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Professionalism That Is Lacking in Real Estate Agents

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Professionalism That Is Lacking in Real Estate
Agents

Created by: Monica McNamara, Licensed Real Estate Agent, Ocean City, MD

Date: Jul 1, Number of Replies: 30

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What would I want if I was a buyer??? I’d want someone who wasn’t trying to sell me. Sell me anything so they could make a buck. I’d want to think that they were looking out for my best interest and was really listening to me. How do you develop that kind of trust in a relationship? I would want to know the whole deal, start to finish, be honest with me, don’t tell me stuff just because you think it’s what I want to hear. Educate me. People don’t buy real estate every day. It’s an alien experience for most. Tell me the truth.

In the past, being honest has cost me, but I know that honesty in the long run has paid my bills, and made me more money then its cost me. Plus, I’ve never (touch wood-did I mention I have stupid superstitions from my mom), have I had anybody sueme in 23 years. I hear that’s pretty good.

As a buyer, I’d want to know all, and maybe I wouldn’t know the questions to ask. In other words, I wouldn’t know what I don’t know. Makes sense doesn’t it. I’d like to think I treat everyone that way. No falsehoods, no wasting their time. What concerns me, is that other practitioners don’t do business that way. I think they should. It really messes it up for the rest of us. Again, as a buyer or seller, I want to be told the deal, no holes barred, lay it out. If you decide for whatever reasons this doesn’t work, I’d like to think I am professional enough to say, “just remember me to your friends, and remember also, that I helped you make this informed decision”.

What’s better, happy customer/clients that trust and value your opinion, or being this hard sale real estate agent that brow beats someone into a decision that maybe they will regret. It gives real estate agents a bad name.

I have sold to customer and client’s friends, family, co-workers, and gosh I have been around a while, now their kids, but I feel a sense of pride. I work with my husband, Kevin. A great man, who is the best person I know. I think that’s pretty good after all these years of working and living a life together. I’ve heard him tell people they shouldn’t buy something because it wasn’t right for them. I use to look at him funny when he said something like that. Occasionally I would cringe, remind him of what we do for a living. But guess what…. he’s been doing this longer then me, and he’s right. By my calculations he’s been in this business about 34 years. His entire adult career.

The gist of what I have to say, is that if more individuals in our profession, could think of others before their bank account, our profession, would have a whole different rep (my kids word for reputation). In some cases with other agents that I’ve had the unfortunate experience of working with, it has been extremely negative and, oh god, painful and depressing. I feel sorry for the people they are representing.

My personal campaign is to continue to increase the perception of the integrity of our overall industry. We would all benefit. We all spend mucho time, money, educational pursuits, etc. to stay alive and thrive in our careers. We deal with people who are making the single biggest investment of their lives. Don’t they deserve the best of the best? Absolutely.

I have some solutions, o.k. maybe not all the answers, but some of them. Increase the c.e. requirements. Charge usmore to stay in business. Probably not a very popular opinion. What other profession, can you get into with little or noinvestment? You don’t need to buy or lease an office, hire staff, office equipment, purchase inventory and more. You take a class, sit for a test, come out with a license and “voila” you hold yourself out as a “real estate professional”……pleeeease……… some of these agents are retired from other careers and they profess to know more about assisting a buyer or seller then I do about performing a root canal. Let’s raise the bar. Get the dead wood out and be the experts we profess we be.

Enough of my opinions. But I think they are very valid opinions. Let’s weed out the garbage.

Who do I think I am, just someone who thinks people should be treated fairly.

Monica – Ocean City, Maryland

Posted by: Sharon Sapp Licensed Real Estate Agent, Temple, PA

Date: Jul 1

Monica,

Hats off to you! I agree whole heartedly on providing the best customer service I can give for the same reasons you have listed. First, I pride myself on my openess and honesty. I do get grief from other Realtors (and sometimes my family and friends) for trying to talk a buyer out of buying a house that's not right for them, but I have to do what my conscience tells me to do. Sometimes, the buyers don't listen. In those cases, I've heard from them after they are in their new home that I was probably right. I've even listed homes for people that didn't initially listen but they do the second time around. They say it just surprised them. I've even encouraged some would-be buyers that it was better for them to add on to their present home now and sell later because what they could afford to buy wasn't what they needed. Maybe this wouldn't work for some, but I can look at myself in the mirror and like what I see. I think my clients deserve the best I can do for them and I plan to stay that way!

Posted by: Barbara Beckwith Licensed Real Estate Agent, Massillon, OH

Date: Jul 1

I agree with both of you that we owe our clients the best possible representation for them. Even though we choose to provide this level of expertise, it is also our duty as REALTORS®. I guess I'm lucky to work with a group that demands an extremely high level of professionalism. In fact for the most part, our community, including our competitors, has a good reputation and is perceived to be a necessary part of the real estate transaction by buyers and sellers. Good luck and I hope it catches on in your area too.

Barbara Beckwith, ABR, e-PRO
Cutler Real Estate
Canton, OH

Posted by: Carol Riley Licensed Real Estate Agent, Albuquerque, NM

Date: Jul 1

Monica,

I agree, it is refreshing to hear that some people are not ony just in it for the money! Of course, if we are professional "straight shooters", even if it doesn't always benefit us, the public will want to do business with us and we will be rewarded for our hard work. My hat is off to you and to all of you out there working hard and with integrity!

