RealTown's BlogTalk

I applaud you and everyone who has posted on this thread, Thank You.

It is heartening to see so many agents do identify this as a real problem in our industry. I could not agree more, the consumer perception of our industry is pitiful and as a group we can and must address this. It will take effort, but it is worth every second spent if we want to remain a viable choice in consumers minds.

The web has changed everything and the consumer voice is gathering power everyday , across the board the way consumers choose influencers in their purchasing decisions are changing. Reputation is critical today and growing more and more, we no longer base our know , like and trust in what smart/ vocal advertisers have been telling us, we like to buy but we hate being sold too. We hate being manipulated, lied to, promised the earth and delivered little.

We value HONESTY, whch has been lacking across big business and corporations in their pursuit of the almighty BUCK! Archaeic Training practcies have to change, we need to change the way we communicate with consumers, and talk in the ways they want to listen and increase our findability when they want to listen instead of bombarding them with unwanted junk mail, we need to stop talking customer service, customer experience and start delivering experiences consumers want to talk about and learn to leverage that in our own markets. 

We need to change our industry culture and the measures of success, instead of rewarding results at any cost and putting people on a pedestal who have made sales at any cost. Our training dialogues and mindsets need to change we need to realise Buyers are NOT Liers, but that Advertising and Corporate America has been the Lier in the past and that consumers everywhere are standing up now with the tools finally available to them to say NO MORE! 

It is Time For Change, and everyone who has posted here is ahead of the game, because transparency is now here to stay, thank goodness.

Luvyaa all

Karin Hanna 

It is refreshing to see so many of us regard professionalism as a key component of our busines.  We all suffer when one of our colleagues decide not to act as a professional or decide to represent us in a distasteful manner.  In such a unique industry where we provide information, service, advice and deliver a clients' dream, we should be able to provide the best professionalism and deserve to be regarded as the best.  I am happy to see NAR and a host of Realtors taking steps to raising the bar for professional standards.  We should also increase standards or create levels for realtors so that one can be identified as to the committment they decide to make to the profession.  If passing GRI was a 1st level standard to being a professional Realtor we would at least have the opportunity to engage agents after they pass their licensing exam to be able to teach basics and prevent new licensees from acquiring bad habits.  If we continue to participate nad promote professionalism amongst our peers, we can definitely accomplish this!!!!

Yemi Oshinnaiye                                                                                                                                   Laurel, MD

Professionalism That is Lacking in Real Estate Agents
 

A few months ago while our firm was conducting a strategic planning
session for an association, the group came up with the idea of
"raising the bar". Their idea was to have a REALTOR "peer to peer"
review process where agents and brokers could provide feedback about
the quality of service and professionalism delivered by fellow agents
during a transaction. Just like hotel chains and other service
organizations they designed a series of standards that each member of
their association was supposed to abide by . They outlined training
programs that were focused on world class customer service standards.
The whole idea was to allow fellow realtors to help each other
increase the overall level of service of the real estate community,
NOT to create another governing organization. The most successful
service brands like Marriott, Ritz Carlton, BMW and many others follow
a similar process. Since we are conducting transactions that are MUCH
more valuable than any of these brands, it appears logical for the
real estate industry to follow the same if not higher standards for
self-evaluation, training and response.
 

Second, consumers are demanding more transparency. According to a
study conducted by the University of Houston, more than 70% of
respondents believe that they would like to read reviews from past
clients about a REALTOR before choosing them. Consumers are used to
being able to do research about a product or service before they
purchase it. REALTORS are no different. While personal referrals are
always valuable, they are not always possible especially if you are
relocating. Services like Quality Service Certifiied (QSC) and others
are designed to help REALTORS promote their service quality. I am glad
to see associations around the country begin to adopt a service to
help dedicated, customer-centric REALTORS promote the quality of their
service. Services like these will help the consumer find the agents
who will provide them a great real estate experience which will
ultimately help drive up the perceptions of the industry.
 

I am so glad to see real estate professionals find ways to help
improving transparency for consumers. Any and all customer-focused
efforts to improve quality certainly will have a positive impact on
the real estate industry.

Having been in the real estate business for over 20 years I have seen many cycles.  It is typical that when the market is hot, that everybody wants a real estate license. Then when the market cools, people get out of the business.

What we need to do as real estate professionals is not make it so easy for that to occur. I look forward to the recommendations of the committee chaired by former NAR President Richard Mendenhall. These are critical areas they must address.

I am also heartened by the continuing feedback I receive on this topic.

Monica McNamara
Coldwell Banker
Ocean City, Maryland
877-480-7653

I heard this morning at a Joe Stumpf conference that it is estimated that 60% of agents are or have dropped out of the business. So maybe this problem is going to right itself to some extent.

-----

I too doubt that the numbers dropping out are that high. But even if they are, as soon as the market turns around, many of those people will reactivate their licenses and many others will get new licenses. The problem with our industry is it is too easy to become an agent / Realtor, which is why so many people become agents. If we had a high entry fee, such as a $1,000 License Fee, the numbers would be dramatically lower. When anyone can take a relatively short course, take a test, and join a brokerage with next to no money down... Well the results speak for themselves.

You are write on the mark.  I agree that we need to raise the bar not only on hours spent becoming an agent but in our pocket books as well.  Higher fees will mean less part timers who do not have the education and training that many of us have.  Should be required that they take the ABR, GRI  and CRS training as well as Ethics in their first 3 years.  I am in a state now that until last year you could go to school, pass the exam and open an office up as a Broker..No years on the job, no other Broker over seeing your work.  Thank goodness they changed that.

This market will weed out man you who got in for the love of money.  I love what I do and am proud of the fact that I have been very successful at it and professional.

PS:  Hi Judy Moses.....good to hear your voice...well blog anyway..

AJ Fischer, ABR, CRS, GRI, PMN

Broker/Owner and Realtor