It's not me, it's you
I talk a lot about the difference between a skilled practitioner in real estate and a hack. If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know I have no time for bozos. Yet, consumers keeps hiring clowns. Yesterday I wondered, at what point does the consumer have to take responsibility for their own experience?
I have often gone to a home to talk to someone about selling their home. They tell me how terrible their last experience was, and the one before that and the one before that. That sounds awful I think to myself. As the conversation progresses the client wants me to list their house for a deeply discounted commission, doesn’t want to make any of my suggested repairs, doesn’t want to stage and wants all the bells and whistles than come with full service pricing. They don’t end up going with me. They end up with an agent who will discount their commission because they are green or real estate is something they just “dabble” in when they’re not at their “real” job or they don’t know what they’re doing and have questionable ethics. Next thing you know, the home sells for way less than the seller thought it was worth and they’ve gone on to talk about what a bad experience they had. At what point does the consumer have take responsibility for their experience?
I don’t want to pay $5 for a cup of Peet’s coffee so I go to the truck stop across the street and get something that’s been sitting on the burner for three hours. I only pay $1.25. Can I complain about the coffee? I had an opportunity to get a quality product, I was just too damned cheap. At that point aren’t I responsible for my own experience?
I don’t understand why someone would want to sell the largest asset they own, on the cheap. I want the best marketing, best pricing, most aggressive, most experienced hand I can find to guide me through that process.
For instances, God forbid that you should need surgery to save your life. Do you get the guy who is fresh out of the med school on a Latin American island because he’s cheap? Or do you choose someone who has done that surgery numerous times and knows what to do if something goes wrong? Don’t you want someone with experience who has been there before? Or the guy is filling in this afternoon because he needs to pick up some hours?
Granted real estate is not brain surgery, or rocket science, but it is an art. Choose your practitioner wisely. Here’s some questions you can ask:
- How long have you been selling real estate?
- How many transactions have you closed in the last two years?
- Are you a full time agent?
- Are you part of a team?
- If you go out of town who will take care of me?
- How often will I hear from you?
- Are you planning any long vacations?
- How many other clients are you working with?
- How many homes have you sold in my area?
- What is your marketng plan for my home.
- Will you hire a professional photographer to market my home?
A lot of other sites recommend you ask for references. I am amused that no one ever does, perhaps in this day and age of online reviews that’s not a necessary question any more. I always bring copies of a few reviews from clients who I know don’t mind being a reference to my listing appointments.
There is a difference between agents. Sometimes that difference is huge. If you are in the Bay Area I would be pleased to show you how different I really am. If you’re reading this in another part of the country, that’s okay, I know professionals throughout the country who can and will take great care of you. Give me a shout and find out for yourself what the difference really is.