Carol Riley

Albuquerque, N.M.

Posted by: Peggyann Mcconnochie Licensed Real Estate Broker, Juneau, AK

Date: Jul 1

Right on, Monica! In fact I have taken the term "professional" out of my vocabulary and replaced it with competency, ethical behavior, and business (or common) courtesy. Those terms when combined are what I think we are all striving for and again I agree REQUIRED education is the way to get us there. I have been discussing the idea of asking NAR to mandate a specific set of real estate education courses (think a beefed up, far more demanding and specific to your specialty, GRI 90-hours course) before being able to use the term “REALTOR." And with an increased fee...oh my goodness you are right it may be heresy but it may be what is needed to increase the image that the public has of REALTORS® and to increase REALTORS® competency, ethics and courtesy. I think the time is right to start the discussion to look at what the intended and unintended consequences may be to such a path at all levels of the REALTOR® family and whether or not this or another path is the right one to follow to increase the real significance of the term REALTOR®, and then what to do with the current membership. Such fun! But worthy of serious discussion and action!

Posted by: Monica Mcnamara Licensed Real Estate Agent, Ocean City, MD

Date: Jul 4

Peggyann,

Thank you for your kind words. It's part of my mission to raise the standards in our industry. I posted a new blog today, that is kind of a follow up. I had received so many personal email, it inspired me to (if you'll beg my pardon) go on a little more.

My best,

Monica

Posted by: Monica Mcnamara Licensed Real Estate Agent, Ocean City, MD

Date: Jul 4

Sharon,

I just want to continue to spread the word and each of our personal contributions to this cause will make us better as a whole.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions.

Monica

Posted by: Troy Sage Licensed Real Estate Agent, Temecula, CA

Date: Jul 6

This is very well said and written. The more Realtors understand that we provide a service, the more we will be respected. Too many people get into Real Estate to make a quick buck. Hats off to you and I wish you nothing but great success!!!!!

Kindest Regards,

Troy Sage

e-PRO

33449 Temecula Parkway

Temecula, CA 92592

DIRECT: (951) 834-2840

FAX: (951) 344-8210

EMAIL: teamsage@gmail.com

WEBSITE: www.teamsagehomes.com

Posted by: Becky Hutchinson, Winston-Salem, NC

Date: Jul 11

I have to believe that doing the right thing always comes first. Even if it means that I have to do the job for the other Realtor on the other side of the transaction. Service to my clients is my motto and I believe in sharing my expertise whenever I can help others. I have said kill them with kindness and make friends with the agent's assistant and never lower yourself to their behavior if they are lacking Professionalism

Becky.

Posted by:

Date: Jul 12

I could not agree more with everything you are saying Monica! Hats off to you again! I think it just goes back to "The Golden Rule", To treat others exactly the way we would want to be treated and to treat everyone with respect in order to gain respect for ourselves and our profession!

Honesty and ethics are so important in our business. I am happy to hear that so many real estate professionals feel the same way that I do and it really gives me hope for our future as an industry. Thank you for making my morning brighter!

Posted by: Rosalinda Morgan Licensed Real Estate Broker, Oyster Bay, NY

Date: Aug 2

Monica,

I agree with you wholeheartedly. It all boils down to the Golden Rule which I advocate all my life including my real estate practice. Some of real estate agents only think of the buck at the end of the transactions and that is the reason our reputation is tarnished. Regarding the CE requirements, I go along with that too. It took me four years of college and passing a board exam to be a CPA and it only take 45 hours of classroom training to be a real estate agent. They just raised the requirement to 75 hours effective July 1. Even a hairdresser needs 1000 hours of class room training. Is cutting hair more important than selling or buying house which is the largest investment of a lifetime? They should raise the bar to keep out the weeds.

Rosalinda Morgan, CBR, SRES, CPA

Licensed Associate Broker

Century 21 - Laffey Associates

East Norwich, NY 11732

Century

Posted by: Monica Mcnamara Licensed Real Estate Agent, Ocean City, MD

Date: Aug 5

I can not say this enough. If only more in our profession would adopt this philosophy in doing business. Let's continue to have our voices be heard.

Monica McNamara

Coldwell Banker
Ocean City Maryland
877-480-7653

http://www.realtown.com/MonicaMcNamara/blog

Posted by: Russ Phillips Licensed Real Estate Agent, Georgetown, TX

Date: Aug 5

Wow Monica! This is great! I agree with you completely. In fact I blogged about this very topic on my blog at http://georgetownrealestateexpert.com/blog/?p=21 just two days ago!

Russ

Posted by: Monica Mcnamara Licensed Real Estate Agent, Ocean City, MD

Date: Aug 6

Russ,

Great post. We have to elevate the perception (hence the reality) of our profession. Thank you for your re-enforcing comments.

Posted by: Judy Moses Licensed Real Estate Broker, Chestnut Hill, MA

Date: Aug 7

Monica,

Realtor professionalism is on many people's minds.

Take heart! NAR President Dick Gaylord has just appointed a Special Committee to work on this very subject. It will be chaired by a man who may be the most professional Realtor on the planet - past NAR President Richard Mendenhall from Missouri.

So, stay tuned for more information....

Judy Moses

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Professionalism That Is Lacking in Real EstateAgents

Professionalism That Is Lacking in Real Estate
Agents