Stories from the Front Lines – Each month I ’ ll share stories I ’ m seeing from the front lines as an entrepreneur , real estate broker , husband , and father .
“ What A-Hole Is Showing Our House ?” Today ?”
We often take our kids out for breakfast on the weekends . It ’ s definitely one of our favorite family traditions . This past weekend we stopped in at this tiny hole-in-the-wall breakfast place near Franklin and Cole Roads called The Chef ’ s Hut .
The girls ordered chocolate chip pancakes , my wife got the omelet special , and I went for the eggs benedict . It was quite good , by the way , if you ’ re looking for a new place to try for breakfast .
But this story isn ’ t about the meal . It ’ s about the people sitting behind us at breakfast . They were a middle-aged couple . They were finishing up their meal , and they started talking about their home . Based on their discussion , I understood that their home was listed for sale . What got my attention was when the gal said , “. . . A-hole Realtor . . .” and then the next sentence included , “ What a-hole is showing the house today ?” Luckily they weren ’ t talking loud enough for my kids to hear .
They kept referring to the agents involved in selling and showing their house as a-holes . I ’ m not sure what led them to this conclusion , but it was clear that they considered ALL real estate agents to be scumbags . ( I know a few people who feel the same way about attorneys .)
Obviously , these folks had experienced some bad encounters with Realtors . On my drive home after breakfast , I couldn ’ t help but wonder what those bad experiences were — though I already had an idea what they could be .
There are more than 4,000 real estate agents in the Treasure Valley . The number could be well over 5,000 now ; I ’ ve stopped paying attention .
Imagine going out to shop for a car , and instead of one pesky car salesman coming up to try to get your business , there are 10 salespeople vying for your attention . That ’ s how many real estate agents are in this community . It ’ s like we trip over each other at every turn , there are so many of us .
Often when I introduce myself to somebody new , I don ’ t lead by telling them that I ’ m a real estate agent . Rather , I say that I run a real estate and media company in Boise . It ’ s not that I ’ m ashamed of being a Realtor ; it ’ s more that I don ’ t like being labeled or grouped into the same category as the 4,000 + agents in my community .
Sure , there are many great agents in this mix of 4,000 , but the vast majority scare me . They ’ re armed and dangerous with their real estate license . They ’ re dangerous because they don ’ t know they ’ re dangerous . They often don ’ t know when they ’ re causing pain and
frustration , and losing thousands of dollars for their clients , whether it ’ s from their lack of experience , greed , or desperation to pay their bills .
They are likely the reason the couple sitting behind me at breakfast had become so convinced that all real estate agents are scum .
As a Realtor in the same community , I am associated with this group of people . I have more than 4,000 direct competitors in my community . This is why referrals are so important . ( Thanks to everyone you ’ ve sent my way , by the way — I wouldn ’ t still be in business if I didn ’ t get referrals .)
In my attempts to stand out among all that competition , I ’ ve started a radio show , created newspapers and magazines , produced many videos , and written dozens of published articles . My company has designed marketing platforms for home sellers , and offers buyers resources they can ’ t get anywhere else .
All of this hard work has paid off . I know my business has a great reputation . But I still worry about the thousands of people in my community who have negative experiences with real estate agents .
For this reason , I started dedicating some of my time and resources to giving back to my industry in an effort to “ raise the bar .” This is not difficult within the walls of my own brokerage — but when I dream , I tend to dream big .
I ’ m in the final stages of finishing my next book , Everything I Wish I ’ d Learned in Real Estate School . It comes out this spring and is designed to help real estate agents . Hopefully it will help “ raise the bar .” I ’ m going to give away thousands of copies to the local agent base because , again , I want them to be “ more than real estate agents .” I want them to be community advocates , industry experts , skilled negotiators , savvy marketers , and excellent communicators . When I sit down to breakfast in a restaurant — or overhear anyone ’ s honest opinions about my industry — I want to hear more about the positive impact Realtors are making in my community , rather than hearing that we ’ re all a bunch of a-holes .
I don ’ t know how successful my efforts will be , but if I can make even a small , measureable impact , it will be worth it . Writing a book is no easy task , but since I ’ m married to woman who writes books for a living , I have great support and inspiration at home . I ’ m scheduled to see the first round of book cover designs for my new book next month ; I ’ ll share it on my next newsletter . n
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