My pal Linda Davis and I banter back and forth about politics. We are rarely of the same political philosophy but good friendships survive that! Linda says I am Carole The Realtor® This tag has been blogged about on Active Rain (social network for the real estate profession) over the last few weeks but I have my own take due to public perception about agents. And it still ain’t pretty. Our company, Howard Hanna, bought Realty One/Real Living over the past few days. Shaheen Samovati from the Plain Dealer has been on top of it, she’s a sharp cookie and a good writer. She did a story about it here. The PD columns get a lot of strange commentary, but since this time it was about real estate, it hit home. You can go read all the comments but here is an excerpt from one:
“For the most part, Realtors are the laziest and least ethical people out there, doing everything to make a commission for themselves without regard for the homeowner. Do yourself a favor, don’t list with a realtor. Whatever you think your home is worth, lower it by 10% - 15% and sell it without the hassles.”
Brokers and agents like Linda Davis have written about what we really do as have a lot of you. But still, stereotypes persist. Carole The Realtor® doesn’t feel like a stereotype to me. Why?
1. Greed and only working for the commission is not part of my equation. Yes I need to make a living just like Sally the Secretary and Diana The Grocery Manager. But there is no greed in wanting to pay my bills and keep up my house.
2. Unlike Joe the Plumber I could not buy a business this year for $250k nor would anyone give me a loan to do it. And this with having a steady stream of business for quite some time now.
3. I don’t snark at other brokers or agents from other brokerages. I don’t try to steal their clients either.
4. I don’t only show my own listings and I don’t only market listings to agents in my company.
5. I DO network with other agents and have great relationships with people in other brokerages.
6. I have never tried to cut another agent out of a deal, held back offers from clients so one of my clients could buy the house instead or any other strange behavior of the same ilk. And frankly in six years in this business I have only ever seen maybe two or three agents who are like this.
There are bad peaches in every bunch (and don’t ya hate when that happens) but this is true whether or not you are dealing with real estate, telephone companies, grocers, or any other business!
What is my career really about and what do I do all day? I learn! Agents are like investigative reporters. What do I investigate and learn?
1. The history of neighborhoods, how each one came to be. Maybe a factory is close by and therefore housing for the workers sprung up like flowers in a garden back in the day. Maybe there was an active religious institution; a school; maybe it’s on the transit line. Who chose to live where and why, back in the day, is fascinating to me. I wind up at the library a lot because of some tidbit of info I’ve found out in the different ‘hoods.
2. I ferret out what’s vibrant in each of our neighborhoods. Is there a long time hardware store or bakery? The Brothers Lounge was dormant in one of our neighborhoods for a few years. Now Cudell Edgewater residents (and people from all over the city) are ecstatic that it re-opened.
3. Real estate nuances. Why is one street more sought after than the one right next to it? Why would a house sell more near a transit station and one on the other side of the community not?
4. Government regulations and how they play out in house sales and house market values. Do you have to have a city point of sale inspection if you sell your house? Are you going to be a landlord? Do you know you need an inspection? Did you know the city will come out and do a weatherization checklist for you to help you save on fuel costs? There is a lot to learn that is helpful to buyers of homes.
5. Through many people/clients I have learned how to refinish floors with boat paint, where the best (insert culture) restaurants are that people of that culture frequent. Where there is a leather tailor to fix my briefcases or purses or coats. Where are their neighborhood block clubs and where are the dog parks?
6. What communities have point of sale inspections and which ones don’t. Which communities have land banks of vacant land and how they can be purchased and who to contact.
7. Sometimes I even find out what companies are hiring in a community, which ones aren’t. What cool new business has moved into a neighborhood. (We have one person who makes ‘thingies’ for guitars and has a patented way to keep strings from needing to be tuned as much. Keith Richards, among others, buys this stuff from him). Where are the best independent coffee shops? All of these things make for a vibrant neighborhood. I get to learn where they are in each community. And then I get to pass this information on to folks looking to buy a home.
8. Something different every day. This is not an exaggeration. Every single day. If you get right down to it, almost every job allows us to learn something every week, challenge ourselves. But in real estate I get to do it every single day. Being somewhat geeky that makes me feel even better about getting up and going to work every day. Probably helps keep me young too!
