I’m delighted to meet you – I can tell you are one of the “good” ones, although I will take exception to your comment that the rest is “Just stuff everyone else does.” If that’s the case in your market, you are truly blessed to be surrounded by professionals. It’s far from the case in the markets I’ve worked in.

All of the other stuff is just stuff that almost everyone does. If I want to rise above that I must set a higher standard of care, and I do. It is my job to explain the contract before they sign it. To explain why, in California, we have four different pages with the same disclosures on them and why they have to sign all of them. It is my job to understand all of that and be able to explain it to the average Joe.

It is my job as a “good agent” to treat my clients as though they were my family or friend and explain the process of the purchase or sale. Most people don’t buy or sell often and need to be brought up to speed.

It is my job to remind them of the need to move funds once a ratified contract is in place. It is my job to remind the seller to leave the house when it’s being shown and then to report back to them about showings.

That’s what I think a good agent is all about; a good communicator, a tenacious negotiator, and someone who stays calm in the storm. Since I am quick with my Blackberry to respond to my clients, that’s a given.

As to your question…”are you saying that enough marketing can sell a bad listing? ” I am confused..I believe any property, anywhere will sell if priced correctly and marketed to the right demo. But I see you are saying “listing” which I assume you are saying a badly listed property…menaing NOT priced or marketed to the right demo..then I agree it will be hard to sell.

Now I’m even more confused.

By the way, it may be that we have different definitions of “marketing.” I am referring to marketing in the traditional sense – newspaper ads, color brochures, open houses, postcards, etc. However, I believe that I do “market” my listings quite effectively by helping my seller create a marketable product before we ever hit the market. That takes a lot of tact, knowledge, experience and human resources; much more so than designing a jazzy brochure or paying for a single-listing web site.

Okay, well, I need to run *across town* to show an already-represented buyer my new listing for the 2nd time today (cause his agent is out of town). Those familiar with the other Hot Topic at the SWS forum know what I’m talking about!

Pet Rock
Hula Hoop
Slinky

As a guy involved with marketing on many different levels and for various different businesses, the right brand and the right marketing can allow you to sell anything..well except maybe a diet candy called Ayds after a horrible disease gets named the same as your product. Pretty much game over there.

Well, yet another thing we (Sean and I) disagree on. But I have to say that I appreciate your (sean’s) respectful attitude (that’s kinda rare when participating in online debates).

First, Inna does all my marketing. I suck at marketing. BIG TIME. I realized that a long time ago and finally realized I could hire it out. So I did.

I would never, ever, ever in a gazillion years hire out the management of my listings, buyers and contracts. That’s where I shine. When I sold real estate full time (prior to becoming a world-famous writer), I sold between 50 and 70 houses a year, every year, without an assistant. Because I was such a great marketer (of myself or my listings?) Uh, no. Because I was a GOOD real estate agent who took care of the details and Got the Job Done. My business is and has always been nearly 100% SOI.

See, here’s the thing. I don’t believe that any amount of marketing can sell an unmarketable product, whether that product is an overpriced, underpresented listing or an overhyped, underprepared Realtor. However, it doesn’t take much marketing at all to sell a properly priced, properly presented listing… nor does it take a extensive marketing campaign to generate a steady stream of clients if the Realtor 1) has a database of Satisfied Past Clients (SPCs) and 2) knows her $h*t and can convey that knowledge and competence when presented with an opportunity to impress someone who has or knows someone who has a real estate need.

I am not a rainmaker – never have been. However, I am a fantastic umbrella operator, and therefore am referred by my SPCs as the Realtor Who Will Get the Job Done and Be Pleasant and Respectful While Doing it. Oh, and she’ll return your phone calls promptly, too!

Doing a great job for my clients has always been my first priority and that attitude has resulted in a very rainy career.

Luckily, you don’t have to do it my way and I don’t have to do it yours and we’ll probably both make plenty of money selling real estate.

By the way..that would be a Xtra LARGE tartan toga, and we may be able to skip the ceremonial shaving of the heads, as time and football have taken their toll already..but if I was to ever receive an invitation by the Soulful Goddess I would welcome the opportunity to meet more of the “clan” and indeed learn the super-secret-soulful handshake!

