The Down & Dirty Truth About Realtors

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The other day I was in Starbucks in the morning and I overheard someone talk about their Realtor as if that Realtor was a hero.

They just had (from what I overheard) an amazing experience with their Realtor.

The same day I was talking to a friend of mine in Vancouver.

My friend is a successful entrepreneur and never worked a day as a Realtor.

And while catching up somehow it came up in conversation that when he meets someone at a networking event or in public and they ask what each does for a living, he said that when he hears them say Realtor his response internally is a big loud sigh.

In fact he feared that they can see his disdain on his face.

For the record he is one of the nicest, most caring & giving and empathetic guys I know.

He’s not being mean or disrespectful.

It’s just what he authentically feels.

Now here’s the question nobody has the courage to ask and it’ll be interesting to see who has the courage to answer truthfully.

How many of you feel the same way as my friend?

It’s safe to say that if you have a personal relationship with your Realtor or they’ve put a fortune of money in your bank account then you really like them and don’t feel this way.

On the other hand I think there are a lot of people who do feel the same way as my friend.

So why is that?  

The short answer is likely that you or someone you know has had a bad experience in the past with your Realtor.

The most common complaints I hear from people about other Realtors or Realtors who they’ve worked with in the past are things like:

Once you sign with them:

• they’re not responsive, or they only care about commission, or
• they really didn’t know how to negotiate with the other side so they just told me to drop my price,
• or I never heard from them again because once our deal closed I was just another pay cheque for them and they moved on.

While that might be true of some Realtors in some cases, the bigger problem is a cold hard fact that most people aren’t aware of.

And that is that in any profession, whether you’re hiring a doctor, accountant, lawyer, Realtor, ceramic tile installer, business coach, or otherwise, there are the following:

1. First there are the top 5% to 10%. 

I’m not talking about how much money they make.

They are the most knowledgeable. They continually seek to learn more about their trade or increase & improve their knowledge & understanding.

They continually work hard to hone & improve their skills.

And … those top 5% to 10% also have personal traits that you can’t learn in a textbook or a course.

They either have it or they don’t.

And what I’m talking about is genuine integrity & authenticity.  And of course genuine empathy.

Finally,  those  top 5%-10% are entrepreneurial.  They  understand  they aren’t in the sales business or even the real estate business.

They are in the “people” business.

They aren’t out for bigger profits, bigger earnings, or bigger commissions.

They genuinely care about their client’s experience and the outcome or result they provide.

It sounds cliche but when you do that the money just follows.

2. Then there are the middle 80% – 90%.

This group can get the job done. Then they go home at the end of the day and move on to the next one.

They really don’t give the client a second thought. They don’t care about repeat business or referrals.

They don’t care if you’re happy with them or not.

They did what you hired them to do. You got what you paid for so to speak.

And then you forget about them and they forget about you.

3. And finally the bottom 5% to 10%.

These are the one’s you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.

And here’s the cold hard truth folks.

Every profession has all 3 groups.

Now here’s the other problem our society is challenged with.

People aren’t taught how to hire a service provider or professional.  

I’m not trying to be mean or condescending here.

Think about it. If you need a lawyer or accountant or financial planner or Realtor if someone gave you a name to call tomorrow, and you wanted to meet with them to interview them or “ask them a few questions,” what would you ask them?

That silence you just heard is what I’m talking about.

It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just something we aren’t taught.

They never taught it in school. You never learned from your parents.

Here’s a news flash for you. Even some Human Resource people get it wrong.

Have you ever been to a store or restaurant, or bought something online where you’ve had to call for service, and had the worst service possible? 

Someone who didn’t know what they were talking about or someone who just didn’t care?

Whosever job it was to hire those people (and that’s their JOB) screwed up.

It doesn’t mean that person was a bad person. It means they were hired for the wrong job and they’d be better fitted in a different job.

Alternatively, the companies like Apple, Disney, Amazon, and the other world leaders who get ‘it’ right – meaning hiring not only have the best service or return policies, but the key to their success is hiring the right people.

Those world leading companies understand hiring the right people is the key to success.

That’s why I wrote a book a few years ago called “Choose Your Realtor Carefully”.

And in that book I not only elaborate on the things I just talked about, but I also provide 18 strategic interview questions you can ask any Realtors you might interview. 

I also provide examples of what might be good answers and/or answers that should cause red flags before you hire them.

I remember doing research for that book and I discovered that most people will spend more time researching their next family vacation than they will researching or learning about the professional advice to give them advice on selling their single largest asset.

Doesn’t that boggle your mind?

And so the point of what I’m saying here today is for you to remember this.

There are lots of jokes about Lawyers. And lots of sighs or disdain by people who’ve had previously bad experiences with Realtors.

The key in hiring ANY professional for ANY service you might need is to learn how to find and hire someone in that top 5% to 10%.

Not income .. but rather knowledge, skill, integrity, and someone who genuinely cares about you.

And whether you might need a Realtor in the near future, or even if you need a Contractor, or tile installer, or painter or Lawyer or even a Divorce Coach, if you just want some tips and advice on how to hire the best suited professional and what to ask them or what to look for when talking to them, just give me a call.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m happy to help.

I can give you some great questions to ask and show you what to listen for so that you make the best decision for you and your family.

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