how it would look if the banner was placed vertically.

So while i am continously debating on which banner works better for a real estate agents, you have re-opened the debate on (not which adjective works better for a real estate agent, because we too found out that "Expert" works better. So the real estate agents were right!) the usage of "Expert" in our advertisements.

While we have the debate going, I hope you haven't patented "RockStar Real Estate Agent". We might consider using "Local RockStar Real Estate Agent" in our advertisements too. Hehe....

Thanks for this great post! Cheers!

From the desk of David Dee,

Matt,

Such a well crafted and nicely layout post. It is so true in reference to your definition of being an 'expert'. As in any discipline, it is only through practice and learning which will lead us to become experts. It is a losely used terminology in a sense in that expert is not indicative of being omniscient but of constantly learning the ropes of the trade.

I consider myself an expert in short sales. I think you hit it on your blog. An expert takes the time to continue to learn and stay on top of the trends of the subject. They also create trends. They openly debate strategies and information. They strive to excel. They learn the rules so they can bend them to thier advantage. They also create new rules. That's what makes me an expert because I follow those guidelines in my field.

Your knowledge, experience and confidence level makes you an expert. . . .

You must have have all 3 of them. .

If anyone DOES NOT consider themselves an expert. . .is because they lack one of those 3 traits.

I prefer to think of myself as experienced. I have had a lifetime of real estate experiences growing up in the business, but I have also learned that you never stopped learning in this business. Agents who do not continually strive to arm themselves and their clients with the latest knowledge and about the constant change that takes place in our industry are only cheating themselves and the people they serve. Good points, good post and congrats on the feature!

I know what Im doing. I know my market space. I know my customer base. And, I know how to get those customers to buy my product. But, am I am expert? Im damn darn good at what I do...but, I am no where qualified enough to be an expert. :-) And, I can admit that.

It's great that we learn everyday. I don't want to stop learning. In real estate, alot stays the same, but alot changes. This is a good post. Thanks for that.

So I'm going to reply a little later, but these two spam comments that just appeared are amazing. Look at how the spammer used "natural" language to drop in their links (even if it doesn't make sense) - they also seemed to know the thought behind the post (using words like experience). I hate spammers, but they're becoming more genius by the day.

I reported both comments as spam, so I am repeating them here, as eventually ActiveRain will remove them. I wanted everyone to see them anyway. I removed all links, so as not to give them any credit for their activities (bold words are where the links used to be).

buy cheap nokia n95 experience without nokia mobile learning is better than learning without excperi-ence. I have nokia 6300 but one lamp wait which my feet are guided; and that bose headphones is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the apple touch past.

I am fascinated by spam.

I don't put into my marketing the terms expert and professional that much, but I believe that as this industry moves towards recovery and downsizing the number of agents, branding the term expert will be more appropriate. I think that at this time experts with expertise are desired but not expected by the public.

I can't agree with you more. I have always found the term expert to be used by pompus sales people who need to try and convince others that they are knowledgeable. Why can't they just show it through their actions. You should never stop learning. Once you know it all, why continue?

Pompous, sorry for the spelling error.

Candice - Did you just quote Depeche Mode on my blog? If yes, awesome. If it was an unintentional thing, then it was still awesome.

Kevin and Monica - And my mom always told me no one likes a know it all.

Jesse - The more I know, the more I want to understand it better. It never ends.

Shana - The "variables" are what make real estate fun. They are also what can make it very hard at times.

Terry - Interestingly enough I've read a few court cases with different outcomes for the "expert." In some the agent was called out for pretending to be an expert. In others they were admonished for not using their expertise. In both cases, the judgements could have been flipped with the same reasoning.

Lana - The "expert" tag is valued by many people, yet no one seems to know what it truly means.

Susie - I often wonder how much weight the public places on all these titles, designations, and descriptions.

