What do we do to earn our keep? What do we do that is of value to our clients? What does it mean to work and succeed in the real estate business? These broad topics frame the debate on issues that quickly become battlegrounds amongst real estate professionals. Some of the most polarizing topics:
- Time spent on lead generation vs. servicing the clients
- 24/7 access vs. set business hours
- The phone numbers we publish or don't
- Mega brokers vs. boutiques vs. one (wo)man shops
- Teams vs. solo agents
- Who "owns" the client: Agent, loan officer, home inspector, attorney?
I've thought about this quite a bit recently...what do we who work in real estate establish as our value? Since most of us will claim some form of "service to the client", the question then arises: when does "service" become "servile"?
Maybe it's the tough economy, but I see otherwise strong and capable professionals getting dragged into a servile relationships with demanding clients. An agent who is worried about losing a client can lose his self-esteem and personal integrity, one unpleasant interaction at a time. Too many servile relationships can eventually dimish a person's ability to perform good service.
As we engage in the debates online and around the water cooler, we really need to step back and ask "what is my value proposition?" I'm comfortable with how I define my value, which includes directing a team to meet the client's needs while I keep the pipeline full by marketing and selling. In this challenging economy, I think that a successful agent or broker should strive to run a flat and multi-functional team that does not require traditional reporting relationships. The team is created and managed -- sometimes one client at a time -- always with an eye to great client service and running a great business.
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