Every now and then Harris Real Estate University offers Free Coaching Calls……..30 minutes with an HREU coach free, no strings attached.
But, the other day I was providing a Free Coaching Call for an agent and…MAN, was I in trouble….
The Realtor on the other end of the phone was clearly very very upset with me. Scratch that…she was PISSED.
And, I knew why. This wasn’t the first call or email I had received like this one.
She asked me…”Why are you so negative…why is it that YOU and HREU are saying one thing about the market when all the other GURUs..she mentioned 3-4 of them…are saying another?”
I asked her what she was hearing from the other real estate educators (I am not fan of being called a GURU but, thats another post all together).
She told me they were teaching agents to use scripts like:
“This is a great time to buy….”, “Its a buyers market”, ‘Its a great time to sell”, “The market is at the bottom”…and my favorite….”Better buy now before the prices start going back up again and you are shut out”.
I have to be 100% honest with you about this….I hate scripts like that because…they are mostly lies.
So, I asked her….(leaving her real name from this post)…
“Mary, are YOU buying real estate now….are YOU selling now to take advantage of this supposed ‘Buyers Market’ ?”
She paused for a bit and then told me in a very clear voice….”NO”
So, being a coach who thinks in terms of questions I asked her….”Why not…why aren’t YOU buying or selling now…..aren’t YOU afraid of being shut out?”
“Because I think prices will continue to fall for at least another 2 years and then stay flat for at least 2 years after that….” She then told me.
‘Mary’ then went on to tell me how her own home was upside down by over $100k and she couldn’t move if she wanted to.
By this time ‘Mary’ and I were having a nice, polite conversation. She was calmed down and I could sense that she was starting to see the light….so I asked her…
“‘Mary’, if YOU believe that now is not the time to be in the market (unless you HAVE-TO) why would you tell others to be?….I mean…don’t you think that is a lie”
She thought for a bit and then told me that she understood and “YES”..telling others to do something that she personally thought was a bad idea was indeed a lie. She then asked me something that I didn’t really know how to answer….she asked me something that left me a little speechless…
She asked me…”If the market is clearly is still depreciating and will be doing so for some time to come…if pretty much anyone with a brain can see thats what is going on…why would these other Gurus (there is that word again) tell me to use scripts that are in essence….lies?”
I didn’t know how to answer her then and 3 days after that phone call….I still don’t.
So, I am asking for your help. You tell me why you think so many other ‘Gurus’ and ‘Real Estate Experts’ are teaching agents to use scripts that are so clearly wrought in deceit.
You see, from our perspective thats not only wrong its also a little evil. Why would you as a ‘Guru’ or ‘Expert’ use your virtual stage to spout scripts, techniques that you know to be at best half truths?
We are like you..we make our living from the real estate industry. We know what you are dealing with day in and day out because we are in this market too. ALL of us have to be focusing on helping people…elevating people…not tearing them down. Not lying.
You know this already: this is the worst real estate market in history. This is a very negative experience for millions and millions of home owners. People are losing their homes, their wealth and in some cases their lives. Yes, people are literally committing suicide because of this housing crisis. One of our students emailed us an article about the ‘Suicide Prevention Hotlines’ and that the number one cause for someone considering actually killing themselves…..’Losing their home’.
HREU has almost 10,000 agents involved in a University program every day. From the Free Daily Motivational Coaching Call to being enrolled as a student. Its our purpose to make sure every one of you are 100% prepared for how to help people in this market.
All of us are in the position to help people at a higher level than ever before. There has never been, never will be a time when so many people are in so much need of agents.
They are in need of agents who are truly there to help people make the right decisions.
We need to understand that this is NOT A NUMBERS BUSINESS. This is a people helping business. When you help enough people at the highest level the money always follows…matter of fact the money will chase YOU opposed to you having to chase the money.
Note: Promise yourself that the next time ANYONE tells you that this is a ‘Numbers Business’ you will run the other way. THAT mindset is partially responsible for what has led us to this real estate meltdown. That mindset is about greed, ego and deceit. Here is a fun thought for you..maybe the reason Realtors are seen as one of the least respected professions is because of the teachings of these gurus..its time for a change. You know this. The real question is…are you willing to accept the need to change with the times?
We need to learn what it takes to help people with this market. Learn short sales, learn how to price, learn how to work with sellers and buyers who are scared and who must sell.
Stop listening to anyone who tells you to say or do anything that will not result in doing what you KNOW is right.
This is your time, if you choose it to be……Its going to require that you re-do your thinking. If you are an agent who has been trained to think of someone as a contact vs a relationship chances are you are now struggling. You don’t have to. Start by asking yourself these 3 simple questions:
1) Why did you get into real estate? (help people, have more time with your family, have control over your destiny…etc)
2) Are you afraid to tell sellers and buyers what you know to be the truth because it will cost you a sale? (the fact is that there are zillions of people who have to sell now…you need to learn how to find them)
3) Last question…if you no longer need the money from real estate sales…someone leaves you $10,000,000 and you no longer have to work for money….what would you do? Would you remain in the real estate business…..or would you quit and do something else? (In other words, are you in this business strictly for the money?)
Lets get this conversation going…let me know what you think.
In the meantime, if you haven’t done so yet download your Free 7 Part Agent Short Sale Secrets E-Course now.
Tags: 100k, agent short sale secrets, buyer's market, buying real estate, coach, estate educators, great time, guru, gurus, harris real estate university, polite conversation, scripts, tim and julie harris, time mary
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I can’t agree with you more. Scripts don’t work. People can tell a script is a script. There’s always people who need to buy and sell…a house is for living in afterall