Well, that's what the competitors think anyways.  I tend to disagree. 

See, this is a time of change.  A changing market, changing bank accounts (boo!) changing Presidents, changing options for financing, and, LOTS of real estate office changing.  I myself started off the year with a brokerage change.  This was NOT an easy decision, but one that HAD TO BE MADE, for the sake of my business, and frankly, my sanity.

So I looked into lots of different companies.  And the one I REALLY had an interest in, that's the one I heard the most horrible things about.  Including; the broker has horns and a tail.  Many, many people (admittedly, former broker and associates) told me the office I was considering should be the LAST place on earth I would ever work for.  I was warned to take a good look at the reputation of the office, and the agents.  So I did.  I watched, and I interviewed, and I made a very deliberate decision.  And I still went there.

Its been almost a year now, and to my delight, the experience has been nothing but positive.  Oh, I wont lie and say sales have been off the charts.  The market here in Ohio has taken a hit much like the rest of the nation.  But the people? Really welcoming and professional.  And my broker?  If she has horns and a tail, she's done an awfully good job of hiding them.

Which leads me to why I bring this up...this evening I met up with a really sweet husband/wife team from a competing office.  They have been considering switching over to mine, but had heard a lot of horror stories about the "reputation" of our agents and broker, and wanted to get the scoop from me. 

 Seems they have been told the broker bears a certain likeness to the devil...          

I really don't see the similarity.

This just has me thinking about the lengths some people will go to in order to keep agents within their walls.  I know, I know, good agents, REAL GOOD AGENTS, are hard to come by, but to using fear as a tactic to keep agents in their place really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Whats worse is the knowledge that at one time, I was that gullible agent.  Wanting so badly to make a change, yet so very afraid due to the horrific stories I had heard from my then-broker and colleagues.  It embarrasses me that I could be so easily influenced.

The only thing I could think to tell this husband/wife team sitting in exactly the same seat I was in a year ago is this..."If your current broker has nothing better to do than bad mouth other Realtors and other companies, it certainly speaks volumes to his own character and business values."  There's REAL ESTATE to be done out there people!!!  And this guy just sits around talking trash about competitors??

Hopefully they will be joining our ranks soon, working hard, learning much, and not tripping over any tails at all!

Kelley Weimer, a house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com