We do it because we love helping people.
It's that simple.
In this week's blog post we focused on tips to help home buyers navigate the real estate transaction. Those tips included useful information for any consumer—whether buyer or seller— to assist them in navigating the early stages of the process. Being a real estate agent isn't always easy, why do we do it? Because we love it.
Now, it’s your turn to share—our friends, fans and Happy Grasshopper family—to take your shot at the topic from another angle. For years I traveled to various conferences including NAR Annual, Inman Connect, and various Real Estate Bar Camps, meeting other agents, sharing tips and ideas—as well as our best practices. The conversations were always so inspiring—I got so many great new ideas from terrific agents around the country.
A Real estate sales career isn’t boring, for sure—even though we might wish it would be once in a while just to catch up on life. We have the honor—and privilege—of helping people make their dreams come true. For most people, this is the largest and most important purchase of their lifetime. Those people choose to place their trust in us—to guide them successfully through the process.
The Real Estate Agents Specialized Skill Set is Misunderstood
Unfortunately, our very specialized skill set is too often underestimated, under-appreciated, and undervalued—especially if you listen to some of the media. How do we fight such large scale public misconception of the true, and actual, value our skills bring to a fair real estate market? How do we differentiate fact from fiction? The horrible lie that so many believe— a real estate salesperson merely seeks signatures on a contract to get paid exorbitant amounts of money (don’t we all wish the money was that way). The real estate industry perseveres, as do we, the REALTORS® who proudly serve it because we provide a valuable and necessary service to those consumers transacting real estate.
Despite all the misconceptions—most consumers trust their REALTOR® and rely on them, often for more than one purchase or sale. Part of our commitment to being, and doing, better is to always help educate our clients, and consumers, in all aspects of the transaction. We offer options and help them make informed decisions—always putting their interests ahead of our own. If only they knew what may be sacrificed to serve their needs, that it is a choice we make to serve the public in this manner. To be in a position for the consumer to bestow such great trust in each of us. As we said, being a real estate agent isn't always easy.
My point—you’re all amazing professionals, as well as remarkable people. You’ve dedicated yourselves to providing expertise as a service to those that seek help. Being in real estate sales isn’t about sales, that is a misnomer, it is a service we provide. It is a choice we make to serve the needs of consumers in an industry we are passionate about. We aren’t compensated as greatly as the rumors may say, we don’t have expense accounts or company credit cards, we don’t get a paycheck—we often work for free, even at a loss, yet we persevere because we LOVE what we do.
Being a Real Estate Agent Isn't Always Easy, Let's Talk!
Finally, to the point! Let’s start a conversation, share ideas, best practices, things we do to keep our mindset on target and our moods positive. I hope you will take a few minutes of your time and join in, share your thoughts and ideas with the community.
Share anything you feel is relevant—of course please remember the Code of Ethics and State License laws as they relate to what you may (and may not) say. Have a question—please ask it. We are all here for each other. Being a real estate agent isn't always easy, but together we can make it a little easier, bit by bit.
Oh, if there is something you would like to share, but prefer to do so privately, just send me an email me maya (at) happygrasshopper (dot) com and I will reply, I promise.
Thanks for joining the conversation! Now, who’s first?
by: Maya J. Paveza, Happy Grasshopper, Staff Writer; REALTOR®, Associate Broker (DE), and Real Estate salesperson (PA).
