Would you buy a car from them?

Great story!  Knowledge is important, but can also come at a price. The first sales person, sounds like he was new to the business while the second was an old pro.

Consumers need to be more knowledgeable about what they are looking to buy, and how much they are willing to pay for it. People hate the process of buying a car because of the negotiation is harder with an experienced auto salesman. Learning how to negotiate will get you a better deal. One rule I have is to not become friends with the salesman. If they are smiling when you purchase it, you paid too much. Knowledge is key, not only for the salesman, but also for you.

We tend to forget that KNOWING how to apply knowledge is more important......

That is a real good analogy.  Whether cars, boats, planes, trains or HOUSES the sales person should know the product inside and out (as best you can).  A taste of the building trades helps too.

I like the way you work. Being pro-active is something we should all do to best help our clients.

Great analogy! It seems that the extra knowledge brings the service to the next level ... we should all strive to provide that to our clients!

Aloha and have a great weekend,

In this business we are constantly learning whether it's "on the job training" or classroom studies.  It seems almost every day I come across something I didn't know no matter how many years I have worked this business.  Thanks for reminding me that I still need to keep learning every day.

It's a great Analogy!  Know your Stuff! That's the Key.  I would work with YOU!

I do agree that it makes sense. If I decided to move to your community and look for a home I'd head straight for you!

I do that with every inspection! your post tell about your client concerns and needs thanks for the post! 

It is critical to know the market (product) and be able to converse about it.

The key is getting the customer to talk so you have a starting point to talk about that is meaningful and helpful to them.

We may have more knowledge than the customer is looking for, so we need to be careful not to go overboard. 

This is a great way to get this point across - it makes such good sense. Admittedly, we are not able to see "every" new home that hits the market, but in our niche(s) we certainly do. Bravo to your philosophy and practices.

I agree with Richie--you not only need to know about the subject, but how to apply that knowledge in a way that will be helpful to the clients.

Peter den Boer So true in this analogy all you pointed out. Not only should the agent know the home shown, but also ideas on how best to purchase the home.

Great post with great input, Peter. It's always best to know as much as possible about what you're selling.  

You are so right, knowledge is power. And good work reaps its rewards.

At the end of the day, we’re all on the same team. We want our client to be happy in the home of choice. We don’t want our client to experience regret, we need our client to remember us positively.

From my place in the transaction, I feel much better about the inspection when the agent (hopefully a Realtor) knows about architecture and its systems, the local geography, the history of the structure, the inspection process overall, my business model, etc. I can sense that our client is more comfortable when the agent is knowledgable, confident and interested.

Invariably every deal doesn’t alway play out. As regretful as it can feel, we all know that’s the nature of our business. Most agents would be surprised to learn how often a buyer will contact me to inspect a second structure with another agent.

Well said! All salespeople should know their inventory and believe in the product... the rest will follow!  We need to be able to show all the property that fits our clients needs in order to help them find the home or land they want

Thank you!

As someone who has scheduled in property tours on Tuesday and Thursday every week, I respect your value added proposition.    Thanks for the post - great title and analogy.

When I am dealing with a sales person, I am very aware of their approach, knowledge, sincerity, etc.  

I just got a new car - it was a bit of a nightmare of time spent waiting around for what I never did understand! and I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to buy it - 

Knowledge is useless unless it's used effectively. Delivering it concisely and in logical sequence so it's easy to comprehend while providing the benefits and solutions is the primary factor IMO that determines a successful transaction. 

BTW, buying a car is easier than buying real estate and certainly doesn't take as long, don't you agree?