Message from the NOCBOR PresidentMessage from the NOCBOR President
John Burt, GRI
Well, here it is my first article as President! At this time, I would like to issue an open invitation to all NOCBOR members. If you have a great article idea, please feel free to email it in! I KNOW there are Board members who could write great articles or have ideas they would like to know more about, so please, send them to me! But on to the subject at hand…
Today, I had an agent come in to talk to me about transferring to my company. I listened to his story and I knew what I wanted to write in my first article. This REALTOR® explained how he was going through rough times. He written 15 offers last month and only got 1 accepted.
This made me think about how badly we have been hit as an industry. I know agents working several jobs to make ends meet. We are all working harder, but making a lot less. It isn’t uncommon to show 50 homes to one buyer; to write offers on houses that the buyers have no chance of getting or were already sold, as well as writing over list price only to find out it sold for less.
Clients are mad because transactions are taking longer, more paperwork is needed and getting answers takes forever, if we get them at all. To twist the knife, homes that they may get end up not appraising or financing just isn’t available.
Here is my take on this turn of events- going through this will make us stronger. Several years from now I will be standing at the water cooler saying “Remember when we had to sell a foreclosure or do that short sale, Boy those times were hard!”
To make it through and thrive, we need to focus on educating ourselves about the new industry we are in. Learning and adapting new practices for today’s REALTOR® might be figuring out how to get our offer to be highest and best; (No inspections, no financing, big deposit), how to send an offer via email, using a cell phone that uses data so you can pull up MLS tickets on the spot, and most importantly, learning these techniques so that your business evolves. Embrace the changes, because we aren’t done!
So, here comes the business planning part because it is so important--YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN! Its not just about the numbers, its about how we can be smarter, do it better and faster. Maybe learning technology could be apart of the plan. Systems to make you more efficient, attend some free Backdoor Workshops at the Board office, and maybe embrace the networking trends of Facebook or Twitter.
Brokers support your agents, give them a pat on the back, tell them they are doing a great job and the market can only get better. Agents, be nice to your clients and treat them with respect. They are having are hard time buying homes today and even though they take it out on you its ok-smile and thank them for the business. Be nice to your
Broker they are in this with you. Please, be nice to the office staff, after all they are just answering the phones and probably don’t have the power or information to answer your questions
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Most importantly, treat those as you would like to be treated. Keep this in mind, we are in this together! |
Most importantly, treat those as you would like to be treated. Keep this in mind, we are in this together!
Wishing all of you a healthy, prosperous and successful 2010.
