The Rob Report: November 2018
November 2018
Greetings WCAR Members!
I recently attended the Tennessee REALTORS® Conference in Knoxville, where I had a chance to make some new friends during breaks and at events. These conferences are usually attended by members who are in leadership or have interest in the governance of their associations, at both the local and state levels. In short, attendees are usually in tune with the industry.
My momma always told me you have two ears and one mouth for good reason, so I spend a lot of time listening to conversations, chatter, and opinion during these trips. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by some of the themes I was hearing. On at least two occasions, I sat in on roundtable discussions during breakfast that centered on a need for REALTORS® to start focusing on the basics again. The swift evolution of technology and new bright shiny objects has led many to concentrate on “things” rather than relationships.
Certainly, new technology can make everyone’s job a little easier, but when it replaces face-to-face interaction with your clients (belly-to-belly, as one of the conference participants liked to say), it can lead to a single-transaction based business. That’s not what your career should be about. It should be about building lifelong customers/friends. When I was selling from the early-90’s until 2009, I used to tell my clients that I wanted to be their “REALTOR® for Life.” I know I wasn’t the first to use that phrase, but it was sincere, and my clients believed it. One of the shocking statistics that NAR has observed is that 85% of home buyers and sellers can’t tell you the name of their REALTOR® three years after they’ve completed their transaction. That’s a crying shame. Texting, Instagram, email and other ways of communicating are great. They are no substitute, however, for grabbing a cup of coffee or doing lunch with someone who’s decisions mean paychecks and a whole lot more to your sustainable career.
I’ll wrap this up by saying I spent some time with a top producing agent in our association the other day, which confirmed everything I’ve just written. This agent is youthful, energetic, cutting-edge and out front of every industry trend. But, she also was laser-focused on the necessity of staying in touch with her clients, cultivating relationships and becoming a “REALTOR® for Life” with each and every one of her clients. Her business will continue to grow and flow. It beats the heck out of having to pay for leads that were former clients of agents who just didn’t care enough.
Here’s wishing you continued success in this thriving market!
Rob Wigton
WCAR CEO
November 2018
October 2018
Septmeber 2018
July 2018
