Shit Real Estate Agents Say To Get You To Hire Them #7: I Have Been Doing This Forever, Which Shows What an Expert I Am

The Conscious Group - Sh*t Agents Say - Post 7

The Conscious Group - Sh*t Agents Say - Post 6

(Another Sweary Real Estate Post by Allison Parks)

Note: This is the seventh post in a series.

You should work with me because I have been in the business for a super freaking impressive amount of years.

Oh, bullshit.

Here’s the thing… listen to their tone when they say this. Listen closely for any level of smugness. Typically, any level of smugness means that they’ve probably learned less than the next agent in those years.

If I ever quit real estate and need a real estate agent to represent me, knowing what I know, years in the business would not be a determining factor for me whatsoever. Just like there are plenty of bad drivers on the road who have been driving for decades, plenty of agents have been doing real estate incorrectly for 20+ years.

In the state of Colorado, an agent only has to be closely supervised for their first two years of their licensure. If they were not trained by an attentive and knowledgeable supervising broker, then those first two years were not very valuable. In fact, many supervising brokers are also Problem Agents. They don’t give their trainees much attention, but still take a portion of their commission. I have heard many horror stories about neglectful supervising brokers at both well-known national brokerages, in addition to smaller local brokerages.

Truth: Some agents may have been in the business for 20+ years and will be incredibly talented and client-centered Fantastic Agents, but there are many Problem Agents with decades of experience who are less knowledgable than a new agent who just started a year ago.

How do you tell the difference? Someone who has worked in real estate for that long will communicate well. They will be able to answer your questions in ways that you understand. They will likely anticipate your concerns before you have even expressed them. They won’t be fast-talkers, rather they will be humble… and they will have so much knowledge about real estate that it will make your head spin.  

 

Want a Fantastic Agent instead of a Problem Agent?  Give us a call at 303-908-9873.  

For more on Shit Real Estate Agents Say to Get You to Hire Them, read the series.

 

Shit Real Estate Agents Say To Get You To Hire Them #6: I Have a Fancy Certification that Makes Me Uber-Ethical

The Conscious Group - Sh*t Agents Say - Post 6

The Conscious Group - Sh*t Agents Say - Post 6

(Another Sweary Real Estate Post by Allison Parks)

Note: This is the sixth post in a series.  

Have you ever heard this?

You should work with me because I am a REALTOR®.

When agents provide this as a reason, they will likely explain that they are special because they have committed themselves to adhere to a code of ethics prescribed the National Association of REALTORS®.

Sigh… bullshit.

Yes, ethics are awesome. Of course, real estate agents should utilize the highest level of ethics at all times and not be self-serving assholes.

Here’s the thing… the fact that someone has sworn to adhere to a code of ethics does not necessarily mean that they will exhibit ethical behavior.

If a person is generally unethical, they will most likely continue to act unethically whether they have been sworn in to the REALTOR® code of ethics or not. Similarly, if a person is ethical, they will simply continue to act ethically whether they choose to belong to the National Association of REALTORS® or not. Seriously, this is just high school level philosophy…

Being a REALTOR® simply means that an agent belongs to a professional real estate board – the National Association of REALTORS® and likely a local real estate board. Agents must pay several hundred dollars per year to attain this status and must take the aforementioned required ethics class every 4 years, after which everyone stands and swears to remain ethical. Being a REALTOR® is not dependent on merit and no one is actually governing the agents to ensure their ethical behavior. An agent’s REALTOR® membership could be revoked for unethical behavior if they were found to be guilty of said behavior, but that would require getting caught and getting turned in.

Truth: At the end of the day, approximately 50% of all agents are REALTORS®, so it’s not something that truly sets a Fantastic Agent apart from a Problem Agent. I have been a REALTOR® for over five years and I don’t feel as though my membership has strengthened my real estate prowess.

I was ethical before I joined and if I ever cease my membership (or if they kick me out for talking smack in this blog post,) I will continue to be ethical because I’m not a self-serving asshole.

 

Want a Fantastic Agent instead of a Problem Agent?  Give us a call at 303-908-9873.  

For more on Shit Real Estate Agents Say to Get You to Hire Them, read our next post, I Have Been Doing This Forever, Which Shows What an Expert I Am.