This past week I was interviewed by HouseValues.com for their Mastermind Forum. Sounds fancy, but I promise not to get a fat head. There were about 1,000 real estate agents on a conference call that included the United States and Canada. It was very cool. A few days later I was asked to speak at a conference held by the same company at the Sheraton Hotel on Harbor Island.The focus of the interview and the speaking engagement was to help these agents dial-in their marketing efforts and generate more business. What was interesting to me was how many realtors were having trouble in the first place. This is yet another indicator that the market has changed in more than just the San Diego area. I had agents on the conference call asking me questions as far east as New York and as far north as Ontario. Why do you suppose that is?
Like any other business, folks come out of the woodwork to make some money in real estate when it’s hot and fizzle out when it cools down. After a while they just fade away, leaving the long term professionals to continue the remaining business. That may not seem to be important from the point of view of the average person looking to buy or sell a home, but truthfully it has a lot to teach us. For example: if you had the choice of hiring a short timer who only got in the business to make a quick buck or the long timer with years of experience and a dedication to the profession whom would you choose? I bet I know what the answer would be if you were choosing a brain surgeon! Why, then, should your answer be any different when you’re hiring a realtor to sell your home or help you buy one?
The bottom line is the market has changed, so the part timers are bailing. Take the advice of a long timer and hire someone who has been around a while and will be around later when you need him.
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