PS
I’d be hard pressed to hand someone 300-400 bucks to take responsibility for pricing the property, monitoring any repairs, staging, negotiating, etc. etc

I am not suggesting that a good agent abdicates all responsibility to the transaction. I certainly hope you have someone who will oversee such mundane tasks as monitoring repairs and staging. But pricing and negotiating are tasks any agent should do (fiduciary responsibility) and good agents generally do better than most.

I do agree with you with regard to Jennifer. She appears to be very adept at marketing, which only serves my point. The disagreement came about because of a list she created that, among other things, did not list marketing as one of the aspects of a “good” agent.

I have a harder time finding agreement with you that you can sub out your marketing. I think you begin to walk a fine line here. In the end, a “good” agent gets belly-to-belly with their clients. Their clients like them and relate to them (this is one reason why blogging is so important: eliminate the wasted time meeting people with whom you will not see eye to eye). It is pretty difficult to get marketing sub’ed out that matches the agent’s personality and passion. You might end up with a lot of wasted appointments.

I stand by my opinion that being GREAT at the aspects Jennifer mentions may lead you to be a “good” agent, but it is not likely. Being GREAT at the basics is more likely to create a basic agent. If you want to be a good agent, you need to market yourself and your clients in whatever way fits your talents. Put another way: if your talents do not include marketing or strong interpersonal skills and are rather biased toward the transaction side of things… I think you will make a fine assistant or transaction coordinator. Whichever the case, it is unlikely you will last long enough to become a good agent. As a 100% commission-based, independent, small business owner, your livelihood depends on your ability to make rain, not operate umbrellas.

I have to say something from the perspective of someone who is in marketing for a living. I advise real estate agents and brokers who don’t have the gift for marketing to sub out that portion of their business. Yep – I advise my clients to HIRE people to do their actual “marketing” and property presentations and such for them. I believe that an agent can be a good agent – and delegate the one responsibility that you believe the agent is getting paid for, so long as the agent is GREAT at every aspect of the actual REAL ESTATE transaction (and that’s most of the items on Jennifer’s list).

Cause I don’t care how great or smart an agent is, there is only so much most people can do within the narrow confines of Paint, Publisher and WebBuilder to make a potential consumer fall in love with the area, the neighbors, the ambiance, and finally – the home. There are people in most places who are simply better at that aspect of it – but I’d be hard pressed to hand someone 300-400 bucks to take responsibility for pricing the property, monitoring any repairs, staging, negotiating, etc. etc.

Kim – you rock:-)

I would be the “commenter”.

I think the word “accusation” is less accurate than “observation”…It apeared to me that rather than respond directly to the questions and comments made regarding the topic at hand, Barry was taking “blog bites” somewhat out of context in order to stimulate a little more action to support his point of view. I have no problem with that…it’s a common side-effect of blogging, and one that I not only enjoy reading, but have been “accused” of succumbing to myself. To my way of thinking, that is, indeed, stirring the pot.

Wear it with pride, disregard it in its entirety, or cut it up into little pieces…your choice.

While perhaps delivered somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I think Jennifer’s point are still valid. That list of basic requirements is non-negotiable if one is to consider themself a good real estate agent. Nowhere did I see her imply that they were the ONLY requirements.

I would think that it would come as no surprise to Barry, or any of his readers/listeners, that the public, generally speaking, does not hold too many folks in the real estate industry in very high regard. And the reason for many of those not-so-warm-and-fuzzies is that there are way too many agents out there who do not practice those most basic of exercises.

I don’t think anyone was disagreeing that all the items listed SHOULD be EXPECTED. The fact is that they are not always delivered. Furthermore, I don’t think that it can be assumed that Top Producer status equates “good” from the consumer standpoint.

Regarding our little “clan”…you should spend a little more time over there getting to know our clanspeople. If you are expecting a bunch of mindless sheep, you will be disappointed. It’s a fairly diverse group consisting of intelligent and insightful and downright funny people with opinions and observations (“accusations” can be such an ugly word…;-) ) concerning this industry and our place in it.

So, come on over and visit. If we are successful in brainwashing…I mean persuading you to come over to the soulful side, we will gladly hold another of our sacred induction celebrations (complete with candles and speaking in tongues.) We’ll fit you for your tartan toga, we’ll conduct the ceremonial shaving of the heads, and we’ll teach you the super-secret-soulful handshake.

