How to Improve the Real Estate Industry: Shut Up And Listen
I Love Lamp
Last night Lani and Mariana tweeted “I love lamp” – of course it’s the out of context nature of the statement that is funny, but it goes beyond that. It made me think of the many times our industry fails to provide good service because of the mere fact many of us don’t listen (for the record, I’m including myself just to be polite and to see if anyone is paying attention).
Some of us have the bad habit of interrupting or worse yet, thinking of a response while the other person is talking. Can you shut up for a second and listen? It amazes me that listening has become a skill, one that is difficult to find in our industry. Clients complain all day long that their needs are not being met, not because they can’t find the right property or because they don’t qualify for a loan, but because their agents are not paying attention to their needs!
Come on people, it doesn’t get any more basic than that! Stop and Listen, let your client talk, pay attention and you will see what a difference that will make in your business.
We received this via email today…
…that represents what I’m talking about:
I am a loyal person who openly, honestly, and respectfully communicates my expectations and you can expect that from me as your client. And, in the spirit of transparency and open communication from the get-go, in truth, my frustration with prior REALTORS both in NYC and here Miami since my search began have surrounded around what I have determined as REALTORS simply not listening to, or ignoring, what I’m saying…. regarding architecture and style of home, for example (or its eventually potential should it need work) … over the past year what I’ve heard about homes shown is simply, “this is a good-buy,” without taking into any consideration what I’ve said from the beginning regarding what I’m looking for in a home. More specifically, overall space or mass raw square footage in a house is not paramount for me, but rather the thoughtful use of that space and how it is, or could be, designed that really matters – especially taking into consideration how I and my family typically spends our time and uses our home, you know?
So please humor me and shut up for a bit – really take time to listen to your clients needs and expectations. Our industry will thank you for putting a stop to the stigma.
**NOTE: if you love lamp……then you are a good listener**
** original article on www.AgentGenius.com **