The joke goes like this: A friend at school tells little Johnny all adults are hiding at least one dark secret and to blackmail them just say, "I know the whole truth."

So Johnny goes home and tells his mother, "I know the whole truth." His mother hands him $20 and says, "Just don't tell your father."

Pleased, little Johnny greets his dad coming home from work with, "I know the whole truth." The father gives him $40 and says, "Please don't tell your mother."

The next day on the way to school he tries it on the mailman, "I know the whole truth." The mailman drops the mail, opens his arms and says, "Then come give your daddy a great big hug!"

Knowing the truth can really shake things up! True in life and especially true in today’s real estate industry.

And knowing your facts now has never been more important for brokers and agents because buyers and sellers come armed with loads of information. The days of showering sellers with stacks of information have gone the way of the dinosaur.

That means if you want to make a good living in real estate, you must kick it up a notch and know more facts than you’ve ever known before. In short, you need to become an advisor.

The dictionary defines advisor simply as “an expert who gives advice.”

And that’s exactly what buyers and sellers need today -- an agent who can interpret information for them and guide them through the buying and selling process. They need an agent who’s confident and who expects success, and eagerly tells the truth like it is.

So what is the difference between an agent and an advisor?

Agents just want to list a home and hope it sells. Advisors help their clients lead the market, not follow the market. They do that by knowing their market inside and out. 

Advisors also put a premium on understanding the motivation of their clients. One of the questions we pose on what we call our Seller Information Sheet  is why are you selling? When you learn the answer to that question, realize what you have is the client’s hot button and react accordingly.

Advisors are inquisitive because they know they must understand where potential clients are in the process. When you understand that along with understanding their motivation, you’re on your way to being a great advisor.

And start promoting yourself as an advisor. Consumers aren’t stupid, they know the real estate game has changed just like you do; they know they need advising when they reach the right point in buying or selling.

So look over your marketing materials – your brand – and determine if you’re coming across as an advisor and as someone who stands out from the crowd. As an expert.

And please take a minute to read an article that gets more in depth at the job of an advisor titled "Tough Listing Is Tough Love”. The article covers some of the key traits of advisors: confident, optimistic, visionary, motivated, informed and many more.

To me, it all comes down to a mindset. You must adopt the mindset that you are an expert and make a commitment to work hard every day to make yourself better at your job.

Know your facts. Or, like Johnny, know the whole truth!

Best of luck to you!

(Bob Corcoran is a nationally recognized speaker who is founder and president of Corcoran Consulting Inc. (CorcoranCoaching.com, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into the broker’s or agent’s existing practice. We look forward to hearing from you.  Sign up TODAY for your free business consultation.)