10 Hallmarks of a Great Realtor

This is my 100th real estate blog....and there always seems to be something to write about!  Here I'm going to simply brainstorm what I consider 10 hallmarks of a great Realtor.

1.  Flawless communication; always follows through and connects when promised, always keeps you in touch with the process of your sale or listing. 

2.  After sale service; not just in it for the sale, a great Realtor is a resource for life and always available after the sale for questions, concerns or any helpful purpose.

3.  Doesn't oversell you on budget; because you can afford a more expensive home does not mean that you should be "house poor."  A great Realtor will value your lifestyle and advise you to buy the right priced home to give you maximum freedom.

4.  Talks candidly about NOT buying a particular property; a great Realtor is all about protecting you and your family and will be very forthcoming if they perceive an issue with a property.

5.  Looks to the long view; while matching you with the right property at the right time, a great Realtor also is looking down the road on your behalf and thinking about the resale value before you even buy the home!

6.  Is well connected; a great Realtor has made many trusted working connections that can serve you in your move -- everything from inspectors, lenders, legal teams, movers, cleaners, stagers and more.  These are not "cold" referrals, they are proven and trusted professionals.

7.  Is well respected by colleagues; a great Realtor is highly professional with colleagues, supplying all information needed to speed along your sale and respected for their negotiating prowess.  A great Realtor NEVER uses a snotty or know-it-all tone.

8.  Works in areas of strengths; a great Realtor will refer you to another great Realtor if you need something out of their area of expertise; i.e. out of the area they know or buying a commercial interest if they work primarily in residential.

9.  Is empathetic but forthcoming; a great Realtor feels your pain, whether financial or personal, however their job it to guide you with truth, not sugar coat market conditions or likely challenges.  We stick through thick and thin as your ally but will not mislead you to make you feel better.  A great Realtor never advises pricing a home well above what they know it will sell for just to get the listing (and later keep pressing for price reductions).

10.  Is select in their clientele; a great Realtor knows the value of long term relationships in business so is not rushing around for "1 hit wonders" to add to their sales volume.  They invite clients who understand value over gimmicks.  There is nothing more satisfying to a great Realtor than repeat and referral business; sometimes over the generations of one family.  Does your family have a great Realtor??

www.OkanaganHome.ca   Beth Marks the Spot!

Mind your own p's & q's!

The great expression, mind your own p's & q's I'm told comes from the bars in the U.K.  When something was happening at the other end of the bar that another patron was tempted to get involved with, say an argument or fight, the bar keep would instruct them to mind their own p's & q's (meaning pints and quarts of beer).  In other words, stay out of it and mind your own business.

During our Realtors' office tour of new listings, some of us travelling together started chuntering about the low level of service offered by some in our profession and other annoying work models that reflect poorly on service oriented Realtors.  At one point one of our colleagues said these simple words.  "You know, I just work.  I do my thing and don't trouble myself with all the junk out there."

It is true that it can be so distracting tilting at the windmills of injustice in any work place that you stop giving enough thought to your own business! 

Never mind what anyone else is doing.  What am I doing?  What model of service do I personify?  That, at the end of the day -- and the beginning of the day for that matter -- is all that I can change.  By exemplifying top service I do hope to be a good influence.

This kind of influence is proactive rather than reactive.  And, far more satisfying.

Whatever it is in human nature that chooses to focus on the 5% that's wrong in any situation instead of the 95% that's right is pretty darn stupid.

To work on changing this habit, whenever I am tempted to comment on some dud failing to provide service in the Real Estate industry I challenge myself instead to come up with a unique and creative idea to enhance my business.

Minding my own business, really, really well is a full time job!

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

For crying out loud....say what you mean and mean what you say!  It is so refreshingly rich to have someone promise and deliver on great service.  And, so sadly disappointing to have someone promise to follow through with some action only to find out that it never happened.

Today I'm working on a domino set of transactions involving 2 lawyers and a Notary.  A couple of days ago I contacted the person working on the first file to let them know that all expediency was very appreciated as moves were waiting for sales to register.  At 1:30 this afternoon the middle lawyer still hadn't received proceeds from the first file holder.  I called to find that the person working on the first file was at lunch....and hadn't let anyone know time was of the essence....and the funds were already there but just hadn't been sent over yet.  Guess how impressed I was?

Genetically I've been blessed to have very little gray hair.  Today a crop was added!  Why?  Because someone was casual about delivering on their promised action.  By dropping the ball, several other people were stressed and inconvenienced.

If you're not going to do something; don't say you will.  If you promise you'll do something, come hell or high water you'd best find a way to do it.  It's not only your reputation professionally and personally on the line -- it's your own self confidence and pride of workmanship.

The only way to become trusted is to have proven consistently over a period of time that you're trustworthy!  And all trust can disappear in a New York Second as soon as any of us drop the ball.  (A New York Second, by the way, is the length of time between the stop light turning green and the sound of the first blaring horn!)

Ending on a happy note, I contacted the Blackfin Restaurant in Comox last night to arrange for a gift card for a client that lives there.  I was called back within 30 minutes and the card was sent within the hour.  The service was impeccable.  And, guess what?  I'm going to tell everyone I know to dine at the Blackfin in Comox!  This based on the quality of 2 minutes on the phone, 2 e-mails and priceless follow through (and the preliminary recommendation of a local!)

I thought I was getting George Clooney!

A very good question to ask that wonderful Realtor in your home -- you know, the one from all the brochures and videos with the great voice and very wide smile, the "team" leader -- is this:  Will I be working with you all the way through after I've signed the listing?

One of the most common complaints I hear from people who hire a Realtor from a real estate team is that the persuasive front person from the team who they really liked disappeared from view after they listed their home.  From that point on, the seller got assistants or other Realtors from the team but never the person who they bonded with in the first place.  Some even discovered that the Realtor they thought they hired spends a good part of the year living somewhere else.

True story, a woman from my gym had gone through a rough break up and was in what she referred to as her man-hating stage.  (She's a wonderful gal and is once again in love!)  Anyway, she was quite drawn to work with a female Realtor with a gentle way about her that was working on a team.  She agreed to let this woman sell her home.  When the day came for listing documents to be signed a strapping man with 5-o'clock shadow was on her doorstep with the paperwork and measuring tape!  She went through with the listing; but it was the last time she used a team.

Really rather like expecting George Clooney to show up for a date but having one of his sidekicks fill the slot instead....after you shaved your legs and everything...but I digress!

We have some great teams in this area, don't get me wrong.  But, you really need to know what you're getting into.  Do you want to have a Realtor from start to finish that knows you and is with you at each stage or would you prefer a larger, corporate type experience involving several people in an office?

When I go to a car dealership, one of the things I look for is someone who I can get to know and chat with when I bring my ride back in for servicing, or if I'm thinking about trading it in.  I don't enjoy feeling like a faceless consumer, or a number.  I want to build a lasting connection.  I want my salesperson to know who I am when I call.  I want them to remember what they sold me.  I want them to know what I'm looking for next.  I want to know I can recommend them to friends.  I want to know they're there if something goes wrong.  I want to know that they are my staunch ally and advocate all the way. That's the way I roll.

In my experience having these kind of connections serves me so very well -- in all fields.  It is the kind of experience I want my clients to have.  Personal, unique, one on one, direct, authentic and enduring. 

If I've signed on with George Clooney, I want him and only him all the way!