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Compassion - A Quality of Greatness

By
Real Estate Agent with Village Real Estate Services, Inc.

Becoming a REALTOR® contrary to popular belief is not a fall-back position, it's a choice.  There are classes that you can take.  And, of course you need to pass an exam and pay your license fees.  But, it takes something more.  It takes some qualities that cannot be learned or imitated.  They just have to be there to begin with.  As I read a couple of blogs this evening, it occurred to me that one of the qualities that is needed to be a great REALTOR® is compassion.  There's no class or training for this.  You either have it or you don't.

Tonight, I read a couple of articles that exemplify the meaning of compassion in business.  One was written by the beloved Broker Bryant Sally's eyes will make a grown man cry!  We all love his funny videos, but inside that barrel chest beats a heart of pure gold.  I look forward to meeting him one day.  Tonight as I read Broker Bryant's account of helping the three daughters of parents who died in a murder-suicide, tears came to my eyes for the girls, yes, but also for Broker Bryant.  He thought he had "lost it" when he was moved to tears by the girls' plight.  Instead of "losing it", I would argue that that's just when he "got it".  All too often in the course of business, we can become calloused and forget that we are working with people and the major decisions of their lives.

Another blog caught my eye tonight.  It was written by a newbie here on Active Rain.  He is a man whom I've come to respect in our service on the grievance committee for our real estate board.  Glenn Gaspar's article Lack of Flexibility!  is about an insensitive person at a mortgage company.  They lacked compassion and as a consequence a family will now have to re-establish themselves after a foreclosure.  It was within this person's power to delay the foreclosure for a few days to allow the family to sell their home...instead, they took the easy way...no empathy, no compassion.

To those who think this job is easy and that we make too much money for what we do as REALTORS®, I politely beg to differ.  Many times our jobs are so difficult in touching people where they hurt that no amount of money would begin to compensate.  Yet, there is nothing so rewarding as knowing that because of what we do, the people we serve can live a little better.

The word for today is compassion.  Can you remember a time when someone extended compassion to you?  Can you remember the last time compassion won out over logic in your business?  I hope so. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Marlene Bridges, REALTOR®  800 777-1775

South Orange County Real Estate Website

Orange County Seniors Lifestyles Blog

SRES - Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

CRS-Certified Residential Specialist®

President - Laguna Hills/Laguna Woods Chamber of Commerce

Marlene is a highly experienced  South Orange County CA REALTOR® specializing in residential Real Estate and the sale of Homes and Condos in South Orange County, California and Saddleback Valley cities of: Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo.   

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Comments (20)

Inside Richmond Real Estate
Inside Richmond Real Estate - Richmond, VA

I agree.  I wish compassion was required to get a real estate license. 

Sep 02, 2007 05:29 PM
Darrel Quebedeaux
Evergreen Realty & Associates Inc. - Newport Coast, CA

Being a Realtor, a good, honest  and hard working Realtor does require a heart and much more.  It looks easy but the truth is that it is not and it is sad that more people who wear the title don't set out to earn it all over again every day.

Great post Marlene.

Sep 02, 2007 05:30 PM
Marlene Bridges
Village Real Estate Services, Inc. - Laguna Hills, CA
Laguna Homes|Laguna Condos|Laguna Real Estate

Inside - That would cut down the ranks a bit.

Darrel - What a great idea, setting out daily to earn the right to use the title REALTOR®.  Love it!

Sep 02, 2007 05:33 PM
Jason Sardi
Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC
Your Agent for Life
Beautiful Marlene!  There is no substitute for that great quality! 
Sep 02, 2007 05:43 PM
Renee L. Norton
Birmingham, AL

Marlene - Thanks for this post.  I remember vividly the last time someone showed compassion to me.  As far as my business, compassion always wins out over logic.  Thats why I spend way too much time with the person with a very low budget rather than chasing the high $ client.

 

Sep 02, 2007 05:45 PM
Linda Bourgault
lulugraphix-creative photography & fine art - Flower Mound, TX
Marlene:  "Can I remember the last time compassion won out over logic in your business?" Yes, both my husband and I have received compassion everyday since July 13th...the day he joined activerain. He is a cancer survivor and I'm his caretaker. We are also professionals in our respective fields of mortgage banking and loss mitigation. Not a day goes by without countess people on AR encouraging and praying for us...and working with us whether its a loan or a loss mitigation case. We are so grateful for all of them and for all they continue to do for us. I will be posting a blog soon about "Compassion - let me count the ways" or something similar. Thank you for reminding people how important compassion is and the wonders it creates when received. Mahalo and Aloha
Sep 02, 2007 05:46 PM
Marlene Bridges
Village Real Estate Services, Inc. - Laguna Hills, CA
Laguna Homes|Laguna Condos|Laguna Real Estate

Jason - You dearheart have that quality.

Renee - We can spend a lot of time earning money or we can spend our time doing what we're called to do.  Each of us has the opportunity to make that choice.  Thanks for choosing to give.

Linda - Thank you so much for sharing your story.  Stay strong, Linda.  As a caregiver, you must care for yourself, too.  God bless you.  I'm looking forward to your compassion blog.

