I am prepared to employ the latest techniques and services for your benefit, just like you've grown to expect from a professional. Real estate transactions are complex, involve large assets and demand competent representation. Marketing properties, home selection and financing are just a few of the skills today's consumer looks for when they select a real estate professional. I am prepared to offer my clients the knowledge and expertise to counsel them in relocating, buying, investing or selling the family home.
"Expect the Best"
REALTORS, Who Get It, Resent Those Who Don’t Get It!
Over the years I have heard it all, however, in today’s market our challenges, pet peeves, and complaints amongst our peers have changed. Here’s 10 items I can think of right off the top of my head that continue to grind away at others and myself, that I communicate with on a daily basis. I’m sure you could add more
to this list, I encourage you to do so.
Please note, that this is a constructive, reasonable list of what I feel would benefit our industry if improved upon.
1. Setting up a showing and finding out it’s pending, but the agent is waiting to see if it closes. (Waste of everyone’s time, usually a short sale with bank involved)
2. Listings indicating key box, only to find out it’s a combo box (Should be outlawed, all should be electronic)
3. Receiving offers on regular homes for sale at low-ball prices (These are not bank foreclosures and short sale homes).
4. Getting offers with low deposits or that say deposit upon acceptance (not worth the paper it’s written on)
5. Listings having no pictures or just a few. (All listings should have a minimum of 12)
6. Agents not using the Doc Box - Forms on-line system because they haven’t learned how to use it yet. (Eliminates paperwork and saves time)
7. Showing instructions on line-side says text me at ##### for showings; and you don’t get a response for 2 days. (The best technology is the technology you use.)
8. You email feedback to an agent on your showing of their listing, they don’t read their email, and so they call you for feedback. (Hello, read your email)
9. You email agents to schedule showings and never hear from them. (Because they don’t read their email or get email on Blackberry or iPhone to respond quickly)
10. Getting a call from the neighbors that your listing that was shown by a co-op agent was left unlocked or lights were left on. (Usually at night, right after you have settled in for the night.)
You may be saying: this comes with the territory. Maybe it does, and yes, people make mistakes. However, we have much work ahead of us to get everyone going in the same direction for new standards of practice and professionalism in our industry and going green. What are your thoughts?
Now ePRO Designated agents can take an advanced 12 module course available 24/7/365. These course modules provide the opportunity for working professionals to learn at their own pace while enhancing the skill sets necessary to compete and excel with today’s web savvy consumers. REW™ professionals provide consumers with a positive and profitable Real Estate experience.
REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ (REW)certification teaches Agents and Assistants how to best utilize today’s most popular web-based technologies - the solutions for an all inclusive, consumer-centric web presence.
Candidates learn how to establish a profitable, consumer-facing, all-inclusive web presence — an effective, online “Business Strategy”; Embracing technology- real estate technology providers (hardware, software) have established technologies for the self-serving agent, looking to establish an all encompassing web presence around their good-name.
One more way to differentiate yourself in today’s real estate market is to take this course and promote it with your ePRO designation.
“Expect the Best” Mike
As a real estate trainer and consultant, I’m available to assist you in all your marketing plans, technology, and taking your real estate career to the next level. Contact me if you’re interested in hiring a personal coach and consultant to help develop your business or just want to network.
Mike Bowler Sr. ePRO, CRB, GRI, SRES
Certified ePRO Trainer
85% plus, of all buyers are shopping the Internet for real estate prior to ever contacting a Realtor. Here are some questions to ponder: 1. Is it our duty, based on Article 11 of the Realtor Code of Ethics to provide our sellers with the adequate information on the quality and quantity of tools made available to expose the sellers home to the marketplace? 2. Are we competent in marketing real estate to today’s e-consumer? 3. Are we demonstrating the skill and the knowledge that is needed to be competent?
Here’s what Article 11 says: (Please note: I am referring to service only. Property type is yet another issue.)
The services which REALTORS® provide to their clients and customers shall conform to the standards of practice and competence which are reasonably expected in the specific real estate disciplines in which they engage; specifically, residential real estate brokerage, real property management, commercial and industrial real estate brokerage, real estate appraisal, real estate counseling, real estate syndication, real estate auction, and international real estate. REALTORS® shall not undertake to provide specialized professional services concerning a type of property or service that is outside their field of competenceunless they engage the assistance of one who is competent on such types of property or service, or unless the facts are fully disclosed to the client. Any persons engaged to provide such assistance shall be so identified to the client and their contribution to the assignment should be set forth. (Amended 1/95)
Here’s what Article 12 says in part:
REALTORS® shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations.
What stage do we as Realtors fall into when it comes to marketing homes in today’s market?
Competencea standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific job
In psychology the four stages of competence relate to the psychological states involved in the process of progressing from incompetence to competence in a skill:
Unconscious incompetence
The individual neither understands or knows how to do something, nor recognizes the deficit or has a desire to address it.
Conscious incompetence
Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, he or she does recognize the deficit, without yet addressing it.
Conscious competence
The individual understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires a great deal of consciousness or concentration.
Unconscious competence
The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it becomes "second nature" and can be performed easily (often without concentrating too deeply). He or she can also teach it to others.
My point in asking these questions is to make a point, that we can never stop learning in real estate. There are many wonderful opportunities for each of us as practitioners to continue our education. What do you think?
As a real estate trainer and consultant, I’m available to assist you in all your marketing plans, technology, and taking your real estate career to the next level. Contact me if you’re interested in hiring a personal coach and consultant to help develop your business.
Many articles and comments have been made in reference to Saul Klein’s recent White Paper on the MLS 5.0 concept. It is very well detailed and comprehensive when it comes to presenting a vision of what we as Realtors need to prepare for in the future.
Some may criticize Saul’s points, not understanding that the purpose of this presentation is to open up the dialogue for developing a plan vs. being reactive like we have with the whole mortgage fiasco, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the foreclosure boom we seem to be stuck with for the next couple of years. The unfortunate part is that the broker/owners who need to be smack dab in the middle of these kinds of conversations are struggling to cut costs, deplete inventory, and keep their doors open.
The other unfortunate fact is that most real estate brokers and agents are not spending the time and effort, when it comes to grasping web2, blogging, portals or the future of MLS changes, let alone decide what we need for the future. We are a changing industry, that needs to be re-educated, starting at the top it needs to be fully supported by the broker/owners. Let’s hope they’re not cutting their training and education budgets, if anything, right now would be a good time to throw out the newspaper print and put it all back into educating your assets. (Agents) We have many people to learn from including the two gentleman above. Have you started your Future plan yet?
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modules provide the opportunity for working professionals to learn at their own pace while enhancing the skill sets necessary to compete and excel with today’s web savvy consumers. REW™ professionals provide consumers with a positive and profitable Real Estate experience.
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