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The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Me? I'm just going to quote my daughter's favorite happy fish song - "Keep on swimming...keep on swimming! La-la-la-la...." An experienced, qualified, diversified, technologically informed, relationship and service-oriented agent, who is open to change, has nothing to worry about. That includes buyer agents. Go with the flow and keep doing what you've been doing the RIGHT way all along. Those who have nothing to offer are the ones who need to worry. Keep on swimming...keep on swimming.... http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com
Cold calling FSBOs and Expireds makes sense - they are obviously trying to sell. I don't even really think of it as cold calling - it's more of a warm call. Cold calling random people makes us look pathetic. However, blogging and a good web site CAN help you - I've had two calls this week from sellers whose listings are to expire next month. Nice when THEY call YOU! I'm with Greg Salera on the broker tours - it makes more sense to have agents through your listing & having it stand out in their minds than having a general public open house. I also hold broker's opens and get showings from them. There's so many properties on the market that agents don't always show them all, so aren't aware of that gem of a listing you have - until they stop by for lunch, socialize a little and start to think, "Hmmm...who do I know that would like this house?" I even do "Online Broker Opens" by emailing a link to the listing tour and a form to register for a cash drawing. One had 78 agents sign up - and one sold the listing! Many commented that they didn't even realize how nice the building was - they'd never been in it. Should we go back to pre-cooperation days when no one was allowed in our listings? It only makes sense to get as many agents in there as possible. Seems counter-productive to "let" other agents become "neighborhood experts," but...is that REALLY gonna happen? YOUR name is on the sign - just make sure YOU know the inventory as well, if not better. You still have the edge - you can tell prospective sellers about the market exposure you gave those other listings! Let those agents sell your listing - the chances of them taking over your established market are very slim. http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com
I don't know about other people, but the chances of selling my own listing have always been pretty slim. I always found it curious that so many were focused on such a rare occurrance? Twelve years and I've only been on both sides of the transaction 3 times and only once did I have agency duties to both parties. I made sure to explain to both that I could no longer favor one over the other and that my job would be to help them come to a mutually beneficial agreement and that is exactly what happened. Dual agency doesn't affect our image with consumers as much as the confusion about what we really do. Thanks to Kris for saying what I've been saying for years! I have been fighting the salesperson label for so long and have only met resistance from the majority of agents. I came from a service industry and I NEVER saw this as a sales job. I feel marketing is different from selling. 99% of what I do has nothing to do with sales. I've never tried to "sell" someone a house. Like Kris said - I'm, not selling the house, the Seller is. If we continue to identify ourselves as salespeople, instead of the representatives and couselors we really are, the public will never accept us as experts and only as overpaid bottom feeders. Consumers simply do not see value in salespeople (unless they own a store) and that is why they don't believe we have any real skills to offer THEM. That's why they think the only advice we give them is to get the deal done to get our commissions and not necessarily in their best interest. Consumers usually go out of their way to AVOID salespeople in stores and on car lots and tend to see real estate salespeople as a necessary evil. Most people view a salesperson's only skill as being able to talk them into buying something. That blinds them to all of the skills we have to offer as real estate professionals and lowers our value in their eyes. Buyers think we are just trying to sell them something and sellers think we only offer some cheap sales skills and that is not worth a huge commission. Funny how our licensing test really has little on it about selling and a LOT about representation, laws and agency. And NARs consumer ads don't help any either. They look a little pathetic - like a car dealership claiming that now is a great time to buy a car - yeah, but for whom? People don't trust "salespeople" and do not see value in an agent who is just in it for the sales. They will trust and see value in a representative, an expert, a skilled professional, a knowledgable counselor....and that is what we really are. At least, that's what I believe we SHOULD all be and that is what I always strive to be. Glad to see more agents understanding what they really have to offer the consumer! http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com