Treat your team mates with respect

As President, I have the liberty at times to editorialize on issues I feel are important.  I’d like to exercise that right now by focusing on the courtesy we show one another in our daily business.

I am notorious for making analogies between sports and life.  This is because I feel strongly that those analogies hold true.  As real estate professionals, we are competitors.  However, we are playing on the same team.  We have a common goal to bring a buyer and seller together to achieve a successful transaction.  And in that process, we have a choice to play fairly and treat our team mates with respect and courtesy.

The REALTOR® organization was created with a strict Code of Ethics in an effort to raise the professionalism within the industry.  It was a way for real estate professionals to choose to live up to a higher standard of conduct.

Although our Code of Ethics covers a number of key areas, there are additional practices we should strive to incorporate which will better our service and build stronger relationships with one another. Many of my suggestions are simple and elementary opportunities to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’

A professional returns phone calls promptly. 

Not only is this professional courtesy, it’s imperative to building a career in real estate.  How many of you have been put out due to the inability to make contact with another agent, banker, title person, appraiser, etc.?  Often times, this lack of communication then affects our ability to service our buyers and sellers.  Too busy?  Not good enough.  Today, we have ample technologies which allow us to communication with one another — 24 hours a day!  Next time you put off returning that phone call, think of how it will affect the other parties involved.  Is this how you want to be treated?

Leave a message

My pet peeve is the message, “Hi, it’s Bill.  Give me a call.”  This is a precursor to the dreaded voice mail tag which really is an inefficient use of time.  If all you want to know is “was that showing at 8a or 9a?” or “My seller is asking how your buyers liked the home” or “my sellers just lowered the price.  Will this make a difference to your buyers?”, leave the message.  That way, if we get your voice mail, we can more likely answer the question without playing tag.

If I am showing your listing, the privilege is mine.

More often today, I get the impression that a buyer’s agent feels they are doing the seller’s agent a favor by showing the listing.  Folks, this is backwards!  Years ago, brokers/agents did not freely share listing information.  Today we do share this information with one another.  Yes, this is to better service our sellers.  However, that doesn’t diminish the fact that this is still a ‘gift’ to us all.  This fact remains – if I am showing your listing, the privilege is mine!

Do not show property without an appointment

Do not show a property without contacting the listing agent first

Our electronic Keybox system allows us the freedom to show any property with a Keybox.  This, however, does not negate your responsibility to seek permission first to show the home, even if the home is vacant.

Act like a guest while in the seller’s home

Don’t treat the seller’s home as if it were your own.  It’s not!  Act like a guest – albeit a nosy guest as you are going to open closets and cabinets, flush toilets and peer into spaces you normally would not.  But beyond that, wipe your shoes, turn off lights, close and secure windows and doors, etc.  Then write the time and date you were there on a business card and leave at the home to indicate you’ve been there.  This again, is professional courtesy.

If you are running late – call.

My time is valuable as is the seller’s or buyer’s time.  Need I say more?!

Disregarding common courtesy is not only a reflection on you, it makes the rest of us look unprofessional, too. 

Take a moment to think of someone in this business for whom you have respect.  I’ll bet that your attitude towards this person is due to his/her professionalism in the way that they treat others.  Let’s all try to improve the way we treat one another.  Remember, we are all on the same team!