Realtors vs. Lawyers, Politicians and Bankers

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If you ever feel down, disrespected or underappreciated because of your profession, look on the bright side – at least you’re not a lawyer, business executive, labor union leader, stockbroker, car salesman or an advertising practitioner.

Those professions, and a few others, all ranked below real estate professionals when it comes to the public’s perceptions of honesty and ethics, according to a recent Gallup poll. Real estate professionals received their highest rating since Gallup began measuring Americans’ perceptions of those work-related qualities in 1976. Of the 21 professions in the poll, real estate professionals finished 12th, so you’re in the middle of the pack but – like current housing market trends – climbing.

In the survey, 20 percent of respondents gave real estate professionals a “very high to high” rating on honesty and ethics. Fifty-seven percent of the Americans surveyed rated them as “average” when it comes to honesty and ethics.

The profession that scored the lowest was members of Congress, in which only 7 percent rated them “very high to high” when it comes to ethics and honesty – the lowest on record. The professions that scored the highest in honesty and ethics belonged to the medical profession, with nurses, pharmacists and doctors at the top of the list.

If real estate professionals want to crack the top 10 they’ll need to hurdle the two spots above them – bankers and journalists. Bankers? Seriously? After the financial bailout scandal? Easing by them should be easy, right? So here’s the plan. If everybody keeps these 10 tenets in mind, look out top 10, here we come!

Be an effective listener, a good communicator and understand the desires and needs of your prospects and clients.

Explain things in terms that your prospects and clients understand, which will empower them to make good decisions and feel like you’re working as a team.

Be available for your clients at all times. Answer the phone when possible, but if you can’t, always call back immediately. If a client wants to see a house on a Saturday night, show up and show it.

Brush up on your negotiating skills, particularly during a time when reports show multiple bids in certain parts of the country. If you can diplomatically get the buyer or seller to see your point of view it will be a win-win situation for you and your client.

Be organized and up to date on market conditions and legal issues involving the profession and city, county or state you’re working in.

Get along well with others involved in the process, such as title officers, escrow closing agents, insurance agents and those in the lending industry.

Be curious and ask questions about your client’s needs when it comes to houses and neighborhoods. It shows a genuine interest and will save you and them a lot of time because you won’t unnecessarily be looking at houses outside their interest or price scale.

Be honest at all times, even if you’ll be telling your clients something they might not want to hear. In the end they’ll respect you for it and continue the relationship.

Be the expert. If someone is interested in a certain part of town, offer tidbits and information they’ll need regarding that area. This includes everything from schools and parks to shopping and zoning.

Have fun! After all, you’re helping people achieve the American Dream.

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