Chris - That's a big part of it as well. The diversity of real estate makes it really hard to be an expert in the general field. Even if you're just a short sale expert, there are many aspects to them and each bank handles the differently. Is that to say that we should say "I am an expert in San Antonio Bank Of America short sales as long as we're using Sam Smith to process our sale."? (Name and "Bank Of America" used just for example purposes, I know of no Sam Smith.) Do we need to be precise with our language or just drop it all together?

Steve - If you don't have a group to do that with, I think you'll eventually get stuck. Having that kind of conversation with others is one of my favorite things (just look at this blog for the evidence). By the way, love the new photo. It threw me off, I almost didn't realize it was you I was reading a comment from.

John N. - Good point. Once again, actions speak louder than words (or text).

John E. - Taking an online class in anything doesn't make you an expert, that's for sure. I've seen plenty of people who think it does though.

Sylvie - And wouldn't it be easy to rest on your laurels once you considered yourself an expert? Always a good reason to never feel that way about yourself!

Russ - Top 1% by what criteria? Production? Years of real estate practice? Credits from schools? Because I don't think 1% really defines an agent, I don't think I could put much credence to that. I've seen "top" agents perform crap work.

Yvette and Dennis - Thanks.

Michelangelo - It seems most agree that adding to your experience or knowledge is beneficial.

Debbie - And knowing that you don't know everything (and knowing where to learn it) are the keys if you ask me.

Tim - I'm curious to know how well the courts and E&O Insurers would agree. Do they sometimes butt heads over the issue of "expert"? Would be interesting to know.

Charles - I often use "real estate practice" as a definition of my work. I don't want anyone to think I'm doing everything blind and they're my guinea pig, but in many ways, every contract has some element of a "test case" to it.

Choice Realty - I disagree. Today's consumer knows more and wants to know more than ever before. I'm not contesting the fact that there are those that know nothing of what we do, but to say 95%...I just can't back that up (in my mind).

Kathleen - One of my greatest regrets in college (short-lived as it was) was having to drop my philosophy class. That professor talked circles around my head, but man did I love going to his class.

Rajeev - I like how you put it. I might have to use that somewhere.

Christine - "Think like a lawyer." That's it...we just need to think like a real estate agent and then back that up with the knowledge and the ability to find the answers we need. Love it.

Ajith - There are many people out there that claim to be "real estate rockstars" but not many that can claim to be "former rockstars turned real estate agents."

David - So at what point is someone able to use their "practice and learning" to declare themselves an expert. That's what I'm getting at here. It's so subjective.

Amiri - Ok, so you're an expert on short sales. When did you become one and why? When you did your first short sale, did you tell people you weren't an expert? People are only experts when they feel they have something to proclaim. What is someone when they're still learning and are they honest enough with their clients to tell them "I haven't done this before."? That's the root of my issue with the claim.

Fernando - According to that logic, I lack in one of those three. I disagree.

Jeani - I do notice there are a lot of people who have "grown up" in the business. I didn't, but I find it fascinating. I had little idea of what I was getting into other than I liked buying and selling my own homes in the past and was curious about the process while doing it. I thought it might be something that would really catch my attention and keep it. I was right.

Clint - Your use of the word "admit" is telling to me. You (in our personal dealings) have never been one to shy away from anything. You're a very honest, upfront person and it shows. I'm a big admirer of anyone who can "admit" to anything - good or bad.

Terri - Half the things I learned about in real estate classes have changed since I got my license. I expect the other half to change next year.

Joe - As the industry downsizes would you consider someone who weathered the tough markets an "expert" even if they didn't make a ton of transactions?

Kyle - Good point. I think some of these terms are in existence so that we can convince others of who we are. I wonder how many "experts" don't really think they're experts. Spelling error accepted (I make them in the comments section all too often - for some reason I hate to spell check my comments).

SEP

2009

Matt you hit the nail on the head. In looking back at the people I've personally considered Experts, it wasn't because of their knowing everything, but rather their effortless ability to find answers and solutions to the questions and problems that were being presented. I give you an A+ on summing up what a true 'Expert' is.

