What you want to hear likely isn't what you need to hear.

At Rotary today a Realtor joke was told;  "A Realtor will always sell you a two story home.  One story before you buy the home and another story after!"  Ouch!


Did you know though that most of the best and talented Realtors are not the ones you hear about the most or see the most signs with their name on.  And one reason is this.  A Realtor interested in volume listing is clever enough to tell the seller what they want to hear.  Likely that has to do with how valuable their home is and how much it will sell for.

An excellent Realtor, however, will not be as popular.  Why?  Because they are the ones that instead give sobering and realistic counsel and who calculate pricing on known sales and knowledge of the market in the local area.  Of course one would hope they're also charming and tactful!


A Realtor just wanting to butter up the client to get the listing will have nothing but nice things to say about the property and the state of it.  A Realtor interested in getting the job done and really getting the most money for the home will have candid comments about drawbacks and make recommendations on small fixes that could net large rewards.


A person just wanting the listing will agree that it was the fault of the 5 previous Realtors that the property never sold.  A professional will be rather more frank and inform the client that (especially knowing there are many fine pros that might have been already involved) the problem was not with the previous Realtor but rather with either the product or the pricing.


What you want to hear when selling your home, or buying a home, is not necessarily what you need to hear.


You may want your Realtor to agree with you that the property you've fallen in love with is perfect.  You may NEED to hear, however, that there are significant issues to consider before launching ahead with an offer.


You may want your Realtor to write up an offer just because you've told them to.  You may NEED for them to tell you that you are under duress and that they want you to sleep on it and consult your family.


You may want your Realtor to factor in all the advise you've garnered from neighbours, friends and relatives about the price your home should sell for.  You may NEED your Realtor to rely instead on their professional comparables!


Don't be sold a two story home.  Forget the flash and go for the substance when picking the next professional you entrust with your greatest financial asset. 

Dear Realtor....its not about you

I was going to use the title "The difference between successful and failed real estate transactions is you not being a dink!"  But, it was too long!


This morning I reached an agreement with an  out of town Realtor who represents clients wishing to purchase an acreage I'm marketing.  We've been working on this for days; its complex, there are 5 stakeholders involved and some  are out of town.  In the beginning we were acres apart (no pun intended...well, sort of intended).  Without a doubt, the reason we were able to come to a win/win for our clients is because both Realtors acted with professional courtesy and timely responses.


Fortunately it is rare; but on occasion you hear or experience some blowhard Realtor completely ruining a perfectly good transaction because of their rude or unprofessional behavior toward another colleague or the colleague's client.  THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOO DUMB!  Dear Realtor, it is not about YOU!  It is not about how YOU feel or what You want or whether you deem your precious ego has been treated without due deference.


Professional Realtors are in the business of winning FOR THEIR CLIENTS.  What does this mean?  Repeating myself from an earlier blog it means all offers are first met with a sincere thank you and a sincere effort to see if a win/win can be achieved.


How could it possibly be in the best interest of home owners or sellers to have their own agent's ego muddying the sale?


Hat's off to the pros!  To the ego maniacs out there, consider a new line of work.  We're in the service industry and you serve no one by putting yourself first.

Professional is as professional does.

From one of the all time mother lodes of one liners, Forrest Gump, came this, "stupid is as stupid does."  No doubt his Mama always told him that!  Hence my word play with this blog's title.  Hence the abc's of what you want in a professional....and what you don't!

Realtors have the great honour of providing professional services, dealing with people's most valued possession, their home.  This is not just a material possession, the value is also in the memories and dreams infused in the very timbers.

So, as you might guess, it drives me batty when I hear of Realtors behaving like amateurs!  You can rate the following real life examples into one of two categories:

1.  True professional and caring behavior (professional is as professional does)
2.  Amateur hour at the goat circus (stupid is as stupid does)

a)  Realtor shows up late for ANY appointment
b)  Realtor shows up early and prepared for ANY appointment
c)  Realtor's vehicle is safe, sound and clean
d)  Realtor's vehicle is dirty, smelly and you wonder if it's road worthy
e)  Realtor gives you information updates on negotiations promptly
f)  Realtor forgets that they were supposed to call you
g)  Realtor is well respected by other Realtors and known to be a person of their word
h)  Realtor doesn't care how they're perceived by colleagues
i)  Realtor is more concerned about the right move for their client than their commission
j)  Realtor is just looking to "close the deal"
k)  Realtor advises client honestly about long range pluses or minuses of property
l)  Realtor speaks only of positives and sugarcoats any pitfalls
m) Realtor handles referrals received as the gold they are! Communicates regularly on progress
n)  Realtor takes referral for granted and is sloppy with communication
o)  Realtor considers carefully how to best aid and thank their clients in future
p)  Realtor figures once the "deal is done" that they have finished
q)  Realtor neglects to get necessary signatures or initials to create a binding contract
r)  Realtor goes at whatever time is necessary to get signatures to ensure a binding contract
s)  Realtor keeps great resource list for clients of other professionals they can call
t)  Realtor figures its up to the client to come up with their own inspector, legal or building leads
u)  Realtor has list of good ways to improve value for sale
v)  Realtor just decreases asking price rather than get involved with tips for better presentation
w)  Realtor is courageous enough to ask tough questions
x)  Realtor is timid and glosses over any tough discussions
y)  Realtor will meet you anywhere, anytime
z)  Realtor will meet you in a professional office and set a mutually agreeable time schedule

So....the ABC's of options!  Make sure you hire a professional and expect professional results!