There is a perception of many REALTORS as middle aged women or men with too much/not enough hair, too much make up, too much perfume, too much gaudy jewelry, too big of a car....everything in excess and then on top of all of that - they are PUSHY, PUSHY, PUSHY!
Don't talk to the REALTOR...if you give them a phone number, they will call you every day and hound you about buying or selling a house.
Don't talk to the REALTOR...if you give them your email address, they will send you more spam than those male enhancement companies about buying or selling a house.
Don't talk to the REALTOR...they are desperate now that the market has changed and will tell you anything to get you to buy or sell a house.
You get the picture...
I, for one, am tired of the old REALTOR cliches, as true as they may be for some in the industry.
I'm looking forward to the day when I can hear:
Talk to my REALTOR...she communicates with me in the way that I want and keeps me up to date with useful information about the market in my area
Talk to my REALTOR...he sends me the newest listings and lets me decide what I like
Talk to my REALTOR...she knows what's going on in today's market and the neighborhoods
Talk to my REALTOR...he has contacts for everything - mortgages, inspectors, title companies
Talk to my REALTOR...she made buying/selling easy and fun
Am I dreaming too big?
Absolutely not you aren't dreaming too big. I wanna hear those things too!! I heard something recently that I implemented when people hesitate to give their info out:
I am way too busy to call you & harass you but I am not too busy to provide you top notch, professional service.
Seriously, I don't know where people get the idea we are going to drive them insane trying to contact them unsolicited. KM
Lisa, NO you are not dreaming too bit; I have thought the same thing also!! When my email leads come in it is so funny half of them are so scared I might call them. Sometimes they will put their phone number in then type email only; what's with that?? Often it takes months before they give me their phone number but that's okay, by the time they do we have usually developed a relationship.
No dream is too big! And I want to hear nice things too :~)
I would love to hear that. It would be lovely... :-)
Lisa, if the industry continues evolving towards transparency that is more what we will see because the public is rejecting the old cliche of the pushy sales person. They are too educated and savvy to fall for that. Gen X and Gen Y won't put up wih it.
Well, I am OVER middle age! But I don't wear perfume, jewelry and I drive a coupe - I am NEW WAVE! lol! oh we can call it REALTOR 2.0! lol!
Nobody likes a pushy salesperson...and unfortunately that is the image that the public has of real estate agents. But you, no way, you're one of the good ones!
I attended an open house today, Lisa, to support a REALTOR who lives on our street. One couple came by, and exemplefied the first part of your blog.
It's been too long since I've visited your blog. See you again soon.
Mike in Tucson
Kristin, what a wonderful way to help put people at ease. I KNOW where they got those ideas - it was from the agents who do those things!!!
Marchel, I want our industry to be viewed as a professional one, not the career choice of bored housewives and out of work car salesmen.
Terri, :)
C, wouldn't it? So, how do we make that happen?
Sharon, I sincerely hope you are right. I know some agents that just ooze "pushy" right out of every pore - no wonder consumers don't trust that we will safeguard them.
Jo, LOL! Where do I get my badge?
Kelly, thank you - I believe that most of us here have a different outlook on how we treat our customers. How do we get the rest of the agents on board?
Mike, that happens every day. Too many times agents are seen as just plain old desperate to sell a house. How could the consumer NOT be turned off?
Lisa - No REALTOR could possibly send more spam than those male enhancement companies. We're too lazy to type that much.
Oh Lisa, I wish this had been featured. (Flagging it now...)
We are the local experts and we don't bite (unless nicely asked to do so :-)
You are not dreaming in the least & I totally agree with you. This is what we are, or at least most of us. The old cliches have mostly fallen by the wayside. They are dated and serve no purpose whatsoever, but like so many things, people hold on to them. The old attitudes of Realtors need to change, but unfortunately that will take a lot of time. But we can do it, one client/customer at a time.
Hi Lisa, The media does not help. In movies the way Realtors are portrayed is just appalling. I don't think you are dreaming. Our generation should change the way we are viewed by others.
Erik, LOL! Now that's funny - thanks for making me laugh on a Monday :)
Kris, thank you!
Marc, that's gonna take a while! :) You are correct, of course - if we each provide the service and support that our clients are looking for, word of mouth will eventually change public perception. Unfortunately, until that happens we will all continue to be painted with the same brush.
Mana, I hope that we can, but it's a long road to overcome the old stereotypes.
Hi Lisa,
I understand what you mean! I get that vibe from people calling in on phone duty. Even about a rental property when the ONLY way to help them is to get informtion frm them. It is quite disturbing but I just try to over look it and prove them wrong.
Tiff
Dreaming too big? Not a chance. I would be willing to bet a pretty penny your clients already say the things you're hoping to hear. Now, for the rest of the world... we'll have to work on them one at a time. :)
Definitely not too big a dream!!! In fact, I think most of us have the same dream. The list is exactly what I want my buyers and sellers to say about me and the service I provide.
Tiffany, most people are suspicious to a degree. Add to that the reputation of most agents, and it's not surprising that they hold their cards close to their chest. After all, we generally start conversations by asking them some very personal questions without finding out anything about THEM first.
Jesse, awww :)
Judi - I bet your clients DO say those things about you. The challenge is to make those things the industry standard.
Great post, hope eveyone sees the light someday!
I dont see it this way, I here the opposite all the time. You are judged by your conduct .
Good post and youre not dreaming. Realtors in many parts of the country are more educated than ever.
( but its true many of us are balding etc etc ) some things wont change !!
Laura, me too :)
Carl, yes, we are each judged individually by our conduct. But the fact remains that consumers are suspicious of us as an industry and because of that many won't open up enough to us to allow us to help them. It's a problem caused by agents who have done the very things that buyers/sellers are afraid they will do.
We can only hope! This is the way us active rainers and other good realtors want to be perceived, but unfortunately there are others who are ruining our reputation for us. Lisa, helping people is what it is all about! I love the saying that Kristin the first commentator used.. I may use something like this on my correspondence with new leads!
I am way too busy to call you & harass you but I am not too busy to provide you top notch, professional service.
Judy, isn't Kristin smart? I love that too and I'm trying to figure out how I can "borrow" it :)