Sep 02, 2007 06:27 PM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
Compassion is the word today and tomorrow! I need to add tomorrow because it's tomorrow for the east coast already. Thank you for putting things into perspective. BB's story was ....well, it was one to stop me in my tracks for awhile. Linda and Bruce know the true meaning as well. Because as much as people are giving it ....so are they. more than they may know.
Sep 02, 2007 06:39 PM
Bob Carney
Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales - Mc Henry, MD
Licensed MD/PA Real Estate Agent
Compassion, not enough of it in this world.  It really ticks me off to see these investors circling like vultures around these foreclosures and short sales.  Sure, everyone wants to make a buck...but can you sleep at night?  I hope to never have to be in the face of child during these trying times. 
Sep 02, 2007 08:07 PM
Don Diltz
Coldwell Banker - Menlo Park, CA
DRE:01204965
I've heard a number of Realtors say they think we get paid a lot for what we do.  All I can guess is that they don't do what I do.  I bend over backwards to get it right - and even to be perceived as getting it right.  The big time stories you mentioned are good examples of a need for compassion, of course.  But there are little stories in our lives every day.  Moving i s a terribly stressful event for people.  They often become overwhelmed.  I know a lot of colleagues who are not very sympathetic with our clients' plight.  I guess these people should try moving a few times themselves to refresh their memories about how stressful it can be.  We are afforded many opportunities to offer compassion to our clients in this stressful time by going a little farther to make their lives easier.  This should be done not because we have to but because we want the experience to be as good for our client as possible.  Thanks for bringing in the compassion piece...it is terribly important.
Sep 02, 2007 08:27 PM
Linda Scanlan
A Fan of AR - Burleson, TX

Marlene - You bring it all down to where it is. If you DON'T have compassion and mercy (along with a huge dose of patience!) you shouldn't be a Realtor. This is a much more emotional business than I ever imagined. You bond with your clients and when something goes wrong you REALLY feel it along with them.

Helping and caring for people is what we do. Selling Real Estate is the by-product.

Thanks, Marlene, for your wonderful post!

Sep 03, 2007 12:27 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Marlene - What a wonderful post. Compassion is a quality that we so often do not see in many people, real estate and otherwise. It really IS an important characteristic of a true professional. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Jeff

Sep 03, 2007 01:30 AM
Joe Zapata
Keller Williams Realty Media World - Burbank, CA
Your Burbank Real Estate Expert
Marlene - What a great post.  You are so correct when you say that compassion is a huge part of what a GOOD Realtor should have.  I too wish there was a way that we could make this a requirement but alas this would be impossible.  All we can really do is to try to protect the ones that we can and show them what a good agent can do for them.  With the market shift I hope that most of these BAD agents will fall by the wayside and leave the stronger better agents.
Sep 03, 2007 07:02 AM
John Novak
Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate
When I think of top agents, many of them are also exceptional givers. What a casual observer might not realize is that it's usually that attitude of giving and compassion that made them a top agent, not the other way around.
Sep 03, 2007 09:24 AM
Lynda Eisenmann
Preferred Home Brokers - Brea, CA
Broker Associate ,CRS,GRI,SRES, Brea,CA, Orange Co

Marlene,

Lovely post. You know our bottom line question in my office in solving a problem, "What in the best long-term interest of our consumer?" It's real easy to do and it works every time.

Sep 03, 2007 02:04 PM
Marlene Bridges
Village Real Estate Services, Inc. - Laguna Hills, CA
Laguna Homes|Laguna Condos|Laguna Real Estate

Joe - Thanks for reading and commenting.  I know that having a genuine concern for your clients is one of the reasons you are so successful.

John - I couldn't agree more.  Many successful people give first and then receive---they don't give to receive, it's just a natural progression.

Lynda - You have done such a great job of mentoring so many people (myself included) and yes, it's such a great question to aski---What's in the best interest of the client.  Do what's best for them and you never go wrong.

Sep 03, 2007 02:32 PM
. .
no thanks - Harlem, MT
Marlene, I'm thankful for your post and for the responses that it produced. Compassion is a human quality that makes our world a wonderful place.
Sep 03, 2007 03:51 PM
Marlene Bridges
Village Real Estate Services, Inc. - Laguna Hills, CA
Laguna Homes|Laguna Condos|Laguna Real Estate
Bridget - Like you I am so grateful to learn that there are so many wonderful people working in the professional of real estate who share this wonderful gift of compassion in their daily work.  It sure does make the world a better place!
Sep 03, 2007 04:32 PM
Jason Crouch
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX
Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)
This is a terrific and heartfelt post.  Thanks for writing it.  I also feel that compassion is the lynchpin of our business.  You might like to read my latest post, which deals with caring about your clients.  I appreciate your thoughts on this subject.
Sep 03, 2007 06:35 PM
Marlene Bridges
Village Real Estate Services, Inc. - Laguna Hills, CA
Laguna Homes|Laguna Condos|Laguna Real Estate
Jason - When we truly care about our clients needs first, everything else just falls into place.
Sep 04, 2007 02:29 AM