Home : Blogs : Lois Geller Marketing Trainer/Speaker/Author : Real Estate Relish

What do you think about a Character College for Realtors?

Character College for Realtors--Real estate ethics college
A few weeks ago, I went with two of my colleagues to look at some new office space in Ft. Lauderdale.

After a few hours of getting "the lay of the land" as we are new to the area...we decided to look at homes to see the price points, and what we might be able to afford.

As we were driving through a particularly pretty area, we noticed a sign for an Open House, and decided to stop and look, as there were two homes across the street from each other. When we went into the small house, the agent who was there told us about it, and the fact that it was owned by a family who'd recently inherited it. Their father never updated it, and it was in pretty rough condition. The agent agreed on our assessment and that the price was high, because of all of the upgrades it needed.

Then she showed us the upgraded home across the street. It was twice as expensive, was fully finished and on the water. Along the way, we mentioned that our price range was approximately the cost of the "home in need of help".

   As we left, and traded cards with her...I was wondering how I would feel if I'd heard her comments as the owner of the fixer upper home. I guess I wouldn't want to list my property with her for a couple of reasons: 1) She didn't tell the prospects about the wonderful opportunities for the home, like the huge backyard, the possibility of building out the kitchen, and the fact that it was a small home on a street with large ones. 2) She made the owner sound "cheap" by not fixing the place up. Maybe they weren't in a position to do so, or maybe they didn't want to upgrade after their father passed away.

   It all brought to mind some people I'd met recently when I did a speech at the Luxury Portfolio Meeting at the Boca Raton Hotel. All those top realtors selling high end properties seemed like they were honest, straightforward and had good characters. I chatted with them about their families, careers. No one put anyone down, even their competitors. It is like when you do RIGHT, good things happen.

   I've seen the same type of good chaaracter in the halls of top corporations when I've met with clients at JP Morgan Chase, American Express and others. The folks at the top (for the most part, of course) are decent human beings.

   So, I'm thinking on my realestaterelish.com blog, and on activerain, that it might sound preachy, and I don't care. Good character can be noticed in the way that you treat your customers, your prospects, your colleagues, friends and family.

   Just for a few days, take note of the people you meet and respect. Look at our Presidential candidates. Who would you want your children to emulate? Then maybe button your lip when you have the impulse to gossip, or tell a client about an owner, or anything that will reflect negatively on you.

   After all, in real estate, YOU are your BRAND. Make it shine with good character.

Posted by Lois Geller Marketing Trainer/Speaker/Author on 06/26/2008 01:41 AM

Comments (38)

Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: Commercial Real Estate
Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You

38 Comments on What do you think about a Character College for Realtors?

JUN

2008

Great thoughts! Perhaps the other agent just had a moment. I am sure they are a good person.

It is always best to try to find the good in people and situations. Usually if we look close enough we can find it. Thanks for the post.

Starting in the banking Industry really was eye opening for me. I learned that people who usually flaunt it usually don't have it and are in debt til their eyeballs. All the while looking down their noses at the rest of the world! GREAT POST!!!!!

Sometimes we just speak like real people - we just need to learn when we can without offending others.

Donna Gilbert, Realtor, GRI Century 21 Heritage Co., Chester, CT

Thanks for the great post this is a good lesson for all of us to remember.

"After all, in real estate, YOU are your BRAND. Make it shine with good character."

Your quote is not just for Real Estate, it's in Life. You are your brand, no matter what you sell or what you career is. As long as you are living, You are YOUR BRAND.

JUN

2008

Well said. It seems more and more, the aire of mean-spiritedness in life in general is chipping away at the moral fiber of our society. Puts downs are more common place than compliments. The best way to get motices, earn respect, and be professional is to not follow popular concensus, but rather be diplomatic.

Good luck and sell well!

Lois,

It's a shame isn't it?? There are some really terrific people out there selling real estate...who have never received ANY training in the art of salesmanship. I see it a lot actually.

Pass your test...join an office...learn how to fill out some forms...and attend the recommended Brian Buffini seminar in order to get a grasp on your future real estate success.

