I got an interesting email from an agent this week.  No, she's not a client, just someone who had heard that I might be able to help her with a problem she was having.  Someone had taken the time to register a URL, build a website with enough SEO savvy to get top Google ranking that was completely dedicated to telling the world what a horrible agent she was.  Seriously, at first I thought it was funny, then sad, then aggravated.  I wasn't angry at the poor guy who felt swindled (although the comments about this person's heritage and family were, well, unfair), I was frustrated that her interest was not in making thing right, but in covering it up.   

This morning on Google there were about 1,650,000 results for I hate realtors (which took 0.17 seconds).  That is 1.65 million times that someone wasn't slightly disappointed but angry enough to take the time to go online and say something about it.  In last year's Harris Interactive poll on "prestigious" careers real estate agents and brokers rated dead last.  The interesting dynamic is the top of the list are the careers that are where many of the real estate community come from.  Why?  and maybe a better question is "What are we, as the minority of professionals, going to do about it?"

We need to start taking seriously the realities the problems within our industry and take a stand to clean them up.  We need to increase our standard of service - not for marketing purposes - but because it is the right thing to do.  We need to stop making excuses and start finding solutions on how to sell those listings that we took on.  We need to take ownership and responsibility (I know neither of those are very popular concepts in society), stop playing the blame game and actively turn the tide of perception for what we do.

I know how hard we work as professionals, how much we do and to what lengths we must go to get the job done.  The problem is that those that are good and do the job well are silent about it and those who are bad do all the talking.  Walk the talk, talk the walk and be a light of hope to your local community. 

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry as an agent, broker or affiliate for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***