Inspired Real Estate For Today

I do not agree professionalism is decreasing.  By the very nature of the complexity of real estate in our region, the professionals are the people who are surviving this market.  So many people think of realtors as not to be trusted. We do not want to nuture this conception further. There are just a few bad apples in any bunch

I agree with Mary. There are just a few bad apples in the bunch. But this is a great remainder to all of us that we should always provide exceptional customer service to all of our clients because we are professionals. Thanks for sharing. 2010 is going to be our best year ever-CLAIM IT.

Mary...thanks for stopping by to share your opinion.  So how do you think we can address this portion of your comment...'So many people think of Realtors as not to be trusted'?

Lanre, appreciate you stopping by!  The issue is not about the bad or good apples...it's about the fact that in an age of increased customer scrutiny, a bad apple contaminates the whole bunch and must be addressed...somehow.

Lola - this is a terrific list and I applaud your board for taking this one. What a great list to hand to buyes and sellers as part of your buyer counseling or in your pre-listing package.  Guess I would like to see a pledge to answer the phone and or respond to voice mail/email with ___ hours.

Jeff

I have mixed emotions about this list. I think it's a good one, but I think more than putting these things in writing, I need to gain my client's trust by my actions.

That is a great list, I copied and saved the PDF file to re read. Good information

Good list. Food for thought to ponder on.  Thanks,

Sarah in Nashville
www.HouseInNashville.com

Feel Good BS - in my opinion. So, what are they going to do different if you are in violation? Why is a Local Board over stepping the duties and responsibilities of the BROKER? How are they controlling and enforcing the pledge with the BROKER MEMBERS? My bet is they are doing squat to clean up the real issues and instead pass out this tree killer of a paper waste so they can say they are doing something about agent professionalism. But, thanks for asking.

This is a great list, but it seems most of the items are simply common sense -- of course an agent would do each of these things. And yet, I know that many don't. I've said it before -- I am simply amazed at some of the agents who are successful in this business despite the lack of professionalism and respect they show. I agree with Sandy W. in that we each have to earn our buyer's and seller's trust and respect. I think that goes beyond our job though -- isn't that how it is (or should be) in life?

I think social media introduces a new aspect. When you get extra service it is broadcasted everywhere and ditto when you do not receive it.

no matter the deal big or smaill if i cant deliver superior service i sould not attempt to serve the client

Perception is reality and we sure do get a bum rap. Sadly there are a bit more than a few bad apples but no matter how many there we all get painted by the same paintbrush.

I like the pledge idea but wonder if it will matter to those bad apples?

Thanks for the great article. I now wonder what all the real implications are since you raised the issue. The pledge will not materially change anything. those who do a good job will continue to perform and those that don't, well, they will still not live up to their potential.

I like the premise of your post.  However, I agree with most of comments by people who know what they are doing.  You either get it or you don't.  If you don't, you can do a lot of harm to the general public and those are likely the people who won't sign a "pledge" because they feel it's "beneath them".  They are the high flyers who fall to earth in a blaze so quickly. 

Those of us who do our jobs without want of glory, who want to assist buyers and sellers and who work out tails off to get the referrrals don't need or want hype. 

Jeff, Thanks for stopping by to read not only the post but our Pledge.  This was not an easy task.  A dedicated group of individuals put in many hours of work.  But your comment raises another issue...at what point is detail counter-productive?  For instance, would it be helpful to know that a call to your doctor would be answered within ___hours?  Would you expect this?  Why or Why not?

I actually think that customer service has gotten better lately because of the recession. Businesses are getting back to the basics, for now!

Sandy...thanks for your comment.  I've got a question for you though...isn't the real estate transaction ALL about putting things into writing?  We use pages of writing to create a listing or a purchase agreement as well as defining the fiduciary relationship. 

Nick...feel free to stop by with your thoughts or ideas upon further reflection.  Thanks for stopping by to comment this evening.

Gregory...your opinion is certainly relevant to this discussion.  To answer your question regarding the issue of Broker Responsibility (which is an extremely important point) EACH Broker must sign a commitment PRIOR to their agents being allowed to sign the pledge.  The intent was not to usurp Broker Responsibility.  With regard to the second question on Enforcement... admittedly, that's a little trickier.  The pledge is Aspirational.  Enforcement is the Broker's responsibility.  The Board is also taking steps to beef up it's new Broker training...because as you correctly indicate, if the Broker/leader is not taking charge in this area...well, the results will be less than hoped for.