And then....someone calls asking about the Evergreen Drive property listed with your office. It's a sign call...and you look it up in the "up-desk" notebook. You tell them it's 'pending' because that's what it says in magic marker on the page in the notebook. They ask what 'pending' means...and you explain (in your most professional voice) that it means it's in escrow...that it's already sold and no longer on the market. They say "Oh...okay." And you say "Thank you so much for calling ABC Real Estate. Have a wonderful day."

Note: Evergreen Drive was listed for $899,900...and there are 5 similar properties in that development currently for sale.

By the way...I am not picking on anyone. I actually witnessed the above happen, but it was too late to intervene...as the agent had already hung up the phone. She felt she had done the right thing...and was very conscientious about representing the company in as professional and caring manner as she possibly could. She was polite, helpful and friendly in her demeanor. But it didn't occur to her to take the call to the next level.

It's too bad office managers...brokers...and even entire companies, are so willing to hire really good people...and then simply turn them loose without so much as an ounce of sales training.

Kinda sad, dont'cha think?

Dave

I don't think lack of character or snob appeal has escaped the ranks of corporate America.... character, like common sense, doesn't come with a price tag, job rank or family money....you have it or you don't...you can do things that build it...you can accept those life lessons or let them pass you by....you can absorb your upbringing or reject it....and in the end, what you put out to the universe...is what comes back to you.

Lois - I would agree that it would make sense to present any product you are marketing in a positive lite. There could be any number of reasons why the home was not updated and it was not the agents place to judge.

I think you have a good point - I think it brings ups the fact that this is sales we are talking about - as someone who goes to a business school, sales (wether it is homes,software,advertising space) can only be done by someone who has a good personality and can click with people...I find it funny that there are some realtors who you would get confused as to wether you were talking to a actual human being or a rock...once again, this is sales and some people just don't cut it!

When I read you title I was thinking Yosemite Sam or Adrian Monk.

I think we have a Realtors character school, isn't it called Code of Ethics?

I always thought we were supposed to market the benefits.

Nothing loses respect of others more quickly than when agents speak poorly of others. There is one agent that I'm thinking of right now who bad mouths the agents she is up against in a listing presentation. You would think that would turn off her potential clients, but she still gets plenty of business so apparently is being rewarded for her bad behavior. It stinks. :(

Hi Lois...Another Great Post, You're on Fire Girl! Yes pointing out the options and benifits of a home in a positive way is my choice, give buyers some ideas, value when done, etc. Most Sellers expect us to do just that.

As for gossip, yes keep it to yourself.

Cheers

Hi Lois...As soon as I read, "The agent agreed on our assessment and that the price was high, because of all of the upgrades it needed.", I knew there was a problem.

One of the first things you should understand when you become a REALTOR is that you never say your listing is priced too high. That undermines your seller and against the COE.

As Mike Saunders put it:: The character college is our COE.

Good reminder to all of us.

Thanks,

Kathleen

Some very good points made. Thank you and good luck

Rich

Good post about character - and good responses here as well.

"So, I'm thinking on my realestaterelish.com blog, and on activerain, that it might sound preachy, and I don't care."

I like your attitude.

It's often tougher to do what you think the right thing is than to go along with the herd but it's usually more satisfying in the end.

I think the issue is that the bar is set so low for entry into our field. If there were stringent tests, such as some psychological or character determining tests, then it would be far less likely that people of "undesirable" character would be able to become agents, much less Realtors!

I think the problem has to do with greed at the association national, state, and local levels, not to mention local brokerages, many of which will hire any warm body (my present broker excepted!)

I doubt somehow that character can be taught. It can be reinforced, certainly, through classes on ethics, fair housing and compliance with the Code of Ethics.

The ability to discern and understand the need for character in our industry is something that is a result of upbringing and lifelong experience.

Professionalism is something that can be taught. Today the NBA draft is being held. Young men today will go from being broke to becoming millionaires on this day. During the coming summer the NBA will have all the draftees in class for a month with a who's who of NBA superstardom (legends of the game) and trained in what to say and how to say the things said. They will be coached, rehearsed, and critiqued until they get it right. The NBA has a vested interest in the success of the young men being drafted.

They will be taught how to not put others down, they will be instructed for 30 days on the role, duty and responsibilities of being a player in the NBA.

