The public has been spoiled by our willingness to provide services or expertise for free, and it would be beneficial to our profession to change that. If we consider ourselves professionals we need to value ourselves as professionals. There is something to the statement that “We teach people how to treat us”, in both our personal and professional lives.
The requests from owners for a free market analysis for a tenant considering a purchase, from attorneys for a home valuation for divorcing clients, or someone seeking a valuation for tax purposes are now handled differently. We have a fee schedule that is explained and usually acceptable to the individual making the request. After all, what other professional will invest time and share expertise for free; certainly not the attorney who is in need of assistance.
Then there are the buyers we work with who would like to see a house, or homes, they have no intention of purchasing but are “just curious” to see. They likely would not make this inquiry if they respected our time and were compensating us with an hourly fee.
To protect my professionalism, I now add a clause in the listing agreement that should the home be arbitrarily taken off the market by the seller, I will be reimbursed for all time and expenses. Everyone has willingly signed and this helps to eliminate the sellers who really aren’t motivated to sell but want to “test the market”.
If anyone has other suggestions for changing the public’s assumption that we work for free, they would be most welcome.
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