Socially Repressed Anti-Professionalism or could it litigiously suppressed professionalism? Could it be professional ignorance, maybe just maybe getting paid is the sole requirement of professionalism.
Recently a blogging friend known for witty often outrageous attention getting and provocative posts suggested there were questions agents shouldn't bother asking! That's a great example Socially Repressed Anti-Professionalism! In real estate and lending there are a few questions you can't leagaly ask and a few you can't legally answer! Other than those legal issues there are no stupid questions, only foolish and stupid answers!
Many feel questions demonstrate ignorance. They are right! Ignorance is not stupidity, ignorance is the lack of knowledge! Questions seek to cure ignorance. Some are just to intimated or to stupid to ask.
Questions are the mark of a professional! Would you go to a Doctor or Attorney that didn't ask questions of you and for you? Often very personal questions! Wouldn't you want those professionals to use that information judiciously on your behalf. Professionals have to cure their ignorance about your problems before they can cure them. Why would you accept less from your real estate professionals?
A real estate professional's job is to cure the people problem! There is nothing professional about holding out for the highest commissionsale price while allowing your fiduciary to be destroyed. The real estate professional's must use what they know judicially use every thing they know to help their fiduciary.
(I have told many listing agents about their clients problems. The buyer's agent almost never knows. The most common is pending foreclosure, pending divorce, spouse working else where, unemployment, having to report to jail, large judgements, etc... This is some thing the seller's agent should know! The buyers lender or guru shouldn't have to inform them. It's sad.)
You can not say never to legal activity and be a professional! You can say that's beyond my experience or even that's beyond my comfort level.
Socially Repressed Anti-Professionalism. Using examples from my friends blog:
Socially Repressed Anti-Professionalism. He says never bother asking why the seller is selling, he would have listers never release such information. Well he's some times right. But, a buyer should always ask! Seller's agent should judicially answer. Yes, the answer could be used buy the buyer to justify a lower offer, but lower offers can be countered, it could also motivate a buyer to act in time to save your seller.
The blog said never to ask for possession "before closing"generally this is a very bad idea, but a real estate professional's job is to solve the people problem. possession is one of the most often over looked real estate tools. Early possession can work well for both the buyer and the seller and is sometimes the very best solution! (Early possession takes more than a date on the O & A.It takes a professional lease and a strong pre approval. Early possession should not be confused with a lease option!)
Socially Repressed Anti-Professionalism. Many agents may not even know the answers to the seller's motivation. Many say it's to personal. Many think the sellers would lie to them, well doctors and Lawyers also get lied to! Professionals must get to the truth. Many would be professionals would be shocked to know that so much information is publicly available! Many more would be shocked that my students and those that have seriously read my books know the answers before they ask to see the properties.
"Never" is a word professionals should avoid! There are things I'd never do, but there is always more than one way! I never break the law never, well there are those pesky speed limits. Churchill said it best "Never say never, never, never, never!"
Socially Repressed Anti-Professionalism, you decide! Until then take two asprin and call me in the morning.
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