Agents are like matchmakers. I keep thinking about that. We help match up clients to homes. I always have ideas running around in my brain and one of them is to set up monthly meet ups for agents of every brokerage so we can talk with each other and find out who has clients that might be good for our listings and vice versa. God knows we all work hard and taking time off is difficult so why not match up a social event with some good work networking? This may sound like a digression (lol) but it’s not. Because being an agent allows me to think up creative ideas. They may or may not work, but throwing the ideas out there for sure can’t hurt. We all do this, and isn’t that another wonderful side benefit to our careers?
This week, I look forward to welcoming, one on one, agents from Real Living who will be working under the same umbrella brokerage as I am, and celebrating the fact that I can count on thinking about or learning something new every day. And hopefully matching up a few people to homes. There really is no stereotype to our career is there? Peace Out - 3C
Segnala presso:
28 responses so far ↓
1 chris schlenkerman // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Carole,
you have reminded me of a part of the business that is sometimes forgotten becasue we do it so often that it becomes second nature - that is tolearn from every instance possible.
we do absorb info from every encounter and transaction that allows us to become better each day.
and i know there are people who appreciate what we do when they LISTEN AND ALLOW us to guide them or make suggestions to enhance and achieve their goals.
thank you and remember - bad seeds never sprout and no one picks up a rotten peach.
2 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:27 pm
hi Chris! what a good phrase! ‘bad seeds never sprout and no one picks up a rotten peach!’ you are so right.
3 chris schlenkerman // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:30 pm
it’s a newly realized gift - cliche writing. if this one has not been coined i’d like to take credit and ask that everyone begin using it. I’ve already ordered T-shirts and coffee mugs.
4 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:31 pm
And a picture of a peach of course too. Awesome let me know when I can buy one!
5 chris schlenkerman // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:35 pm
well, i hope this will work.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/5666716/2/istockphoto_5666716_rotten_peach.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/object/5666716_rotten_peach.php%3Fid%3D5666716&h=254&w=380&sz=37&hl=en&start=7&usg=__5SNyUU8OSWsSUpxN0NKd5qC22Uc=&tbnid=eARpCzWqbLRJAM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drotten%2Bpeach%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
6 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:38 pm
It worked ! Perfect ! And it took away my appetite as well; win-win! LOL
7 Linda Davis // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:47 pm
We are on the opposite ends of the political spectrum but I still love ya Carole!
8 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:48 pm
And I you, Linda, and you are one fine real estate professional!
9 Mark Lastition // Nov 2, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Good comments, Carole & you too “Cliche Chris”! I must say that the comments on Cleveland.com about the HH/R1 merger had me shaking my head. Stereotyping an entire profession is about as ethical as steretyping an entire race… I guess I’m blessed to be surrounded by Realtors who embrace the professionalism of their careers and friends, clients & customers who respect what we do, how hard we work & most importantly - how much we care! (Wow - can you say “run-on sentence”?)
10 chris schlenkerman // Nov 2, 2008 at 8:25 pm
a run on sentence is just a string of fabulous thoughts that do not want to end…
is that considered a cliche? sounds more philosophical - ANOTHER GIFT i’ve discovered about myself! i love learning more about myself.
11 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Mark, not run-on (though don’t listen to me without editing I can be the queen of run-on), but creativity flowing so fast you have to get it out all at once!
Chris, of course, said it better
12 Elaine Reese // Nov 2, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Well, being one of those “lazy” agents, I haven’t taken more than a few hours off for the 10 years I’ve been in business, except for Thanksgiving & Christmas.
Could it be that that commenter’s personality causes the “good” agents to not want to work with him so he’s left with only the rotten apples? Someone needs to explain to him how we get paid!
Oh, BTW, I like you even if you’re going to vote for the wrong guy on Tues.
Elaine Reeses last blog post..Spacious home for sale in Brookfield Village, Hilliard
13 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:01 pm
LOL Elaine and ditto me you! In reality the commenters are pretty cruel on newspaper posts no matter what the topic - and btw you most definitely deserve a vacation!
14 Mark Lastition // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Chris - I’m biting my tongue as I type this! ….so many good lines - LOL!