Peggy, Not only is Sandy's point about trust very true, I think your observation about common sense with regards to the Pledge is as well.  But, one thing I've learned over the years is that common sense is NOT common, otherwise, there would be a lot more of it on display IMHO.

Cheryl...social media is changing everything, whether we like it or not.  The challenge for most industries is figuring out how to interact with a medium which doesn't operate within traditional boundaries and has created it's own river of conversation.  My thoughts are drawn to the recent saga of the Toyota company sudden acceleration issue. (note who is on the front page of the google search)  Instructive lessons for all of us...

Tony...some would ask this question...What defines 'superior service'?  Or perhaps I should ask Whom?

Monika...I have to agree that there are more than just the proverbial 'few' bad apples.  Not all of this is the agents' fault.  Many Brokers have cut down on training budgets or don't have the resources to invest in any agent training at all.  Will the pledge matter to these bad apples?  Well, that remains to be seen.  The other issue is if the bad apples sign the Pledge and don't keep it, how will it affect the good apples?  

Guy...are you asking about the Law of Unintended Consequences?  

Might be nice just to give the pledge to your client/customer right up front.  They can take it home and read it,   then can see what we normally do as part of our business.  The good apples will alwaus outshine the wormy ones.

I always wonder about when a service is free and or comlimentry. Different experienced whether good or bad had cause the average consumer to have there guard up. Being proactive is differently a good thing.

Lola, professionalism has definitely taken a dive in the real estate industry. It's too easy to get a license, and small companies neither train nor monitor their sales force.

We do have a minimum level of service that some agents perceive to be the standard. We all can improve in some areas and to keep trying to improve is what will make you successful. Thanks for the reminder.

 I LOVE that more people are becoming pro-active! And I think that car wash is onto something too! I'd much rather discover potential problems, and deal with them up front, than have them sneak up on my later and make me look less than professional! It's better for everyone when we're pro-active =D

Sounds like a CYA spin.  "We're going to check this out for you," and they'll note anything.  They do that at my carwash.  Walk around the car and note the little dents.  It's not them that did it. 

Carla, I was going to make the same observation. My car wash started doing this a couple of years ago and I'm sure it was to help avoid liability if the car had some prior damage...the owner could not then claim the car wash did it.

Lola, though the pledge is rather lengthy, and of course represents what we would all like to think a good agent doesn just naturally, I think it's a good idea to get it in writing and sign it anyway. It's a good reminder for agents, and a good list of expectations for clients. Thanks for sharing  this.

First I jumped over to the link for My 3 cents and was appalled at all of the complaints by consumers.  Clicking on each submission and reading the full post was an eye opener.  There are some angry consumers out there.  What a darned shame.

Then I read the pledge that your board put together and loved it.  I also thought "what a shame" about that document also, because each and every item is something we should be doing without a document in front of us to spell it out.

That being said, I would be proud to present that document to each and every client in hopes that they understand that they've made a good choice in selecting me to represent them, before I've had a chance to prove it to them.

Lola, being pro-active is always a good thing. Whether it is for CYA or whether it is to reassure a potential client that we will have their best interest in mind.   If the end result is peace of mind to a client then that's a good thing and can only enhance our image to them, one professional at a time.

I agree that consumers have lost faith in our industry as a whole.  We need to work very hard "together" to restore this faith in the real estate and mortgage industry as a whole....

Lola, Great post. The pledge should be given to every new agent when they join real estate .

Couple of points:

a) I would have chosen the word ENSURE (to make sure, certain, or safe : guarantee) over INSURE.

b) the promises section for working with buyers sounnds mre focused on seller needs than buyer needs.

but... this is a valient effort and I congratulate your board for working to educate agents about what really are basic expectations for conducting business.

I think professionalism and courtesy got a little lost in the shuffle over the years.  I'm glad to see it is coming back - in all professions.

Very informative post and discussion. I have a background in the customer service field so I understand the need to be proactive in your approach to customer needs. I agree in that sense; however, I wonder if creating more and more written documents advance the objective. The good agents probably are already meeting or exceeding their customers expections and the bad ones don't care.

Lola, did you have a sub-committee write that and the Board of Realtors pass it?

I like the document a lot, very easy to understand.

Those who manage the customer experience well have repeat buyers and sellers, those who don't, the deal ends with the one house.

