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What Makes You A Professional?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408

 

The out of the area agent called about condo listing. When I told her that this condo was not on the Ocean, she was very upset.

- I did not know...

I asked her why this was a problem. It was 4-5-minute walk to the ocean.

She said because of the view.

But the view from this not-direct oceanfront condo could beat the view from any direct oceanfront building.

She could not believe me.

The devil in me made me ask her why she wouldn’t simply Google the condo name so that she could read blogs and learn at least something about this or any other condo.

She paused, and then responded sounding very offended:

- I am a professional. I do not Google…

Hmm, who would have thought than refusing to learn makes you a professional?

Are you a professional?

Image by Pedro Salinas via Flickr.com

 

Show All Comments
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

OMG loved this post... sadly agents like this get picked up by all the portals, not wanting to give them air time you know which ones I am talking about Jon, and then they think all agents can be besmirched by people like these....for starters if I am not sure of the area I do everything to learn about it and then share the information with my buyers and at the same time ask them if they still do not mind working with me even though we will have to learn the inventory together? Or would they prefer if I found a local knowledgeable agent? Anyway I have gotten both answers.... from different buyers....either way was fine with me, Endre

Aug 21, 2015 02:30 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Endre Barath, Jr. - I usually work with a condo market, and even condos only on a narrow and rather small stretch. However, I get calls from agents from Orlando, Jacksonville...

Yes, they have no clue, but they legally can sell anywhere in Florida. The funny thing was that they did not even know what they do not know, and if this is their understanding of working for the best interest of their buyers, I was often not in agreement.

I guess it is so common, that we don't pay much attention to it anymore.

Aug 21, 2015 02:38 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Jon my license is good for the entire State of California:)) I know very little outside of Los Angeles County and even that is too big for me...just to give you an idea the City of Los Angeles is sixty square miles....Endre

Aug 21, 2015 02:42 PM
Kevin J. May
Florida Supreme Realty - Hobe Sound, FL
Serving the Treasure & Paradise Coasts of Florida

Sometimes I Google first then ask questions later but please don't tell anyone Jon?

Aug 21, 2015 03:11 PM
Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

Online research is an enormous tool for those in our industry.  I cannot imagine not using Google and all other search engines!  Included in the definition of professional is the ability to use all tools available to us to get the job done. The Internet is at the top of the tool list.

Aug 21, 2015 04:40 PM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Maybe she's the kind of professional that needs ocean access for pick ups, while doing the oldest profession on the earth.  

Aug 21, 2015 10:26 PM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

She may be a professional "something" alright. but if knowledge is power, then she isn"t a very good professional.

Aug 22, 2015 12:05 AM
Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC - Fort Collins, CO
Northern Colorado Residential Real Estate

Hi Jon - I'd love to hear the reasoning behind that reaction - it's bound to be a classic. Maybe a real pro would use Bing?

Aug 22, 2015 04:06 AM
John Pusa
Glendale, CA

Jon - Very interesting that professionals don't google for information.

Aug 22, 2015 06:55 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Endre Barath, Jr. - I know that some agent simply have to cover huge territories, especially in rural areas. Each of us has its own level of comfornt, and for me it when I am in my relatively small area and in my niche.

In South Florida it would not be uncommon to see on the agent's card that they serve from Miami Dade to Palm Beach County. And it is not uncommon that they do not really know Palm Beach County and even been there beside when driving from New York to Miami

Aug 22, 2015 10:55 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Kevin J. May - it was tempting to let the world not, but I am giving you my word, I would not betray you :)

Aug 22, 2015 10:56 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Sharon Parisi - She might be using Google for some other stuff, but my sugestion that she uses Google to find real estate related information offended her.

 

Aug 22, 2015 10:59 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner - in a broader world, this is really not that unusual. How many agents would limit themselves to what is on MLS and would pass the FSBO house, fitting their Buyer's parameters and would not stop to inquire? But this is also limiting our notion of professional to the confines of our system (BOard, M:LS, etc)

Aug 22, 2015 11:01 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Dick Greenberg - she was upset with me, so questioning her was sort of awkward, and I did not want to insult her, I was simply curious, and thought that others do things the way I do.

Aug 22, 2015 11:04 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

John Pusa - I tought it was very weird, that for her the source was the determination, which she would use as professional

Aug 22, 2015 11:39 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

I expect a professional to use all of the tools at their disposal to get good information with Google being one of those tools.  This is so funny!

Aug 22, 2015 12:01 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Judi K Barrett - I could never understnad why some sources of infomation are shameful for "professionals"

Aug 22, 2015 01:52 PM
Andrea Swiedler
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - New Milford, CT
Realtor, Southern Litchfield County CT

Oh my Jon, I Google everything. Just ask my husband, daughters and grandkids. If I say "I don't know" they look at me so surprised...

I often wonder how I survived without Google.... I must be totally unprofessional I guess.

Aug 30, 2015 02:23 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Andrea Swiedler - Welcome to the club. I thought that it was me who was totally unprofessional, now I know tht it is more than one person :)

She might probably be not against Google in general, but when it related to real estate, it was a no-no

Aug 30, 2015 02:37 AM
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