SEP

2009

Tarris - Thanks. I was pleased to see many of the responses here that felt the same. We (as aganets) get it drilled into our heads that we need to be the experts, but I'm not sure anyone ever helped define what an expert is to me when I was starting. I just knew I had to project that image. Being a new agent is tough enough, but when you're "projecting" images that you're not even sure what they are...? Not easy.

"Amiri - Ok, so you're an expert on short sales. When did you become one and why?"

Around April 2008. It is when I felt comfortable not to only meet every challenge, but how to maximize profits for both myself and my clients.

"When you did your first short sale, did you tell people you weren't an expert?"

The first one I did as a licensed real estate was in July 2006. I told him I know how to do a short sale. At that time, hardly anyone knew what a short sale was in my market area as we just were now going on the decline. Before being licensed, I was doing foreclosure flips. Very rarely did you run into a short sale flip unless the owner was either physically ill or they got involved with an investor who squeezed all the equity out of the property. The best was the people who would buy 7-10 houses at a time using 100% financing, rent them out as they go into foreclosure, then short sale them to a retail buyer. The investor was making cash on real estate kickbacks on the purchase, broker kickbacks on the loan purchase, rental income and the selling of the short sale kickback.

"People are only experts when they feel they have something to proclaim."

Not me. It only comes up with clients and other agents who complain about short sales.

"What is someone when they're still learning and are they honest enough with their clients to tell them "I haven't done this before."? That's the root of my issue with the claim."

Agreed. That's why I have an issue with agents who take a short sale course and consider themselves an Expert without having the experience or results behind them.

Yes it was intentional (wink) D'Mode :)

SEP

2009

Amiri - Ok, I see where you're coming from. Now here's my follow up - what would you tell someone to do in order to get involved in short sales and compete against a guy like you for the same business? Obviously, you have some experience, but what can the "new guy" do that can get him up to speed?

Candice - Consider yourself subscribed to.

I would tell that person to visit their local bookstore and read every book they can find on short sales. Then work with a short sale agent in their area. Maybe split the commission in order to learn along side them. Get involved with everything to do with short sales. Attend free seminars and gatherings. Most importantly, get involved with Activerain. The talent here (in the dark corners) is great.

DEC

2009

I have never been comfortable with anyone that calls HIMSELF/HERSELF an expert.

To start with, it's just a little too much blatantly tooting their own horn even if it could be true.

I am always more aware of what comes up new in a transaction than I am what's old hat....feel like I'm continually learning how to better accomplish something.

DEC

2009

Judi - The tooting of one's own horn has always been a bit of a weird thing to me. We're taught to do it to get the consumers attention, but I think they finally got tired and just started ignoring it. I do toot my own horn when I've reached a goal or accomplished something I'm proud of, but I don't use that as my selling point. I think we all continue to learn (or at least should) as we go through transactions. There is always a new situation, agent on the other side, consumers on both sides, etc. Every transaction involves something different. It might be similar, but it will never be the same.

MAY

2010

To combat this stigma when I first entered the RE field, I took every course I could get into.

I took my ABR, GRI's 1,2,3, e-PRO, Institute for Luxury Home Marketing & Resort & Second Home Specialist designtaions. I then took simpler courses like 1031 Exchange, Ninja Selling and then got my Brokers License.

I did all of this within 3 years to make up for my so called "lack" of experience from all of the old dogs in our area that would use their "time on the job" as their qualification to get a listing.

I am not in the Top 5 every year in our area and continue to gain every year.

I am constantly looking for new ways to stay in the publics face and attention, especially in this time of Advirtising Deficit Disorder that we are all experiencing with so many media outlets.

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Matt Stigliano

San Antonio, TX

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Becker Properties (210) 646-HOME

Address: San Antonio, TX, 78260

Office Phone: (210) 646-4663

Cell Phone: (210) 240-6222

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