Why The Heck Do Some People Sell Real Estate? (Follow up to blog posting - What Do Buyers Want?)

Unfortunately, I suspect that most agents I know hate what they do. I ask myself, why are they doing it? Are they masochistic by nature, or do they like to control something or somebody - or worse yet, are their bank accounts so low that they are forced to continue on with a job (not a career to them), that they don't like or want to do.  Sorry thought isn't it.

I've read about some real estate brokerages that are now charging an "Inactivity Fee" to those agents that come to the office, converse with fellow sales people, drink coffee, complain about business, and hope that something drops in their lap, (Manna from the Gods).  It sounds like larger brokerage firms want to charge those agents for their lethargy.

More fuel for my campaign, eliminate the dead weight. If you are not committed and dedicated to providing top of the line service, (regardless of your profession), and caring about the individuals (real people - let's call them what they are). We call them customers or clients, but they are people with needs, wants and families who depend upon them.  Take a hike if you are not there for them.

I love a big bank account as much as the next guy, but I also like to sleep at night. How well do you sleep? I guess some individuals don't have a conscience.  Unfortunately the mass majority of common men think that's the persona of a salesperson.

I would have to think that some sales people may have less of a conscience then others (God, I hate it when they equate us to used car salesman - no offense to used car salesmen), but hey, guess what, we're not all like that, yet that perception has not come out of nowhere.

I believe good people make, or try to make, good decisions.  I like to think the cup is half full, maybe that's also known as being naive. But most times trying to be a better person always works.

I'm on a campaign to raise the level of professionalism within our industry. Join your voices with mine and together we can enact change. Licensure requirements, more stringent adherence to our Code Of Ethics, and greatly enhanced continuing education requirements, to name a few, will help to achieve that goal.

Think about sales agents that have been in the business 10, 20 years or plus, and in some states they require you do less and less to keep your license.  It's like picking your doctor because he's older and supposedly more experienced, but maybe he is not on top of his game because he's not up on the newest and best techniques available.  I want the doctor who got all A's in school, not the one with the C's and D's and still received their diploma. Now that I've thought about that, I wish they issued a medical doctor's diploma with their GPA printed really big right on the front!

A seller said to me the other day, "Can you lower your commission"?  I said, "Do you want me to do less then I have proposed to do in my Marketing  Plan to sell your property"? They always say no.  Then I ask them why do you want me to deliver the same level of service for less.  If any other professional, regardless of their career, told you that they can give you the desired outcome that you want for a certain price, or give you less then your desired outcome for a reduced price, which would you pick?  A reasonable person (I use the term reasonable loosely), would want the best.  Why are real estate practitioners any different?  I think because a lot of agents are willing to sell their soul for the almighty buck.

I keep coming back to my original platform.  Let's raise the bar.  We should all aspire to be consummate professionals in everything we do. Anything less is a sellout, and it demeans our overall strength as REALTORS.

Get on board. Start a grass roots movement in your locale. Raise the consciousness of your fellow agents, and the buying and selling public will follow. Let's all work to elevate the unfortunate negative public perception of a real estate agent.

"Golly Jeez" said my Dad when I told him I wanted to be a real estate agent.  "That's all", said my very educated, articulate father.  "Dad, I am going to be much better then what you've experienced with other real estate people". I told him I wouldn't do a half _ _ _ job, (o.K. I was young and spoke like that then). I told him I wanted to make a real productive change in the industry, and of course, I wanted to make money too.

I was always a pain. I said, "Dad remember the story you told me about the stone and the pond"?  When you throw a stone in a pond and it creates a ripple, the ripple will then get larger and larger as it spreads out...that's where I'd like my words today to go.

If my fellow practitioners just tossed a little stone, that ripple effect would, not could, effect real productive change in our industry.

Post Script - My thoughts and musings are dedicated to my Dad. Who, for the record, believed I could and would do whatever I said I would do. I won't disappoint him.