I did forget to say two things:
1. WELCOME to the Hanna Family, Realty One Agents - I’m so excited to see you all on Monday!
2. Look for me on Fox News Ch. 8 tonight at 10pm. I had special guests at my open house today!
15 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:22 pm
I must love you Mark because I will be watching FOX of all things and not brothers and sisters! lol
16 chris schlenkerman // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:26 pm
a bitten tongue cannot speak.
a mouth with a bitten tongue is not a mouth.
a face without a mouth is not a face.
don’t bite your tongue to spite your face.
17 Mark Lastition // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Carole - Love you too - watching MSNBC till I have to change the channel - Rachel Maddow ROCKS!
Chris - you ROCK! ( in your own special, unique, troubling way…..)
18 Mark Lastition // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:37 pm
By the way - THREE CHEERS for every Realtor hanging in there & continuing to do the good work FULL TIME! Better times are on the way!
19 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Mark, sometimes I have to pinch myself being able to work with fun and yet professional people like you and Chris.
20 Moni // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Don’t you just hate all that anti REALTOR crap? As if we’re all same. There are so many good REALTORS out there …like you and many others that I know. Too bad that bad news always travels the furthest …and no one ever hears (or cares) about the good we do.
Monis last blog post..September NH Market Report…
21 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Moni I think sometimes people forget that we are people too lol. You are a trainer and a fantastic REALTOR and yes it’s the old adage that people tell other people bad news before they will tell the good. I truly think most people don’t know what we do and I’m going to try to do my best to do more explainin’ ya know?
22 Carole Cohen // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I was dying to post this on Active Rain but will wait till tomorrow now. Apparently a t/storm took the site down all day.
23 chris schlenkerman // Nov 2, 2008 at 10:35 pm
nice work with the FOX 8 spot, Mark!
HH - a growing CAVALCADE of agents.
did they try to get any inside scoop from you?
24 chris schlenkerman // Nov 2, 2008 at 10:39 pm
PS - thanks for thinking me special
25 Colleen Kulikowski // Nov 3, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Carol –
Great post! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts… When I was on Marco Island the Board had a weekly meeting and property tour. All the agents from the various companies had an opportunity to share. It was wonderful and I miss it here…
Colleen Kulikowskis last blog post..Wheatfield New Construction has nothing on this home!
26 Carole Cohen // Nov 3, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Hi Colleen, since you have the Marco Island experience I will probably want to pick your brain at some point!
Carole Cohens last blog post..Bellaire Puritas Summit Last Week Shows Commitment and Good Activity In My ‘Hood
27 Christine // Nov 3, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Hi Carole - this was a great post.
I think there is a contingent of people out there who thinks that every type of professional is out to give them bad service and is just in it for the money (whatever “it” may be). It’s like we expect people who we are paying to perform services for us to be lazy, sleazy, and not have any kind of regard for professionalism or craftsmanship. I don’t know if it’s an American thing or what, but it seems to run the gamut of professions (except maybe the computer-related ones which still have a kind of mystique)– I’ve felt it as a librarian, even my mother-in-law has felt it as a physician. It seems like more and more people think they can do everything themselves, and if they can do it for themselves for free, they must be able to do it better than you.
Did you get the lazy/unethical comment from cleveland.com? Because cleveland.com is an absolute cesspool of ignorance and negativity, spewed by a small coterie of psychic vampires. Whenever I start to feel rotten about Cleveland, I just go there to reaffirm what I’m thinking. I call it “picking at the scab.” It’s a bad habit!
Christines last blog post..I survived early voting….
28 Carole Cohen // Nov 3, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Hi Christine! Yes, that was from Shaheen Samovati’s articele which appeared in print but the comment was excerpted from Cleveland.com. You of course are right, it doesn’t matter the topic, the comments seem to spew with venom and so I don’t know why I let that one get to me just a bit lol.
Your points are well taken, about how people can do things themselves. And as far as real estate is concerned, some really can. (Most wouldn’t have the time to devote).
Carole Cohens last blog post..Bellaire Puritas Summit Last Week Shows Commitment and Good Activity In My ‘Hood
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