Hey Super Agent What Do You Want? by Bill Roberts
Lenn Harley recently posted HOW TO SUCCEED IN REAL ESTATE SALES. GET REINTERMEDIATED . It was "Featured" so you may have read it. If you haven't read it you should.
I read and then commented on her post:
Lenn, As we take back the business, we will probably have to deal with our pricing for our services. Technology allows a "Super Agent" to handle many more clients than the old ways in the old days. Competition should drive the price of services down.
She responded:
Bill Roberts. You wrote:
"Technology allows a "Super Agent" to handle many more clients than the old ways in the old days"
What technology is going to permit agents to handle more clients???
Where can I buy a robot that is licensed to drive buyers around from house to house. What robot will attend the home inspection? What robot is going to review the GFE and HUD-1 for the Super Agent??
Technology permits the Super Agent to communicate with more prospects, but once the agent/buyer/seller relationship exists, it's the "hands on" transaction management that makes for good business.
Technology helps with record keeping but that's about all.
I just had to come back:
Lenn, I hope you are still here because we have unfinished business. I said technology will allow the "Super Agent" to handle a lot more clients. You disputed that.
Well, I too have been around for a while. I remember spending lots of time doing open houses, door knocking, and driving "suspects" around in my car for days on end.
After I finally sold them something (maybe even one of my listings because I did double end deals back then) I had to manually manage the transaction starting with going to the escrow company to open the escrow, calling the title company to order the pre-lim, and everything else I had to do.
I could only handle so many deals.
Now the buyers usually do their homework before they contact an agent. They know the neighborhood they want, the schools involved, the price range, etc. When they contact you, the Super Agent, you will "qualify them" and then show them three houses, write an offer which you will get accepted (maybe with one or two counters) and then hand off the deal to your transaction coordinator who will utilize a Transaction Management System to open escrow, open title, order insurance, order inspections, order disclosures. In short do all the scut work the agent used to have to do.
In the mean time, you (the Super Agent) have moved on to the next client who is ready to buy, having done all their homework.
This Super Agent (you) can handle many more transactions than in the old days doing it the old way.
Bill Roberts
BTW Don't be surprised if this comment turns into a full-blown post. For that I thank you.
If you still haven't read the full post please do so. The comments and inter-play is well worth your time.
So my question is: Hey Super Agent What Do You Want?
How much am I going to have to pay you for your services?
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Roberts
;)
;)
The services of a Super Agent are no more than for the average agent who avoids doing thorough research on the market for a buyer. No more than the agents who avoid home inspection and settlement. No more than for the agent who doesn't return their client's phone call or e-mail. No more than the agent who doesn't do due diligence on a listing. No more than for the agent who can't qualify a buyer for a comfortable price range. No more than for an agent who steers the buyer to an affiliated loan or title source because it benefits their office. No more than for an agent who doesn't advocate for inspection repairs.
I could go on and on, but I think the message is clear. A Super Agent costs no more, is less likely to lead their client into a bad transaction and less likely to violate their duties of fiduciary.
In fact, we probably cost less because we know what we're doing and we take qualified buyers to settlement on good properties.
The only thing that the buyers can adequately do for themselves is find listing on the Internet to view. I've said many time, finding the home to buy is the easy part. For that, they expect us to work for less.
Super Agents know their value to a buyer or seller client.
If the consumer is just looking for cheap, they shouldn't complain when things go badly.