Not that this blog needs any more exposure (150 comments and counting!), but just in case a few of you missed it, I'm reblogging here.
I have so many thoughts of my own to add and I'm sure I'll be doing just that over the next few weeks, but since Danny brought up the Doctor and Lawyer angle, I'll continue that theme by re-posting one of MY early blogs (from 2007) called "Doctors and Lawyers... and Real Estate Agents?"
Thanks, Danny, for a brilliant discussion and the opportunity to pontificate on one of my very favorite topics...
Doctors and Lawyers... and Real Estate Agents? by Jennifer Allan
(Originally posted in June 2007)
We real estate agents long to be respected by the general public. We ache to be considered as worthy of acclaim as our CPA, MD and JD friends. We fuss among ourselves when our clients appear to disrespect our time, our knowledge or, worse, our gasoline.
We claim that even though doctors and lawyers and accountants (oh my!) may have a few more years of education compared to our month (or maybe two) of real estate school, that doesn't mean they are any smarter, more dedicated or more qualified to practice their craft than we real estate agents are to handle one of the most important financial transactions most people will ever make.
But... wander through any real estate forum... read your latest Broker/Agent news, even peruse the conference schedule of the NAR National Convention - most of what you see is advice on how to PROSPECT! More Customers! More Referrals! More Leads!
Apparently, that's what our business is all about. At least, as far as I can tell from the topics that seem to interest our industry. In fact, most trainers come right and say that Prospecting is Your Number One duty as a professional real estate agent. Hmmmmmm. Is that really why it's a licensed profession? Because our JOB is to be great prospectors?
But back to my opening statement. We want to be respected just like doctors and lawyers and such. But I'll venture to guess that the professional journals, the annual conventions and the online forums of these industries aren't focused on cold-calling techniques, farming campaigns and web-lead generation. I'll bet that their memberships' interests lie more in being BETTER physicians, more KNOWLEDGEABLE lawyers and more COMPETENT veterinarians. While there may be an article or a seminar or a thread devoted to business development on occasion, something tells me that it's a wee bit more, dare I say it, RESPECTABLE, than what we tend to obsess over.
Where are the sexy seminars on being an effective Buyer Agent? (And no, I don't mean the ones telling you How to Sell a Buyer a House in One Trip or Less or How to Convince Your Buyer to Offer Full Price so You Don't Waste Your Time). I mean the ones that actually teach you how to be a GOOD buyer agent. Where's the article on how to successfully negotiate a tough inspection, or prepare for an appraisal on a unique home? How to properly price a custom home in a tract home neighborhood?
Hey, we all know that doctors and accountants and veterinarians are business-people, too. They, just like us, need a steady stream of business to keep their doors open and their Beemers gassed up. They, like us, need to promote themselves and their services to the public. But somehow, they've managed to do it without being called salespeople. They are "Professionals."
We real estate agents need to make a choice. Either we're salespeople, and we accept our role as such. Our job is to prospect, prospect, prospect. We'll leave the details to our assistants who actually care about the clients we bring in.
Or, we can leave the salesperson persona behind and strive to become professionals who attract business by being competent, knowledgeable and, most of all, RESPECTABLE!
Via
Danny Dietl Buy|Sell|Lease iMetroProperty.com (iMetroProperty.com):
Real Estate is a strange business. The barriers to entry are low, there are way too many licensed agents and way too many who say 'I'd like to do real estate.' As Realtors we help our clients make one of if not the biggest purchase of their lives. Spend some time listening to real estate coaches, trainers or even office managers and they'll tell you to run your business like a doctor or a lawyer. Guess what. You're not a doctor and you're not a lawyer. If you dress up as a super hero or claim 'everything you touch turns to sold' then please don't expect to be treated like a professional. These types of marketing gimmicks make us look like the proverbial used car salesman. That's not to say there aren't a lot of fantastic real estate professionals that deserve to be treated as true professionals, but this idea that because you have a real estate license that took a bare minimum of education to receive earns you the right to be treated like someone who spent YEARS and a lot of money to become a doctor or a lawyer is not accurate. Why don't we start to own our trade and our profession to the point where someone in a different line of work can say 'I need to run my business like a Realtor.'
As it is right now I wonder if there is a single profession out there that ever suggests that they should be more like Realtors?