Seriously, gentlemen…I think we’re all on the same side, here. We just have different ways of looking at it. And isn’t that grand?

With great respect and warmest regards,
Kim Brown
Self-Appointed Ambassador of Snark, Soul and Mayhem
SWS Forum

I have always enjoyed our discussions. There are plenty of times we do not see eye to eye, but I believe we do agree on some of the most important ideas.

I took a look over at Jennifer’s forum myself. I am impressed with her site and what she is doing. One of the commenters over there referred to you as someone who stirs the pot. I hope you wear that accusation with pride.

I think our basic disagreement stems from our perception of what a “good” real estate agent’s job is…

Based on the qualifier at the end, you may be right. There is a difference between defining a “good” real estate agent and defining what a good real estate agent’s “job is.” In your original post you did, in fact, create a partial list of the job of a good agent… or any agent for that matter. But in keeping with my theme here, that is not the definition of what makes an agent good at their chosen profession.

I believe that our job is to first and foremost manage a complicated process with many moving pieces and parts

This statement is more at the root of our disagreement. Please take what I am about to say with the light-hearted nature in which it is intended: managing a transaction is the least important part of being an agent. I can pay people $300 -$400 per transaction to handle that for me! If you define and diffentiate yourself by your management abilities, you will be knocked out of the game as soon as you come across someone who is unique. The philosophy going forward should be well understood: Differentiate of die.

I try to generate my business by doing things that no one else can match. I create custom signs and uniques single sites for listings. I market my buyers in a way that gets their offer accepted in the face of higher offers. These are talents that cannot be handed off to a coordinator. A client may not hire me, but only because someone else presents an equal or better set of unique talents with which the client is more comfortable. This is a very desirable situation. My efforts not only make me a “good” agent, but they force other agents to be at least as good; thus the entire industry improves. Believe me when I tell you that mastering basics is not going to cut it.

You were ‘dead on’ when you said that my assistant is an integral part of what makes me a good agent. As one gets busier your ability to discern talent and hire good people is paramount. But even more important is your ability to recognize the need to make the jump and hire that help. Real Estate agents are in the business of marketing and time management cannot be underestimated. The more time agents spend doing “transactional” work, the less time they have perfecting the skills that make them “good,” successful agents.

Your experience with your out of state agent is well taken. I am working with a client right now who had an agent that did not believe in MLS, lockboxes, the internet or weekend hours! Guess what: she had over 90% of the listings in her small town!! The key here is the word “had.” My client “had” that agent before my team informed him what makes up a good agent. That original agent and that small town is ripe for someone who understands marketing. The fact that someone is a big fish in a pond of one… does not make them good and we should not set the bar at a level one step above them. We should set goals much, much higher and we should hold ourselves and our fellow agents to those goals. What is the point otherwise?

Sean – I think our basic disagreement stems from our perception of what a “good” real estate agent’s job is – or perhaps it’s just semantics. I believe that our job is to first and foremost manage a complicated process with many moving pieces and parts. Any “sales” or “marketing” that’s going on is only a small part of what we do.

I also would like to comment that if you are handing off “managerial” and “transactional” duties to your assistant, then that assistant is part of what makes you “good.” He or she is a part of your team and if he or she is handling the details while you go make rain – well, as long as it’s professionally handled AND THE CLIENT IS SATISFIED with the attention he’s getting, then you’re doing a “good” job.

However, again, I have worked with (as in, on the other side of the closing table, as a listing or buyer agent I hired to represent me and as a partner and assistant) extremely well-paid real estate agents who were barely mediocre in their actual real estate transaction-related skills.

For example, I hired one of the tippy top agents in a city where I had a house to sell and he presented me with a pricing analysis of my home that was simply a list of ten somewhat comparable properties – some active, some sold – with the prices averaged at the bottom. This was his pricing recommendation to me – the AVERAGE price of those ten somewhat comparable homes. Is this an example of a “good” agent? Not to my way of thinking. Neither did he know of a handyman or HVAC guy to refer to me to help me get my home ready for market. Neither did he know any staging professionals. My MLS Listing was full of errors and the photos were horrible. And… he was in the top five agents in town… But “good?” I dont’ think so.