As I was enjoying myself last evening watching my New England Patriots dissect and destroy the dreaded Pittsburgh Steelers, it occurred to me that one of the reasons I was enjoying this nationally televised event was the pithy and thorough analysis furnished by Cris Collingsworth, the football player with a law degree, who does the "color" for Al Michaels, the play-by-play commentator. After almost every play, Collingswworth made a relevant comment that clarified the play. He would discuss blitz patterns or secondary coverage in a manner which confirmed his knowledge of football, and his participation in the event made watching the game much more enjoyable.
When I compare Collingsworth's performance with the work of the former "color" analyst, John Madden, who was almost always unprepared for the game at hand, and substituted slapstick noises and banal phrase for real analysis, I had an "ah-ha" moment about my professional life, and probably yours, as well.
Many times during his comments, Collingsworth alluded to visits with the Pittsburgh practices during the preceding week. He had spoken several times with Tom Brady and other members of the Patriot team. He watched films; he studied meaningful statistics. It wasn't an accident that he showed up well with his comments. He had obviously done his homework.
A Realtor's preparation for a real estate engagement has many of the characteristics of preparing for doing "color" for a football game. The client expects the Realtor to have specific knowledge about the home in question and the neighborhood, in general. The Realtor needs to do homework. The well-prepared Realtor needs to know something about neighborhood schools (and where they are located) and the distance to a store where a quart of milk or a pound of butter can be obtained. The Realtor would be better informed if he or she had spoken to a neighbor or two. In a word, the Realtor needs to be thoroughly prepared, when he or she undertakes a real estate engagement, or the client may realize that the Realtor has not made a large enough commitment to the enterprise and go elsewhere.
For me, a Massachusetts real estate attorney with more than 42 years of experience, "preparing", as it were, takes on a different dimension. My client is looking to me for safety; for a thorough analysis of the state of the title. I obtain the deed to the Seller (usually on-line) right away. I check the taxes. I match up the name on the Deed to the name of the Seller. In a short sale, I look at all the liens on the property. In a word, I prepare, and I furnish precise, accurate information. In my mind, that is what all of our customers are expecting from us, and the people who will survive in our business are the ones who can furnish same.
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