Lola, for me being proactive I define as having the courage to take action versus reacting out of fear or anxiety. I will also send the integrity pledge to our Board CEO and thanks for that.

Once in a while, I realize I brought up a potential problem that should have remained 'un-mentioned', because it grew in the seller's mind until it was much bigger than it needed to be. Good reminder to watch out for that!

Thanks for including all the links in your post.  Managing customer expectations is a big part of our job.  More & more I find myself managing their NEGATIVE expectations rather than the pie in sky dreams.  With so many bad experiences had by friends & family, clients are often overly worried about things that they shouldn't be.  Reassuring clients & calming those fears is job one.

I overcome a lot of their misgivings by keeping them informed, but there is a line to walk.  I don't want to overly alarm someone of a "potential" problem.  If I cannot negotiate a fix quickly, then of course, I involve the client.  I wish more agents would do this instead of getting there clients up in arms about things that haven't even happened yet.

That car wash is pretty smart.  They screen for liabiltiy issues and are probably making some referal money on these repairs too.

Sometimes the common sense items need repeating in this forget-quickly culture and move on to the next thing...Thanks for your though-ridden post...Cherise

Thanks for sharing this pledge which I think is a great idea.

Lola,

How sad that integrity has to be pledged! I'm just old enough to remember when integrity was assumed!

Good Post!

Bill

It's a valiant effort to deal with the fact that there is an increasingly unbecoming lack of professionalism in our industry. I've signed the pledge. I want to raise the bar.

Lola--congrats on wanting to raise that bar. In my opinion--and I know it sounds jaded-- the bar is way too low.

More education.

More continuing education

More barriers to entry

More reprimands if you FAIL to meet the standards... that is the answer.

In my area, I tell you that most agents are NOT professional. You cannot get a return all, you fight to get into see listings, and when you write an offer, you may or may not get a professional on the other end to present the offer. It's a crapshoot at this point.

Lola I think the pledge is a noble effort to remind agents of their responsibility and deligence in service clients.  While one would think that the items contained in the pledge were common sense, not everyone is in possession of the much lauded "common sense."  Even if it just serves as a reminder to provide the best possible service, it is a reminder worth recounting time and time again.  We all need a refresher every now and then to bring us back to reality.

Well, one thing for sure Lola, Real Estate Agents do have opinions, don't we?  Look at us express ourselves!  I think the attendant should not have said anything, and the pre-inspector would only mention something if he saw something wrong.

Evening Lola,  I'm not sure their is a decline in the level of service provided to clients but I am confident that when service levels exceed the expectations of the customer our industry benefits.

Bill, I'd agree with you!  One of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given in business is:  under-promise and over-deliver.

Evelyn, yep, I guess we're all entitled to our opinion.  But in today's world, the customer's opinion is magnified by the tools of technology.  We ignore this at our peril...

Charita...'common sense is not common' and knowledge does not guarantee adherence.  Thanks for your comment.

Erica...there are far too many people who experience what you just described as their reality. (as members of the public we serve and fellow agents)  And it's not just your area.  Pretending that we don't have a problem doesn't make it go away.  We have to start somewhere.  I do hope this Pledge serves as a reminder that even basic small things can make a difference to someone who is paying you to perform a service. Sometimes, the smallest details matter the most.  Thanks for stopping by.

Bill... Sign of the times...

Tina, Thanks for your comment.

Cherise...appreciate your stopping by.

Gene...with reference to the car wash business, the referral aspect did occur to me.  I wonder if they refer business to another company when they see a defect?

Jenna...it is a delicate situation at times.  There are situations in which a lack of skillful communication can create problems which don't exist.  Wisdom is knowing what to say, how to say it and WHEN.

Joetta...most of us have had that experience at least once.  But on the other hand, one aspect of being a professional is to bring things to your clients' attention that they may not have considered, but should have.

Joe, thanks for your thoughts on the Pledge.  I'd agree with your observation about pro-activity and fear. Far too much of what we do or do NOT do when it comes to this area is governed by fear

Missy, we assigned a taskforce to the project.  It also included a Director liaison and a very capable member of our Executive staff.  They took on a huge task.  I think that raising the bar in our industry is mandatory and long over-due.  While some may disagree on the method, I think we can all agree on the fact that continuing to do nothing will not make things better.  Are you doing any work on this issue in Ann Arbor?

