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16 Comments on Is there a such thing as having too much education??
I don't think there is such a thing as too much education as long as it does not take over your life as a realtor. Like all things......moderation is the key. We all have to allow enough time to put that education to work by marketing ourselves and servicing our clients.
Ranae: There is value is almost every class you can take - particularly in the beginning. But.... having a tail of designations after our names does not necessarily mean the agent is knowledgeable. The best lessons you will receive are closed transactions. When you can get a few years under your best and start heading north of 50 closings - now that is education.
In the meantime, the classes are a great way to great started. Also.... find agents who you admire and ask them questions. Many agents will share what they know.
I figure when you know it all then you can quit being educated. Of course, we can never know it all so our education continues on a daily basis. I guess the reason behind why you are obtaining designations is important. If you are looking to impress with all those letters after your name then obtaining the designations is pointless BUT if your mindset is to learn something that can be transferred into providing a better professional service the GO FOR IT!
Renae - there are way more than one question here. It is very tempting to say that you can't have too much education, but in reality if this education does not translates into business, then the value is just that you love to learn, so the process is the goal. If the business is the goal, then it is a matter of time spent on education and the ROI of this time and effort. I have seen quite a number of people with a long line of designations leaving the industry and not making it.
Social media is one of popular tools, but there are others. and donot believe that you can't reach anything unles you are all involved in it.
If you find the way to end up face-toface with a potential buyer, then yu can sell.
Interesting Renae. I have over 30 years of investing and buying/selling real estate and came to the industry as a retirement job. I have since started my own firm out of a need to simply just do better by clients - and of course my pocketbook.
I looked into a myriad of designations and found I already had the knowledge and just do not see the benefit of sitting in a class just to list a designation after my name. I suspect a few designations may be good marketing but I think social media has done a lot to inform clients about our experience. And continuing education keep us current. So I'm not planning any. I may be in the minority though and this from someone with multiple grad degrees/certificates. So I value education.
- John
If I was a consumer I would stay away from an agent that is not informed. The only way is to attend continuing education classes above and beyond that which is required. Laws and rules change everyday and an agent who does not stay informed is performing a disservice to their clients.
That's also what I want. I made a goal to close 15-20 in my first year ~ I made that goal :) I want to close 25-35 next year :) So that will be 35-50 in the 3rd year :) ...
I can't say I want a "long tail" of them, but I like the GRI, ABR, SFR, e-PRO so far... I want to add CRS and probably CDPE to that and in the long run, a Broker's license. I like webinar's a lot to learn new ways of prospecting.
I think that's helped me the most with hitting my goals.
You all are so helpful ~ Great and very differing comments! I am enjoying reading them all and I know they will all help me as I continue to grow and become more experienced. Thank you all for responding!
I vaguely remember a line from The Razor's Edge, when someone asked a professional student what he could possibly do with all that education. The answer went something like, once I have enough education, I'll probably be smart enough to know what to do with it. Nobody should ever stop learning, and never fail to recognize the differences between schooling, education, knowledge, and wisdom.
Wise words, Mike, wise words, indeed! I love to absorb knowledge and feel I would not even have come close to meeting a single goal without taking those classes... I also write down my goals :)
A couple of things come to mind...one is that the general public has NO concept of what "designations" are. If you tell them you have a BS in Marketing or a MBA in Business, they have a good grasp of that. But GRE? CDPE? GRI? e-Pro? Not really.
There is an agent that runs an add in a local paper here with about 15 designations listed and the tagline something to the effect of "is your agent this qualified"...to me, that never meant much and I've talked to people not in real estate that say they have NO idea what the agent is trying to say with all the letters.
Does that mean you don't want them or the education that comes with it? Absolutely not! Of course you want to be on top of your game so get the education with or without the alphbet soup!
Next, getting designations is not a substitute for actually WORKING your business. A lot of agents think that because they are in classes, they are "BUSY" and then wonder why they are broke...mainly because classes and designations (and the time spent to get there) DO NOT EQUATE with working with buyers and sellers and closing transactions.
Lastly, even if you get the designations and education, there is really NO SUBSTITUTE for EXPERIENCE. Having been there and done that counts a lot more than "I saw this in a class or text book one time"...just like other professions. Would you want a doctor who has seen the heart procedure you're about to undergo in a couple of very good classes and videos and saw one done live OR the guy who has done this operation 450 times in the last 5 years?
Ron: I suppose having a BA is more recognizable, yes, but I know I have done eons more work with my Real Estate than I ever did with my Music degree for sure. I understand what you mean by experience. I live in a small rural area and my experience might be a little less than 450 transactions :), but it'll be top-notch nonetheless. I want it all: education + experience! Hopefully, I can strike a good balance in the 2 :)
As usual, your comments are amazing!
Ranae, I think the important thing to remember is Balance. Training is definitely needed and Realtors need a presence on the web. Having said that, Realtors need to sell real estate...and real selling is done face to face. I'm not one who favors a lot of designations because consumers have no idea what they mean. What I am for is training that can help you become a better Realtor, service your clients better and to grow your business.
Candy: You're right on target there! Balance is definitely the key. The only thing I have to say about designations, especially the ones like the GRI and the CRS, is I like the referral networks behind them... I also like the statistics showing that you do earn more with designations. I know that our clients won't understand what they mean, but other REALTORS do.
Like you, though, I love the training and classes that help make a better business!
Hi Ranae~
I concur with Ron, I think our society recognizes the status of having a degree more than they would with designations, which are earned through continued education in each industry. I think as long as you are satiisfied and happy with the education necessary to expand your career then go for it!
Another Active Rain member - Mike Cooper wrote a blog: Everyone Pays His Dues, you should check it out. Very compelling insight on education and experience.
Cynthia
Admittedly, my blogging isn't quite up to THAT level yet. He's really good! I just read that post and was very impressed. I was just letting off some stuff that I've been thinking about a lot lately since I do seem to pursue classes/webinars and the like, on a level more than many of my colleagues. I really need to step up A-game on blogging, though, it looks like now =)
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