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What makes a you a professional?

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Real Estate Broker/Owner with Homelink Real Estate - Red Bluff

Hello All,

A professional is the person who can look beyond the commission earned and always put the client first.  Even in a down market we must remember we are here for the long haul.  If you are a person who is motivated by the "ME-MINE-NOW" you will not be in the business in a few years.  This attitude and thought process is most likely to not only cause you to lose any respect in the field, but also end you up in jail. 

Every day I see things that make me think.  There are lenders offering a 4+ point rebate for getting our clients to take a loan that is not in their best interests, people who want the deal to go through even though it should not, agents showing properties way beyond what the clients should be looking at.  These are just a few things that happen every day.

You are what makes you a professional.  No matter if you are a stager, salesperson, or loan officer.  In the current market the last thing any of us need is bad press. 

The stories I hear from people who are losing their homes due to no one teaching them about the loan they were getting, people who have loan payments that are more than they can afford (sometimes as much as 75% or more of their income) are just some of what we are seeing.  If you are working with a loan officer who tells you they are approved for $250,000 then show them a house at that price or under, not a home for $325,000 just because they can do a  Stated or No Doc loan.  A loan officer who knowingly takes the loan Stated or No Doc when they already Pre-Qual the client at $250,000 is also in need of rethinking their thought process.

I have had the pleasure of dealing with some true professionals over the years and they make the business a better place. 

Some of these professionals are in Title, appraisal, real estate and the mortgage business, so they are there.  They tend to live by a set of rules above and beyond the minimum set by state or lending laws.  I have read many posts on this site that make me happy to know that there are a lot of true professionals out there.

What do you think about the people you have dealt with lately?  Do you feel they were true professionals?  Do you think I am rambling and am wrong?  Please, feel free to comment.  Feedback, even negative makes us all better.

Shawn

 

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» Bill Burress Nationwide Mortgage Originator
» Bill Burress Nationwide Mortgage Originator - Fort Myers, FL

Shawn:

Good to be part of the A.R. community with you. You made some very good points. 

BLOG ON

Jul 02, 2007 09:42 PM
Margaret Woda
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD
Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation
Hi, Shawn - I am very fortunate to be in market where most people in our industry are highly professional.  New agents are often retired government officials, teachers or other professionals in their previous fields, and they carry their skills and values into real estate.  I honestly can't remember a bad experience with another licensed real estate agent, lender or title company.  That being said, I'm very active in our local association, and I've been doing this a long time, so I know a lot of agents.  If there are two similar listings available, I do choose the property listed with the known listing agent - that may or may not help to account for my positive experiences.
Jul 02, 2007 10:37 PM
Scott Daniels Florida Real Estate 2.0. Agents Earn 100% Commission.
Florida List For Less Realty, Inc. Broker/Owner. - Cooper City, FL

Shawn,

We have a rule. We continue to use the same people who assist with our transactions.

We`re very loyal to those who help us.I believe that`s the way most Realtors feel as well.

Jul 02, 2007 10:50 PM
Kate Bourland
Marketing with Kate - Redding, CA
Onlilne Marketing Mobile Marketing

This blog is excellent for for thought for all of us in the industry.  As I've said many times on AR, I'm new in the industry and I am shocked at some of the things that I see.  Is there a place for stated income/stated asset - yes - but it should have been used as the exception.  My impression is that the 12 year run in  real estate made people so greedy that they forgot "professionalism".  We will now start to see more professionalim and ethics evolve because the people that were in it for the easy money will fall to the wayside.

 

Jul 03, 2007 01:05 AM
Shawn Nichols
Homelink Real Estate - Red Bluff - Red Bluff, CA

Thank you all for the responses.  Finding and keeping relations with honest people are a must for those who wish to survive in this real estate cycle.  As I said, "I have been lucky to have met some great people in our business over the last few years".  That does not mean that I am not looking for more professionals to deal with in the future.  We are headquartered in a small area in Northern California and are expanding to other areas of California.  Professionalism is one of my biggest pitches in training new agents and customer service is a set of words they hear from me over and over.  IF we all keep up the right mental attitude, we as real estate professionals will get a better reputation and feel better about our transactions.

Shawn

Jul 03, 2007 03:07 AM