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What is a Real Estate Expert?

By
Real Estate Sales Representative with for real estate results in the Tri-Cities.

Terry Chenier originally got into real estate in the early 80's during very tough times; and when times were, in his opinion, "...worse than today!"  The market being what it is, Terry tapped into a niche market.

This introduction helps a discussion as to what might qualify someone as an expert.

Terry says, "I am the Mission expert on real estate. I know this area and the inventory, and I know my product."

In the real estate industry many REALTORS® claim to be experts.

To concentrate one's efforts in a specific area is the first step to becoming an expert, and Terry has stated his profound commitment and involvement with a specific area; Mission, BC.

Having found his niche, Terry identified the needs of this target, focused his message accordingly and continues to do this.

The result of this experience, representing locals and practicing real estate in this area where the insights he gained and the intuition he developed, have given Terry the right to call himself an expert.

In chess he would be called a Grand Master.

Maybe there is something to be learned from Terry.

Today the self-proclamations of real estate experts are outrageous. I've wondered if this is done to exploit less informed people.

By what authority, by what experience, can the expertise of so many be asserted?  Declaring oneself as being an expert might possibly give a new meaning to the term, "Artificial intelligence".

Occasionally participating in the real estate industry as a secondary activity hardly qualifies one for expert status either.

As REALTORS® become more convinced of their own perfection does their intellectual capacity plummet correspondingly, until nobody can convince them otherwise?

Carl Sagan said, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof".  In other words he was saying, if it's true then demonstrate it.

So where exactly did all you REALTORS® get your training and experience to claim your expertise as "top negotiators" anyway?

Terry hasn't tried to be an expert for the entire north of the Fraser River and beyond. Sure he would have done some business in areas outside of Mission, but Mission is where he focused his efforts and over time became a legitimate local expert.

It's doubtful that a REALTOR® will be taken seriously when claiming to be an expert covering an area with a diameter beyond 10 km (6 or 7 miles); that would be more than 80 square kilometres!

Perhaps there is a correlation to the level of expertise based on the distance away from home? In fact there's an old joke about this: "An expert is someone who comes from more than 50 miles away to give advice." 

A well used saying describing a person whose knowledge and skills covers multiple areas, but is superficial in all of them and thereby lacking real expert proficiency in any is,  "Jack of all trades - master of none".

Are you trying to be a "Jack of all trades" or an expert like Terry?

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Comments (3)

Terry Chenier
Homelife Glenayre Realty - Mission, BC

John,

Thank you very much; I am humbled by your comments. I am definately re-blogging this.

Dec 19, 2009 03:40 PM
John Grasty
for real estate results in the Tri-Cities. - Port Moody, BC
Your Tri-cities REALTOR, neighbour and volunteer.

Thanks for the RE-BLOG. I'll comment on your RE-BLOG sometime Terry.

This whole thing arose from my own reluctance to accept being called an expert by someone else. That's another post altogether.

Take care.

Dec 19, 2009 04:56 PM
John Grasty
for real estate results in the Tri-Cities. - Port Moody, BC
Your Tri-cities REALTOR, neighbour and volunteer.