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OUR CHALLENGE??...."GO HEAD-LONG INTO THE WINDS OF CHANGE...The Resistance Is What Will make You Strong!"

By
Real Estate Agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate 30HA0800896

OUR CHALLENGE??..."Go Head-long Into The Winds of Change...The Resistance is What Will make You Strong!"

These words are my new "Mantra" for the world we are living in right now...they came to me, out of the blue, as I read a few of the AR posts this morning. There is an enormous questioning happening right now--questions about the motivation of a few of our leaders, questions about the stock markets volatility, the world's wars, the disasters is Japan, the unsettled economy, the frequent public criticism of the real estate profession,  and on and on!HEADLONG..INTO THE WIND

We are in a shift that is not easy; it is a shift that happens around the turn of each new century, at least according to Alvin Toffler (Future Shock and The Third Wave) and others like him who have left volumes of reading material in their wake as they headed into the twenty-first century. 

Now that we have all arrived, and are fully involved with the "Changes" that we were warned about, it is quite shocking to feel the vibration of a major shift in this bold, new world; a world filled with happenings of those things we can do little or nothing about.

THE WORLD HAS BEEN TURNED ON IT'S HEADFull bore, we have entered this new place where nothing is settled, nothing feels concrete except for the changes that have taken a hold of our lives. The world has been turned on it's head! Is this what we were looking for? Is the world we live in now a place that we will ultimately embrace?

We collectively have an obligation, a human requirement to face it all and manage it.....manage it in such a way that we don't harm ourselves, or others. I wonder what our Fore-Fathers would say or do to handle the circumstances unfolding in the world---but then I know that there is no way "old thinking" is going to do the trick. This is all new "stuff" we are up against and we have to be on our toes! We must not fall into the trap of using our former ways to come to terms with our new challenges.

We are on the leading edge of a new way of being; we have choices now and we are more aware than ever that we can not do quick and easy things to get such an enormous job done. Our businesses will have to reflect this new way of being, or we won't last!

I suggest that we all examine the way we handle ourselves and our business---are we doing all that we can do to make the public trust us? After watching the Today Show this morning and hearing the hosts talking about the way "You know you can't trust the things the real estate agents tell you when they are trying to sell you a house---They get paid more commission on a higher priced property! Of course they are going to try to get you  to go higher in price!"WE NEED TO EXAMINE HOW WE HANDLE OURSELVES AND OUR BUSINESSES

"YOU  KNOW YOU CAN'T TRUST A REAL ESTATE AGENT"I was set back by this comment---Totally taken off guard, I was ready to make a call but then thought better of it. Ignorance about our business is thriving and it is getting worse...how many people watch the Today Show? I don't know, but that dialog certainly did us no good as a profession!

  • Times have changed and what used to be whispered behind a hand is now out there on Prime Time TV---in the ravings of a novice talk show host....for all to hear, and perchance to believe!

  • WHAT CAN WE DO NOW???...WHAT CAN WE DO AS AN INDUSTRY THAT WILL TAKE US FORWARD IN THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE EXCEPTIONAL-ISM???
  • LET'S ALL TAKE JUST ONE STEP--ONE STEP IN THE DIRECTION OF BUILDING TRUST IN OUR PROFESSION....WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GIVE THE PUBLIC A NEW VIEW OF US, DO IT!
  • NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT; TO CREATE OUR "NEW WORLD" FOR REAL ESTATE.....
  • ANY IDEAS???  PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS--AND IDEAS FOR THIS SHIFT IN PERCEPTION!

Comments (25)

Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Paula, anyone can search the web looking for a home...but only a dedicated realtor can do so with such integrity to treat customers and clients like family giving them service and opinion to help their cause, with only the hopes of making them happy! Making money for our time is only secondary!

Apr 04, 2011 03:44 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Glenn: I think the people we need to be concerned about when a talk show host says something like that is the average person who is thinking about buying. The person who dreads the crippling debt they are about to take on in a world where people do unspeakable things to each other is left with the feeling of mistrust in an already suffering marketplace. Motivation to buy is diminished and even put on the shelf, perhaps.

Apr 04, 2011 03:54 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Ellen: We all hope that is true; I am seeing a whole new brand of critics---the more outspoken and the more visible they are the more damage they can do. I have yet to have a buyer say to me: "You made me over pay for my house"...or "I feel like you  were not on my side in this deal"...They just don't say it even if they feel it! My hope is that they never feel it and to this day I have never had an unhappy buyer.

Apr 04, 2011 03:58 PM
Gregory Manns, Palm Springs Area Realtor
HomeSmart Elite Group - Palm Springs / La Quinta, CA - Indio, CA
Palm Springs Area Realtor with HomeSmart Elite

Paula- What a powerful and eloquently written post. It can certainly be overwhelming watching the news and not be impacted by the changes in our world and our industry. I have had to really re-examine my business and find areas that I can be more effective in today's climate. Staying organized, being pro-active, and great follow-up seems to be key. I try to treat people the way I like to be treated and to always serve the client's best interest. If we act locally and demonstrate genuine and selfless customer service, it will change peoples perceptions and help to dispell the myths perpetrated by the media. Thank you again for the thought provoking post and wishing you continued success!

Apr 04, 2011 04:02 PM
Kirsten Lindquist
Pacific Union International - Sonoma, CA
Realtor - Sonoma Wine Country

Paula --- Great post!  Too tired to get into a suitable comment now so I'll try to get back tomorrow.  I couldn't go to bed before telling you how much I enjoyed reading this one!

Apr 04, 2011 07:41 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Gregory: You are on to it! This kind of thinking is what is needed now more than ever. Is there a way you can incorporate that into your marketing? I am working on a theme now for my summer marketing to try to get the word out to all I can. WE ARE Trustworthy--very hard to say it without saying it! :) Proof is in the action so my work  is cut out for me in my day to day dealings, and I am taking great care in my conversations, my response time, listening more than ever......all of it.