Your point is well taken, but who is to conduct the training for realty professionals. Is there a real estate who's who list that could give a new agent or and out of touch agent the finer nuances of being a professional agent? The NBA will parade folks like Oscar Robinson, Dr. J, Magic Johnson, Doc Rivers, Jerry West, Kareem and others.

It will be tough for individual realty offices to break out such a laundry list of superstars that command the awe and respect of fellow realtors. I don't think (I could be wrong) most offices have legends that would command the respect and attention of most agents in the business. Most offices would not be able to financially afford send agents through a month intensive before the start of their career. Most agents could not afford to maintain their households for 30 day without some form of compensation.

Each agent needs to become a party of one and do all in their power to raise their own level of professionalism along with using any resources their broker can provide.

As I've read through the comments above, including my own...I'm curious as to whether most of us here believe it's a "character flaw" or simply a lack of sales training?

I didn't see it as a character flaw at all. While it's true she didn't handle the situation as well as she could have (in pointing out the strengths of the property)....I didn't get the impression she was putting anyone down or dishonest in any way.

I'm also not convinced that the following statement is true:

All those top realtors selling high end properties seemed like they were honest, straightforward and had good characters. I chatted with them about their families, careers. No one put anyone down, even their competitors. It is like when you do RIGHT, good things happen.

I think the percentage of character flaws found in real estate (or any business) occur at about the same rate whether you're selling $1,000,000 properties or $100,000 ones. The difference likely has more to do with possessing stronger skillsets acquired through training and experience.

Hmmm....I guess economics could possibly come into play somewhere. The agent who's very successful might not have the financial worries or stresses that a less successful one does...which can lead someone toward temptation if their character is tested. That's akin to the poor guy who walks into a corner market and steals a bag of potato chips.

But if character has more to do with how much you make...I can't help but think Enron, Adelphia, Worldcom, Global Crossing, and....COUNTRYWIDE. I'm sure they all "seemed like nice people" too.

Let's be careful not to confuse a lack of sales training with character flaws.

My two cents.

Dave

Where do I start? Character, very closely related to integrity, really defines a person. Sure, one encournter should not define one's character, although it can because "you never get a chance to make another first impression".

I think that we often see character challenged people in our industry because that is who we spend time with. I know it happens in other industries, but it would be great if our stood our for characeter and integrity rather than the opposite, which it often does.

Character is like "karma". If a a person of good character sows good character, they will reap success. If a person of poor character sow bad character, they may seem to win for a bit, but once exposed they lose it all, and THAT is hard to recover from. "You reap what you sow"

~ Anthony

As agents we should always be mindful of our comments to visitors. This agent was doing a real disservice to that lister.

Excellent advice, it doesn't matter if you are talking to only fellow agents or potential buyers, use the real estate golden rule, every comment you make about one of your listings should be one you would be happy for the seller to overhear.

Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes during a long day our minds slip a little and we are not as sharp as we should be. We need these reminders because when we are "with" people, we need to be thinking and sharp.

I think this is a very important issue. Real estate is typically associated with slick sales people and hype (think of all the emails you get for training and all the bragging local firms do regarding who is number one). There is a lot of pressure to produce, produce, produce. I think this pressure can encourage those of weak character to become even weaker in that arena.

People of higher character may forego some sales but their integrity will always be intact. I do not think success and high integrity go hand-in-hand, nor do high sales stats and either high or low integrity.

In the example you gave, the person might have been thoughtless, greedy, self-interested, etc. She evidently was not super aware of serving her principal. Think how livid you would be if you hired someone to sell your home and found out how self-serving they were in their efforts. It's really kind of a betrayal or a breach of trust at the very least.

Having said the above, the confusion is understandable because many companies train their agents that open houses are nothing but lead generators. It is a fine line to pick up leads at an open house while representing the property properly!

Thanks for yout tasking the time to provide us with this information in the Active Rain network. AR is the new "cyber backbone" of the industry, and with it's uplink to Localism.com it will transfrom the marketplace. Agents who don't see which way the cyberwind is blowing are going to find themselves at a considerable disadvantage inside of three to five years.

