Today’s post is an excerpt from our newest eGuide, Real Estate’s New Market Reality, which explains how the role of the real estate professional has changed and what you can do to successfully help more buyers and sellers. You can download the entire eGuide at www.NewMarketReality.com. – The KCM Crew
Why does a buyer or seller look for a real estate professional in today’s new market reality? There’s plenty of information readily available for them to look at and analyze as they’re going through the process.
That’s just the point. Information being readily available causes confusion. That’s when people seek out professionals (whether it be a doctor, lawyer, or real estate professional) for an analysis of the information and their situation. Because of the wealth of information available, people are yearning for expert advice.
Don’t be afraid of those two words. Remember:
- An expert doesn’t mean you’re going to give perfect advice.
- An expert means you’re going to give excellent advice.
Here’s the difference:
If you go to a doctor with a serious illness, she can’t tell you how it’s all going to wind up in the end. She doesn’t know. If she did, that would be perfect advice.
However, your doctor can give you excellent advice in that she can tell you about your illness and your options, whether it be surgery or medications. She can also explain what she believes to be the best option for you based on your history, symptoms, and overall health. Ultimately, though, you’re going to make the final decision of whether you go through with the treatment plan.
Once you make that decision, your doctor will take you by the hand and walk you down the road to recovery. She will explain to you that there might be adjustments that need to be made to the treatment plan, because no one can know for certain how things will turn out. She might have to adjust your medications or increase or decrease your treatment schedule. But every step of the way, she’s there with you, helping you get to your ultimate goal. This is called excellent advice.
Similarly, if you went to an attorney, he can’t tell you how the case is going to end up or how the judge or jury will rule. That would be perfect advice. What a good attorney can do is explain your options. He might pick one or two options he believes to be the best ones to pursue. He will then leave you to make the decision on which option you want to take. Once you decide, he will help put a plan together based on the facts at hand. He will help you get to the best possible resolution of the case. And along the way, he’ll make whatever changes are needed. This is excellent advice.
Your role as a real estate professional is similar to the role of the doctor and lawyer. You can’t give buyers or sellers perfect advice because you don’t know what’s going to happen—you can’t predict the future. However, you can give excellent advice based on the information and situation at hand. You can guide them through the process and help them make the necessary changes along the way. And that’s exactly what your clients deserve…and want!
