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Lessons in Deception

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with Right Style Realty 111679

I love this post. There are times when someone who is not a highly succesful (by $ or volume) agent can offer insight to others in how they might improve their results but LYING about your qualifications to teach is simply WRONG on so many levels.

And the practice of using the latest widget/wizbang secret to success to get agents who are not highly succesful to pay you money they can hardly afford (or not afford at all) is a morally bankrupt business practice (in my opinion).  

I'm a tech coordinator at our Keller Williams office which means that I teach others how to implement available resources to get their businesses going.  Invariably they are also being bombarded by the latest experts on on-line marketing, SEO solutions, Contact Managemet Systems, websites and other technologies and for only $xx they will help these new agents. I try my best to explain that they have EVERYTHING they need and do not have to spend any more money per month to get started and it's only as their business grows that they MAY need or want a different solution.

Then when it comes to training, we have some really good FREE training that will get you going if you IMPLEMENT it so why are you, the new agent, going to go out and spend money you can not (YET) afford to  learn something new when you haven't implemented the perfectly good methods you've been taught for FREE (if you took the class that is).  


Original content by Debe Maxwell, CRS 228209

 

Lessons in Deception

liar, liar...A recent inquiry about a local agent as to the amount of business this agent was doing prompted me to write this.  Evidently an agent was teaching a class and proclaiming that he/she was closing $____ amount of business from a social media site every month.  Just for the sake of making my point, let's use $1M in sales as the example.  The agent was asked repeatedly if the figure was accurate as it seemed a bit skewed to several of the class attendees and the amount was confirmed by this agent repeatedly.


Local agent volume is quite easy to confirm with fairly low tech resources available to us.  Easily checking our system, I found that the agent in question had closed less in one YEAR than his/her proclaimed monthly sales and furthermore, this agent had not had ANY sales to date this year.


As another dear friend of mine pointed out to me, "Well, at least the lie wasn't to clients."  I completely agree but, that led me to think about all of the agents who heard this 'pitch' during this particular class, not to mention any others agents that this agent has taught in the past or will teach in the future.

What are the attendees listening to this proclamation going to do?  Well, if someone told me that I could make $1M per MONTH playing on My Space (not the social media forum that was used here...again, just an example), I'd be on My Space 24 hours per DAY!

Which brings me to my point.  What is worrisome to me is that agents are following the advice of many so-called, self-proclaimed 'gurus' in our business.  They are being led down paths that may or may not work for them OR for their particular area.   We all have our line-up of business practices that work for OUR business in our area but, that doesn't mean it will work for everyone.  I don't mind sharing what works for me but, to do so in a deceitful manner to make oneself look better in the light of others is wrong, simply WRONG. 

...pants on fire
I'm not talking about truthful sharing here; I'm referring to those who share with others that their volume is higher than it truly is, as a result of something that they're doing which "magically" works for them. 


Are these so-called gurus thinking of the consequences that they're having on those whom they are deceiving?  If even ONE agent leaves the business as a result of giving it all they've got to a technique that supposedly worked for another, that would be a travesty.


Be careful what you take to heart in these classes and conferences you attend as well as what you read online.  Confirm with others whom you trust whether or not something works for them.  If it doesn't work for you after a trial period, give it up


In my humble opinion, belly-button-to-belly-button is the foundation of our business.  Gimicks are a dime-a-dozen!  Don't waste your time if it's not working for you.  Go back to the basics--that DOES work and has been proven time and time again.

Posted by

Rebecca J. Reynolds, Realtor

Keller Williams Real Estate Agency

617-969-0453

RReynolds@kw.com

Comments (2)

John Ducey
RE/MAX Sullivan County - Callicoon, NY

I ask sales people who call me with the next big thing to make me a millionare, If it is so successful, why don't you follow your own program, make the money and retire? Why sell it to me? Works every time

May 12, 2011 06:20 AM
Bryan Cerny
Rose & Womble Realty - Chesapeake, VA

Great blog....understand why you shared!!

May 12, 2011 06:24 AM