Lois,

I think the Realtor code of ethics is a MINIMUM standard, if that is the best you can do you may be in trouble. If you cannot sell yourself (by establishing trust) you may be in trouble. Sales 101, ask questions and listen. Geez there's a thousand more Lol.

JUN

2008

Character is the underlying foundation...this makes us all different; It separates us from our competition! However, I wouldn't assume any better character for the million dollar producers than the new agent in the office.

"Just for a few days, take note of the people you meet and respect" Good idea! Thanks for the post.

Thanks for a great post, which made me think, as did many of the comments which gave some more good examples of "what not to do." I like to think that in this instance, if the agent knew that you are another professional "in the biz", that they felt perhaps they shouldn't be marketing to you, just have an honest discussion. But this makes me realize that we still need to remember that we represent the Seller in our discussions with other real estate pros about a particular property.

Thank you! Superb post. No matter the career or business path, longevity and success are always predicated on character.

Li Read, RE/MAX Salt Spring, B.C. Canada

liread33@gmail.com

JUN

2008

So true. We should live each moment knowing that others are making observations. Many agents love to hear themselves talk....I like your advise to "button the lip"

JUL

2008

Thank you all for the great comments, and for the calls I received to start a "Character College" course. I'm learning so much from you and will use your teaching in my Real Estate Marketing courses.

I enjoy what Carol Culkin says, "button the lip". I did that just now, when I heard from my cousin who is an agent, and she said that the internet won't help her find and buyers or sellers....HMMM. It is hard ot prove how we meet here on Active Rain, and help each other...and we do!

All of your comments made my day. In fact, I want to use them in my new book...if I can have your permissions.

Thank you again.

Lois

JUL

2008

Hi Lois, Thank you for visiting my site and I am now visiting yours. I appreciate your comment and will of course be responding soon to that one.

I liked what you said in this post. Seemingly a small point so very important. The agent most likely felt she was serving her seller as her fiduciary requires when discussing the property across the street . That said, your point of how she made the neighbor across the street sound, is a great observation.

It would behoove all of us as professionals ( in particular the agent discussing the neighbors) to both serve her clients interest and be more gracious and understanding about the neighbor. She could have done both very well and also served your interest as one viewing one property while inquiring about another.

REALTORS are generally gracious but in this case, she was found wanting and actually turned you off instead of the other way around.

It is always possible to be factual while still being gracious. You are correct in that she knew somethings about the other property but chose to inject it with opinion and nuance that was not very professional and came close to be insulting about the other person. Describing a home and then drawing the conclusion about it does little to help consumers and you are so right to point this out.

We tend in this business to become a little full of ourselves now and then and it is mostly a turn off to every one. When I wrote my post that you commented on , so as not wanting to sound boastful about a message I wanted to share, I included myself in the post about not succeeding at internet marketing so that others would not be put off by what I had to say. It allowed me to be one of them. And besides when a person leaves the door open that they are always willing to learn something new from anyone willing offer, why not. I know lots and share lots of information. But I don't know it all by a long shot and I love it when people feel of me as being one with them and open to learn from any source.

I am delighted to have found you here on ActiveRain and will shortly be subscribing to your outside blog. I also love spending my time with those that can teach me while I share what I know with others. I learn best by teaching, once I have shared it, clearly and with openness, I then get to use it. I love how life works ( most of the time),:-)

PS, Lois, I forgot to mention something both in my post and with you. In my post I mentioned Michael Russer. One of the reasons I was so taken with him is that he learned through his student a very valuable lesson that I picked up on. It is all together wonderful to be able to teach someone what they need to know. But when that is coupled with teaching them how to do it, it is totally awesome. He honored me greatly by allowing me to work with his class in his absence once and the comments that he and I both received was so worth the preparation time I spent getting ready for it.

A newer member on ActiveRain was having difficulty with embedding video in her posts. I sent her an e-mail instruction of what she needed to do. Then I followed that up with inviting her to call me and walking her through it over and over till she had it down. Her goal now to share her message with consumers and others on ActiveRain with the visual component of video.

While showing her the technique and how the html code worked, I discovered something new myself and that is what I meant by , I learn best by teaching. She is good to go and I got something valuable out of it as well. I love the way life works, (most of the time) :-).

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?