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Ask An Ambassador: Expert, One Of The Most Abused Words In Real Estate

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

Expert doesn't mean what I think it should in our business.

Apparently Facebook thinks because I spend time in real estate groups that I need ads pertaining to real estate, especially ads from other local agents!

So I see an ad come across my feed for a local agent and it's an agent name I haven't heard, and the ad proclaimed her a local expert.  Well since I had about 60 seconds to spare I decided to do a quick check of MLS for this agent and check sales.  Five sales in the last 15 months.  Now maybe she truly is an expert agent, but the evidence is at least a little lacking.

Another Facebook group I monitor for agent to agent referrals recently had a listing available on the fringe of our market area, but first you have to wade through the brokerage cheerleading.  In this case a local agent was being touted as "aggressive", "an expert", "my go to person in Ohio", etc.  Six agents from the same national brokerage all touting this agent of the same national brokerage.  And yet again, the MLS stats didn't bear out the praises.   Unless every one of those recent closings was from an out of area agent on that Facebook group ("Inconceivable" says the Sicilian), agents were casting votes for someone that they probably don't actually know much about other than they belong to the same brokerage.

Now imagine the consumer's confusion when they get the 4th postcard of the week, all from different agents proclaiming "I'm #1 in YOUR neighborhood!" or   "Hire me, I'm the (fill in the blank) neighborhood expert!".  Now the consumer doesn't have the tools we have as agents to fact check those claims, so the claims keep on coming.

Now for sure, there ARE some agents that can back up the claim with performance.  They make a living out of knowing the real estate ins and outs of a particular neighborhood or niche.  We've got our patio home niche and I consider myself an expert in that particular topic relative to my competition, although I admit there is ALWAYS more to learn and it's an ongoing effort to stay in front of what's new and happening in our niche.

And of course you can't use "expert" without mentioning all the folks trying to sell us real estate agents stuff.   SEO gurus, marketing gurus, coaching gurus, the list goes on and on.  Some ARE actually what they claim to be, but if I had a dollar for every solicitation I've had by someone that "can make my website #1" or "can take my business to the next level", I could already be retired. 

So the challenge to all of us is separating the true experts from the charlatans.  And excuse me if I'm a bit skeptical any time I hear the word "expert".

 

Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help!

Bill of Liz and Bill aka BLiz

 

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Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
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EHO
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Comments (11)

Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

I'm one who will never call myself an expert, but I do make 90% of my sales in my neighborhood where I do extensive farming.  I see plenty of folks claiming to be the expert, but as you so aptly point out, they really are just using a phrase.

 

Apr 18, 2017 08:05 PM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Featured in the group:  BARTENDER, MAKE IT A DOUBLE.

Apr 18, 2017 08:06 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

I totally agree - "expert" is a word that's often used without foundation.

I guess if you can fool some of the people some of the time...

Apr 18, 2017 08:30 PM
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Well written and I am at a complete loss of anything to add to your opinion on this. Unfortunately, the agents guilty of this practice have failed to learn to look at themselves in a mirror.

Apr 19, 2017 05:22 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Chris Ann, When so many use the term (especially when it can't be substantiated), the word loses its meaning to me.  Thanks for the group feature!

Marte, And that is a big part of it, enough people get fooled that it won't stop.

Sandy & Norm, The ones that are willing to push that envelope are probably willing to push the edges elsewhere IMO.  Not good for the consumers, but is there any surprise in that?

 

Apr 19, 2017 06:11 AM
Kasey & John Boles
Jon Gosche Real Estate, LLC - BoiseMeridianRealEstate.com - Boise, ID
Boise & Meridian, ID Ada/Canyon/Gem/Boise Counties

I am with you on this one for sure Liz and Bill Spear .  I fact check agents in the MLS all the time and either they are doing a  LOT of pocket/out of MLS sales or the claims of expertise or how many deals the are closing are flat out lies.  Sad. -Kasey

Apr 19, 2017 08:04 AM
Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC - Fort Collins, CO
Northern Colorado Residential Real Estate

Hi Bill - Agreed. It's way overused and has become yet another almost meaningless term in the world of real estate marketing. I wish we could fact-check performance like you, but our MLS shut down access to those stats quite a while ago (very interesting politics on that decision).

Apr 19, 2017 10:27 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Kasey, And I know there are some transactions outside of MLS (I've had a few new construction/FSBO that I can manually have added), but I'd be skeptical that there is so much activity that I'd move either of these agents from what is almost a part time production rate to category of "expert" or top producer.

Dick, Interesting.  So they don't want anyone to know how anyone is doing?  Personally I usually check the stats when I'm starting a transaction with another agent so I have an idea of how experienced they are.

Apr 19, 2017 11:24 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

BLiz- people can call themselves whatever they want because just who will check this out, and how much would they learn.  We have to learn to look beyond the "Expert" word that is becoming attached to everyone. 

Apr 19, 2017 06:22 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Bill this is a great observation and indeed some of us have expertise  like you in your Patio Niche and mine in Land:) how many listings we have and how many we sold over the years speak volumes for itself, Endre

Apr 19, 2017 09:32 PM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Kathy, And that is the challenge, there's no easy way for the consumer to verify.

Endre, At least our blogs provide objective evidence that we know our niches.

Apr 25, 2017 01:19 PM