Kirsten: Thanks for taking the time to read this late last night! Hope you come back and share some of your innovative ideas for all of us to read...

Apr 04, 2011 11:15 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

You wrote:  "After watching the Today Show this morning and hearing the hosts talking about the way"

DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT give any credibility to the utterances of any MORNING SHOW HOST. 

They have little to no expertise to express any opinions about anything going on in the "real lives" of consumers, real estate agents or anyone.

That inane statement alone, considering the minuscule difference in commissionfor different home prices is evidence alone that they are focused on one blade of rye grass in an entire field of Kentucky bluegrass.

Apr 04, 2011 11:33 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Lenn: Thank you for clearing the air---Now, can you go to a platform where you will get the same numbers of people to listen to you and your very honorable and benevolent sharing of facts about this profession??? I would like that--if only we had a panel of REAL real estate experts who can pull together and create a place for the average person to go to learn the real facts---oh! wait a minute! We have ActiveRain!!! Do we get enough public engagement on this topic? That is one reason I put this in the "Public" domain---I am sick and tired of the know-nothings getting the face-time on public platforms!

Apr 04, 2011 11:46 PM
Patrick White
Home Driven Realty, Inc - Baldwin, NY
Driven to bring New Yorkers home

Good Morning Paula

Thanks for the post and valuable information. Have a great day

Apr 04, 2011 11:53 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Lenn: Another thing, do you know what the public participation is here on AR? It could be interesting fodder for us to hear/see---how many hits from the outside world do we get on our public posts? Do you have any idea? Do you know who to ask? I think it could be in our best interest for our profession to be able to say we have ??? millions of followers here on this fabulous website, don't you??:)

Apr 04, 2011 11:57 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Patrick: Thank you for reading it...and it would be great to hear what you think you can do to "turn" it around for all of us. Is there one thing you think you can do in your business to make the "shift" happen? :)

Apr 04, 2011 11:59 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Paula.  I have no interest in how many of the public views ActiveRain.  I use ActiveRain to (1) express views about the real estate industry to folks in the business, agents/brokers/loan officers/home inspectors, etc., AND (2) local posts about my market area for consumers to find on Google - - - and they do.

I suspect that the public's participation of the ActiveRain network is miniscuse, but I could be wrong.

Apr 05, 2011 01:17 AM
Marilyn Robertson
Lifestyle Properties - Johnson City, TN

Paula,

If you are as young as your picture suggests, you are wise beyond your years!

Our profession is an easy target. "Everyone" knows how to buy and sell a house! "Why should he/she get paid big bucks for opening a door for me and filling out unnecessary forms or ones that I could do myself?"

"Just the facts, ma'am." Was that Jack Webb's line? Today's media makes it easy for those who know less that the facts to become experts. Because of this, those of us who do have the facts MUST know how to share them, and do it!

Apr 05, 2011 01:29 AM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Lenn: I don't blame you---you are well established and because of your attitude, I would guess no one would ever question your veracity!!!

Marilyn: Age is in the eye of the beholder--believe me, I have days when I know I look 90! meanwhile I like how you say that "those of us who DO have the facts Must know how to share them!" That is something I totally agree with.

Apr 05, 2011 02:09 AM
Mary Stewart
HomeTrust Real Estate, LLC, Homes for Everyone - Wilsonville, OR
Wilsonville and Surrounding Portland Metro Areas

Paula it is an interesting post, very thoughtful and lots to think about.  One cannot believe the media in most cases because they color the news to a point to fit their point of view or that of their station be it television or radio.  Most of the commentators don't even know how to shine their shoes let along be able to say the real truth of what is happening in our world without coloring it one way or another, and a lot of it is for shock value and entertainment only. I believe we need to be/stay as informed as we possibly can about our world, economics and what is happening both locally, nationally and beyond.  I guess we just need to take out of the "news/talk" shows what we can, decipher it and then research if we need to.  Surely it has become a lot more difficult in this age.  Thank you for a very good post.

Apr 05, 2011 08:17 AM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Mary: You are so right about the commentators. They will say anything to get a rise out of the public. This is a good thing for us to pay attention to as well--we have to be ultra careful in what we say to our clients and customers. Things can come back to bite us if we are not very careful. I had a sales manager once who told me he was from the school of NOT saying anything to his clients and customers....he let a house sell itself and he kept his mouth shut most of the time he was with them....that seems very wise in today's world.

Apr 05, 2011 08:42 AM
Brian Doubleday
Brian Doubleday - IML RealEstate - Orange County, CA Broker - Ladera Ranch, CA
Ladera Ranch, Foothill Ranch, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo

Paula, your blogs are always so thought provoking, thank you for your statement, I too feel perception is so important

Apr 05, 2011 07:41 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Brian: Glad you read it and "got it"...I really think we have to make the difference by our behavior--maybe it won't be much of a change but anything is going to help now. One thing I am doing is I am taking the time to carefully touch base with my former clients and to make sure they know that I care about how they are doing now. It's a long list but I will happily get it done.  The other BIG one is watching what I say--and how I say it.....careless words can get us into big trouble as you know.

Apr 06, 2011 12:47 AM
1~Judi Barrett
Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK
BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

Paula,

The news media are trying to sell themselves but they don't see the irony in that.. we should not believe anything they say because they are trying to sell themselves... exactly what your quote was about one of their comments on real estate agents selling homes..

Apr 06, 2011 03:56 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Judi: You are so right! The media is so consious of ratings and getting the greater number of people to watch their blather that they will say anything they an get away with!

Apr 07, 2011 03:26 AM