Want to be treated like a Doctor, then start acting like one!

Want to be treated like a Doctor, then start acting like one! One of the biggest things that the "top producer seminar gurus" pitch is to act like a doctor. Treat your business like a professional practice, set appointments with your clients, keep regular hours, let them know when you are available and when you are not, and some of these gurus even go so far as to tell you to have a couple assistants pre-screen your appointments so that you, the professional, walk into a meeting, spend a couple minutes with the client and then diagnose their situation and move on to the next room full of anxiously awaiting patients clients.

Okay, I get the thought process behind this and I believe there are even a handful of agents around the country that do exactly that. But beyond those select few the majority do nothing at all that resembles a medical practice.

One big point I would like to mention here before going forward, we are in no way shape or form on the same level as doctors, we did not spend 8-10 years getting educated, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars getting that education so that we can go out and save lives, or treat patients. Yes we may have a lot of education, but the ease of entry is night and day from their field.

So you want to act more like a doctor, then I would suggest the first place to start is to specialize. You do not see doctors treating every patient, a heart surgeon is not going to perform brain surgery, nor should she. Doctors specialize and refer all the rest. Attorneys specialize, and refer all the rest, in fact we are about the only profession with so little education that tries to tackle the enormity of some very complicated transactions when we should be referring them to the best possible agent for their needs.

Until we realize this as agents, we will continue trying to be all things to all people, selling everything from mobile homes to mansions and keeping ourselves just one notch above the used car salesman on the least trusted professions charts.

There are several very good things that come from being a specialist,

• You can learn the market much faster, thereby being a better resource for your clients (new agents take notice of this)
• You can network with those in other marketplaces for referrals
• You will start to find others that specialize in niches that you do not, thereby referring your clients to the best possible person for their needs
• You can find groups of people that live in these types of markets/niches
• Marketing becomes much more targeted so you get better results
• You can compete against the ZTR's of the world because they can't possibly specialize
• You get to work with clients you choose because of your specialty
• You will be much more confident in your profession
• People outside of the real estate world will have a much easier "handle" to carry you around with and keep you top of mind when your niche comes up

The list could go on and on, and when I say to specialize I do not mean to just focus on the typical real estate market types, FSBO's, Expired's, first time home buyers, condos etc., nope I mean dig a little deeper, why not focus on a certain profession (doctors would be a good one), or historic homes, or nothing but penthouses? Think demographic and psycho-graphic along with geographic and you will start to see the difference and watch your business grow. 8 or 9 years ago I helped a pilot buy his first home, he referred me to another, who referred me to another and within 6 months I had helped 6 pilots buy homes.

Many of these specialty markets are tight knit groups and once they find a specialist, they will refer you like you will not believe. Think beyond real estate, think hobbies, occupations, age groups, once you start to open your eyes to what the possibilities are you will never look back.

Starbucks specialized, Joes Coffee shop did not.

I guarantee that you can tell me what the top agent in your area specializes in.

What's your specialty? Can you guess mine?