Dumb Agents vs. Smart Agents

Submitted by Connect Realty Branch Manager Elaine Cook of Bellingham, WA.

3 Dumb Things Real Estate Agents do.

1. They get into the business thinking it is full of freedoms. They want freedom from a 40 hour work week, a time clock, and/or from having a boss. Well, think again! True, there is no time clock. We don’t check in at 8 and out at 5. Nope, we check in the moment we wake up and start thinking about a certain deal, or a meeting, or a marketing idea… and we check out when the head hits the pillow. No boss! We trade having one boss to having many bosses.  Our clients, Broker, the State, lenders, inspectors… every one of them telling us what they want and when they want it.

2. They hang their hat on getting big fat commission checks. Yes the checks are big, but no one told us they might be far and few between when the market changes. Or that your broker can and will take a big chunk of it, and then start subtracting a bunch of fees you knew nothing about: admin fees, transaction fees, franchise fees… oh the list goes on! Then, months down the road something dawns on you; “If I go on vacation or get sick, where’s the money going to come from?” You got it. When you don’t work, there is no money!

3. Spend too much money. I am amazed at the thousands of businesses who thrive by collecting $20 for this or that from thousands of agents. How many of us have five or six small monthly bills for some tool we were assured would make all the difference in our production.  Agents are still spending thousands on print advertising, have they not heard that 95% of our buyers shop for houses on line?

3 Things Smart Agents Insist Upon.

1. Freedom: the freedom to run your business, your way. Smart agents enjoy freedom from mandatory meetings, caravans, and performance quotas. There is a bliss in getting up in the morning and walking down the hall to your office… in your pajamas! Simple.

2. Big fat commission splits and residual income. Commission checks are only as big as the split you have with your broker so the higher the split, the fatter the check! It’s nice to know you get 80% of the commission and can work up to a 95% commission. The really smart agents insist on working for a company that provides an additional avenue for generating income. Checks that show up in the mail while you are on vacation! Residual income earned by simply referring an agent to the company; they close a deal, you get 5%. Smart.

3. Low overhead with all the savvy tools. The truly successful business person, of whom you are, insists on keeping their overhead low, while benefiting from an array of necessary tools. Today’s clients are savvy, and that requires a savvy agent working for a Brokerage where your only fee is $29.95 per month; all while providing you with an IDX website, Realtor.com Showcase Listings, Homes.com, Unlimited Virtual Tours, Education, Support… the list goes on. That Brokerage is Connect Realty.com. Surprising! 

Let us surprise you, click here to learn more about joining Connect.

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Elaine Cook is a Branch Manager for Connect Realty in Bellingham, WA.
Get Connected with Elaine:

ElaineACook@ConnectRealty.com
Office Phone: (360) 685-0125
Cell Phone: (360) 441-5882
Get Connected to Bellingham!