Hi Ed,
The only way they will ever truly understand is to become an agent... and many do, only to drop out when they discover how hard it is.  "I love to look at houses. I'm sure I'd be a great agent".  LOL

Ed,

 I think all of us in the real estate industry should work on changing this perception rather than critiquing  and sniping at each other, and bad mouthing each other...That would be a great beginning.  A

Ed well spoken!  Many folks have no idea of the hours it takes to run the show behind the scenes. All they see is us  showing homes in our clean cars and think - oh that's easy enough. Not so fast......expertise comes after years of experience and thousands or successful transactions.

Ed maybe we make the job look to easy? :)

I don't think most of the public realizes that we do not get paid or recover costs unless the transaction closes.

Ed- the perception of agents driving around looking at homes has been with the profession for as long as I can remember.  The reality is very different.  I've learned just how much by reading the posts here. 

Ed, all those people who think we are overpaid should get a real estate license and give it a try!

Most people don't even know how hard we work. I love your post, Ed. Congratulations on the well deserved feature, too. 

I think what you have to do is act the baby want to be treated and everything. Be the change you seek in the world.

Ed Silva 
Thanks for writing about my day --- so eloquent! I coudn't have done any better than your EXCELLENT descriptions!

All the best - Lynn

Good morning Ed Silva ,

Congratulations on a well written feature worthy post. Good entry into the contest. The reality of all we do is often never seen.

Its and old saying but still true!!! Fake it until you make!!! Perception is reality

I tell people what I do.... They say "OOOOOOOO that must be SO MUCH FUN looking at houses all day!!!".     I then brush myself off after getting up from rolling on the ground laughing, smile and agree. 

;)

Great post Ed!  Always have to take action!

Ed Silva "The reality is that some people do call from the sign being posted on the house, but...The selling of that home requires work on our part to make sure the home gets its best exposure on the Internet."

Right on target - and - re-blog!

Good morning Ed, I personally know of four people who thought what I did was piece of cake, they thought money came easy so they went and got their real estate licenses. None of them are in business today. Being a real estate agent takes a lot of work and patience.

Unless you are a part of the industry,,,,the good folks make it look effortless....

I became a real estate agent after I retired from Frito-Lay. Because I have a pension, a social security check and a disability check from the VA, I do not depend on income from being a Realtor. If I did not have that income I would not enjoy it it as much as I do. Young people that do this work have to really work hard at making their business a success, and I admire them for that.

Great job, Ed.  There's too much Million Dollar Listing, House Hunters....etc., out there.  I cringe when a buyer or a seller for that matter share that they LOVE those shows.

I believe a great agent will make the job look virtually effortless because that's what we do, but I agree that sometimes we may make it all look too effortless.

Ed Silva Only a select few really understand what we really do and appreciate us

We do what we do and we do it when it needs doing and often before. I think the misperception arises because many of us are good at what we do and make it look simple. Reminds me of a story of Picasso, one day a woman spotted him sitting in a park and askedhim for a quick sketch, Picasso dashed of the sketch and promptly asked the woman for $1,000. She was shocked, had she notjust watched him take less than 3 minutes to produce this sketch. Picasso replied, Madam, what you saw was the result of over 20 years of study, hard work, practice and even more practice on a daily schedule. You are not paying me for the 3 minutes but what went before.

Love the article but what is insane that sometimes our own community (real estate people) feel the same way about us. If you question the buyer agent for something his/her reply would be so what are you doing just putting your listing in MLS hnnn

Nice job, Ed!  I think it has become even more difficult with all of the so-called reality shows out there.  Those shows make it appear really easy too!

The public also thinks we make tons of money for the little bit of work that we do!

Hi Ed Silva - You have hit the nail on the head...

I honestly think that until you are an agent, you really don't get it.  It is our job to show our customers everything we are doing on their behalf.  Each of us has an opportunity to change perceptions one client at a time.  

Being a real estate agent is the easiest job I've ever had.  It's also the most rewarding.  I count my blessings when I receive a commission check of $15,000 for one sale.  I think of all the people who have to work full time all year long to make that amount.  Yes it can get stressful but what job doesn't have stress?

There are agents who run a real estate business like it's a job on the side, but for most of us full-time agents, it's an 10- to 14-hour day, 6 1/2 to 7 days a week. I almost never have an afternoon off. Sometimes around holidays. I'm churning out 1 to 2 sales a week. It takes a ton of work to do that kind of volume. And yet I would not trade it for the world.

Hi Ed

Well done and congratulations on the feature. Consumers for the most part have a limited idea of what we have to do in our role on a daily basis.

Jeff

I do not care the profession.  Until someone walks it for a while they have no reason to critisize.  Pretty simple.  Good post.  Mark

So true!  People just dont realize how much work full time agents do 'behind the scenes' and at all different hours of the day. They certainly don't understand how much time it takes to set up several showings over a two or three hour period! Thanks for the informative post.

Dear Ed,

It is supposed to look easy, but if it actually were, a lot more people would be Realtors.

Great post and entry for the contest Ed Silva ...perception vs reality, what a concept!  

There is so much behind the scenes that only we know that goes on. I have always said we are our worst enemy portraying that all in under control making the job look easy.

Ed funny you should write this post, had a lunch conversation with a friend of mine today and we were discussing the very subject. The perception is people think what an easy way we make a living. Start at 11am finish by 4pm and get huge commissions. Well they need to trade a day or a week with us or shadow us for a day or a week and that perception would change real fast, Endre

You did a great job on this post and it is definitely feature worthy! 

Congratulations!!!

Before I became a home stager I was one of those people who thought agents did very little to earn their money. I know better now!

Congratulations on your featured article. We are looking forward to the next one.

This is so very true - we make it look so effortless but it takes plenty of practice & planning to get it that way!

My clients all get their needs met & that is what is important. I am well paid too