What I Have Learned After 20 Years As A Realtor?

Understand the documents your prepare. A contract is a legal document and most likely binding. Your clients have hired you to understand the contracts and advise them. If you don’t understand something, ASK.
Have “Professional Standards”, standards that you determine. Be realistic, but have standards. By the way, they can change over time!
Your friends and neighbors may not work with you — it’s okay. Some will, some won’t. Keep in mind that just about everyone knows a Realtor; they may have a family member or friend in the business. And, they may not want you to know their business. It’s okay. Don’t be mad.
It’s not about you. Nope. You have an agreement with your clients to represent them and their best interest. That means you do what’s best for your client. It’s not about you, your commission, or your problems. I always tell new agents, “If it is in your client’s best interest to get them out of a transaction on the day before closing, it’s your job to do so, even if it means you DO NOT GET PAID…” You have a fiduciary responsibility to do what is best for your client.
Think before you send that email or speak those words. You may not be happy with the agent representing the other side of a transaction. You may not like them or ever want to work with them again. But, five years from now, you may find yourself in a position to do just that. And, you won’t be as mad then as you are now!
Sometimes it’s a good idea to write that email, but don’t address it. Write it, read it, sleep on it, and read it again. Then you can decide whether or not to fill in the address field and hit send.
Your clients don’t speak Realtor lingo. They probably don’t know what COE, RPA and DOM mean. Don’t expect them to.
Be happy when your clients contact you after closing. Answer the phone, email or text. You WANT them to contact you for help and information!
BE FLEXIBLE! So your professional standards say you only show property in the afternoon. What happens when you have a client who works the Swing Shift? You don’t work Sundays, but a client can only look at homes on Sundays and Mondays? When in doubt, “Use Common Sense”!
Schedule time with your family. I never missed a school assembly, field trip, concert or any important event in my daughter’s life. My husband and I take vacations and days off. It is an “appointment”, just like any other in your life. You will work lots of early mornings, late nights and weekends. It’s okay.
Get to know the people who are your clients. Most of them are great people, real people, you have helped them with a major event in their lives. Become a part of their lives and families. It’s awesome!
Make sure you make room for JOY in your life everyday…otherwise, what’s the point!