Real Estate Agent vs. Real Estate Advisor

When most people hear the term “real estate agent,” they often think of something negative. They think of the used car salesman or somebody they know from high school who just got their license and is on social media announcing their new career: “I’d love to help you or anybody you know with your real estate needs!” Next comes the cheesy lifestyle photos of the agent looking at their phone with some sort of quasi-cheesy line about sales. Then comes the random emails to their “sphere,” mainly comprised of people with zero interest in real estate at the moment and are more bothered by one more email they consider spam that they delete or unsubscribe from. It gets worse when these “real estate agents” try and monetize every friendship they have, never forgetting to add the fact they sell real estate in every random conversation they have. And then, the icing on the cake – nightmare stories from average people about the "real estate agent" they worked with who completely dropped the ball, didn’t return calls, didn’t have their back in negotiations, acted unprofessionally, didn’t follow through, or seemed far more interested in their commission check than actually advising their client. Sound familiar? I thought so.

We all know people like this in the industry and heck, we’ve often found ourselves doing our best for our clients....only to find ourselves squared up against somebody like this on the other side. Regardless of the stereotype, most buyers and sellers want to use a licensed real estate professional to assist them through their transactions. Why? Because buying or selling a home is one of the most stressful and terrifying things most people can and will do in their lives. It is often the largest asset they own and often represents a large portion of their overall net worth. Given the awful and yet (sometimes) true stereotype of real estate agents, but the overwhelming desire of most clients to use a real estate professional - how do we bridge that gap?

Simple. You are NOT a real estate agent. You are a trusted real estate advisor that is adding value, being of service, and anticipating the needs of your clients. You are not selling anything. You are educating and advising. You are building relationships. You are sending out valuable information to keep interested parties informed. You are knowledgeable about every transaction happening in the area you work as an expert. You know the data. You know the numbers. You are not chasing a commission check and you are willing to walk away from any potential commission check if the situation doesn’t present the best possible outcome for your client. This is just a small glimpse on how you become a trusted real estate advisor.