There are a ton of myths and misconceptions out there when it comes to Real Estate Professionals. When most people think of a Realtor®, they think of this flashy and very wealthy individual that only cares about getting you to buy or sell a home whether it’s in your best interest or not. This is mostly because it is the image TV shows and movies portray real estate agents as. However this portrayal is not at all true! Believe it or not, most Realtors® actually care about YOU and YOUR interests. Wild right!? The point of this article is to address some of the misconceptions out there regarding real estate agents and shed some light on what it is really like to be a Realtor® so that you, as the general public, can feel more comfortable working with one of us.
Myth #1: It is easy being a Realtor®
Being a real estate professional is a very challenging yet rewarding job. You would never guess how challenging it can be, especially when all you see on TV shows is a real estate agent showing their clients a couple of homes, making one offer, immediately getting it accepted, then the family moves in and lives happily ever after. This is a dangerous misconception especially if you’re a homebuyer because the process is not always that simple. Of course sometimes that absolutely does happen but those instances only happen every now and then. Usually when you’re looking for a home you are likely going to be looking for a minimum of a couple of weeks. You’re going to submit offers on a few different homes and lose to other buyers along the way. After a few tries then you’ll secure a home. It’s important to go into the home buying process keeping this in mind because especially in this market we’re in, it can really take a toll on you and make you feel defeated. We’ve seen some home buyers take a break from looking because they didn’t realize what they were getting themselves into. Even with clear expectations, the search and offer process can be mentally and emotionally draining causing some buyers to take a break. Also keep in mind that once you do get your offer accepted, it doesn't mean that you’re moving in the next day. There are still a lot of things that need to happen and your agent will help you navigate them. From inspections if you elect them (while leaving time for further negotiations if necessary) to title in order to make sure there are no liens on the property. We also work with you and your lender to officially secure your loan (unless buying in all cash). This process takes about 30-45 days on average. When you work with a Realtor®, they should always sit down with you beforehand and go over these things so you can be as educated as possible going into the process and you are not caught off guard by these types of things.
Myth #2: All Realtors® are rich and only care about making the sale
This is probably the myth that hurts the most as a Realtor®. There's a large portion of the public that think real estate agents do not care about them and only look at them as a dollar amount. I cannot emphasize this enough- THIS IS NOT TRUE! Only top Realtors® make more than 100k a year. The average agent doesn't even come close to this amount. I can’t speak for all Realtors® but for me personally and most of the others I’ve had the pleasure of working and interacting with, we got into this field for all of the right reasons. Most of us have a passion for helping others. The home buying/selling process is very stressful and we’re here to help you and guide you along the way to try to make this as stress free as possible for you and your family. The mindset of many Realtors® is that they love helping people, they want a career with the flexibility to make their own schedule, and they want to essentially be entrepreneurs. Real Estate gives us the ability to work with people like you and build strong relationships and connections all while helping you through one of the biggest purchases you’re going to make in your life. In most instances when this whole process is over, we’ve built a strong enough relationship where we are lifelong friends. That is such a rewarding feeling and that is why most Realtors® love this job so much.
Myth #3: It is easy to get clients as a Realtor®
Getting clients is single handedly the hardest part of this job. There are thousands of other real estate agents out there and to consistently get clients is very difficult. Agents have to get creative when looking for clients. Some of the things we have to do are cold calling, door knocking, posting regularly on social media, going to events, networking, emailing, running ads and the list goes on and on. I can see why clients might not trust agents very much; if they think obtaining clients is easy, they probably think they might not give them the care and attention they need. I’m here to let you know that this is not true! Since it is so hard for Realtors® to get clients, when we do get clients we treat them even more carefully. Since we had to work so hard to earn your trust, we are going to care that much more because we don’t want to lose it or give you bad service. If we did, then what was all of our hard work for? We care deeply about each client and always want to do what's best for you and make you happy.
There are so many myths and misconceptions out there with agents and it can be easy to believe them. I urge you to do some research on your own and check out some agents in your area. It’s usually pretty easy to tell if an agent is going to look out for you or not, especially with all of the reviews people post nowadays. If you are thinking about buying or selling and need some guidance, feel free to reach out to me any time. I would love to help you and your family navigate this crazy market!