Bernadine...thanks for your comment.  With a background in customer service, were there some things that you learned in that business which you use to raise the bar in your current career?

Marc...I'd have to say that I think it's a mixed bag right now.

Joe, thanks for your thoughts on the Pledge.  I'd agree with your observation about pro-activity and fear. Far too much of what we do or do NOT do when it comes to this area is governed by fear

Missy, we assigned a taskforce to the project.  It also included a Director liaison and a very capable member of our Executive staff.  They took on a huge task.  I think that raising the bar in our industry is mandatory and long over-due.  While some may disagree on the method, I think we can all agree on the fact that continuing to do nothing will not make things better.  Are you doing any work on this issue in Ann Arbor?

Bernadine...thanks for your comment.  With a background in customer service, were there some things that you learned in that business which you use to raise the bar in your current career?

Marc...I'd have to say that I think it's a mixed bag right now.

Jeanne...thanks for sharing your observations.

Gita...I'd say New & Old. :)

Barbara...it's about our ACTIONS as well.  Words alone won't do much if they're not backed up by action. That is how faith is restored.  Thanks for your comment.

Kris, I really appreciate your insights and the fact that you took the time to read through the links.  Almost 3 1/2 years ago, I began to monitor what was being said online about the real estate profession.  This was the first time I had observed a site like this one ranking so high on a google search and with so much consumer participation.  What used to be a private gripe is now being broadcast to the whole world. This genie is NOT going back in the bottle. 

Carla & Sonsie...Much of what we do in business today (including real estate) is defensive.  Some of that may be a result of a lack of clarity about what we are going to do to provide value and service.  There's also a risk that by being so up front, you will run into people who are simply trying to take advantage or claim fault. 

Lisa...you've got a point!  Although, sometimes the Law of Unintended Consequence can arise out of even our best intentions.  

Terry, isn't that the truth!  We never reach the place where there is not room for improvement.  It's an on-going challenge and professional responsibility.

Sharon,  Training is a Broker responsibility.  Although large brokers have more personnel, they also have more expense and may not be able to afford a lot of the budget to this area.  On the other hand, there are some small brokers who provide a great apprenticeship for new agents.  I don't think one can generalize...

Marti...Thanks for the Feature!  Appreciate you. :)

Niema...Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.

Ross...that's one way to manage expectations.

Suzanne...I respect the fact that there are different opinions about how best to address the issue of raising the bar.  This process is not without risk...however, neither is life.  I hope that members who sign it take it seriously and understand that we can further undermine our profession by viewing the pledge as simply another piece of paper to add to the pile...

Tigard...perhaps, this is true in some areas, but there seems to be a lot of evidence that many customers are not necessarily feeling this way.

I believe that the more you can et out of the way ahead of time, the better the rest  of the experience will go.

Lola--Great message and very timely.  Yes, every market has a few bad apples, but hopefully the rest make up for their sins. missteps.  Congrats on earning a gold star!!!

Lola~ Your so nice! You can sure see the new think and old think diverge in these comments. Can the association do things that brokers have failed to do and do it better and more consistent?  Seems like a better approach than more of the same. Should we attempt to minimize the damage that has and is being done? Absolutely!

Lola (or should I say a mix between Michelle Obama and Harris Faulkner), great post and phenomenal insight!  I do believe we have a bad reputation in many consumers minds, much like liars, I mean lawyers, and used car salesmen.  However, I've had both good and bad experiences with all 3, as well as many other professions.  I think that anything that we do to help raise the service bar should be seen as a good thing.  Congrats to your board!

Jean-Paul...I think you're referring to managing expectations.  I'm with you on that!  When people understand what they are getting, they are more likely to make an educated decision that they are comfortable with.

Mary, thanks for stopping by to read and comment.  Appreciate seeing you in the Fraiche Aire group too.

Greg, That's the fascinating thing about the blogosphere.  You get to interact with a variety of different viewpoints.  As far the the days of 'business as usual'...well, that train left the station awhile ago.  We're playing a game of catch-up IMHO.  We have the opportunity to enter into a new level of conversation with our clients.

Matt...Thanks Matt.  This program has generated a good response from a wide segment of our membership.  

Lola  Having been in the business for 34 years I know the "professional" standards are decreasing with every passing year.  There needs to be more emphasis on new agent training by brokers.  Mediocrity is the result of the lack of training