Most of us are passionate about the real estate industry and would love to see things improve and change for the better. And though many of us would love to help make that happen, few actually get involved to help do so.

Why is that? The one reason I keep hearing over and over again is, “I don’t have time because I’m busy selling real estate”.

If you’re a full time Realtor, it’s easy to work 12 or 14 hour days, five, six even seven days per week. And that doesn’t include continuing education, seminars, learning about new business practices, laws, etc. To make things worse, many of us struggle in the “time management skills” category to begin with.

But what if you found out that there were bills, laws, policies or strategic plans being discussed and voted on that would directly affect the way you do business? What if your local or state association did something that made your life harder as a Realtor? What if it was harder to sell more homes every year which directly affected your income and overall livelihood?

You’d want to say or do something about it, wouldn’t you? That’s why you…I…all of us can’t afford to not get involved and help make a change.

“Can I really make a change?”

Up until about nine months ago, I thought “no way.” I thought that associations were all set in their ways and that no one would care what lil-ol-me had to say. But after being on several committees on the local and state level, I can tell you that you associations do care about what you have to say and you can help make a change.

It’s not always an easy task and can be mind-numbing at times. Sometimes associations run into issues of red tape and politics. But that’s in any line of business including your own brokerage firm. But even with some red tape and politics here and there, change is made and things do improve. In fact, you may be pleasantly suprised at how quickly some of the decisions can be made and the changes implemented.

“So how much time do I have to devote in order to get involved?”

Local association committee meetings typically meet up for about two hours every month to two months. In-between meetings, you’ll probably spend an hour or so communicating with other committee members via email and checking out updates and giving input on projects in the works. If the committee you’re on has a really big project in the works, it might take up an extra hour or two in-between meetings, but that’s the most time you’ll spend from what I’ve seen.

State association committee meetings vary. Some are a few hours while others are one or two days long every few months. But if it’s longer than a day, VAR takes good care of you. They feed you (well might I add), provide a hotel room if you’re coming from across the state and they have free access to WiFi, fax machines, printers, etc. I’ve been at Strategic Planning Committee meetings at VAR and still managed to send paperwork back and forth and close deals during breaks, lunch and before and after the meeting. In fact, almost every time I go to a committee meeting at VAR in Richmond, I end up selling a home just before or while there.

“What about scheduling conflicts?”

Yes, committee meetings sometimes convene at not-so-convenient times. I’ve had to schedule showing property, home inspections and settlements around committee meetings or conventions. But if I can schedule those things around personal vacations or family events, why can’t I do it around a committee meeting? After all, what happens in the committee meeting will directly affect my well-being as a Realtor. If I don’t have a livelihood as a Realtor, there won’t be any vacations in the first place.

I’m not trying to convince anyone to take my word for it and join a committee meeting tomorrow. No one could have convinced me of that nine months ago either. But if you’re even somewhat interested, at least inquire more about it and talk to those who are involved to see what their personal experiences are. You can also contact your local or state association and/or the Chairman of a committee you’re thinking about joining to get more information.

You may be surprised to find out just how much of a change you can really make while making money at the same time.

Special thanks to Jim Duncan for the great discussion we had about this a while back.

What would Ms. Manners say about REALTOR® courtesies? You don’t have to guess even another minute longer. Here’s a guest post from Ms. Real Manners, courtesy of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.

Dear Ms. Real Manners,

Recently, I received a phone call from a seller complaining that, after a showing, the lights were left on, the doors unlocked and someone had used the bathroom — and left without tidying up after themselves. (Phew!) What are you people thinking?

The old saying, ‘treat it like you would your own home’ does not apply when showing property. Turn off the lights and lock the door! And, when it comes to the bathroom — go ahead and flush the toilet, but don’t take it for a test drive!

We have a tough enough time as it is protecting our reputations as professionals. Treating a seller’s home with such a lack of courtesy and disrespect does nothing to improve the reputation of REALTORS® in their eyes. And disgruntled people talk to others. So even if they are not your client today, they can affect your business tomorrow.

Could you publish (or re-publish) the courtesies we should all be adhering to when showing a listing?

Signed,

Frustrated (and disgusted)

* * *

Dear Frustrated,

But of course.

Showing courtesies:

1. Have a confirmed appointment before showing any property.
2. Arrive on time for showings. Don’t be early. Occupied homes may have owners preparing to leave. Vacant houses may have other appointments scheduled.
3. If you are going to be more than five minutes late for a showing, please call the listing salesperson and/or office to notify the seller of your tardiness.
4. Avoid parking in the driveway. Many sellers find this a little presumptuous and objectionable.
5. Use the sidewalks! Grass and landscaping are precious to the seller. In bad weather, take off shoes and boots inside the property.
6. When showing an occupied home, always ring the doorbell and knock before entering. Knock before entering any closed room.
7. Enter listed property first to make sure that unexpected situations, such as pets or disarming alarm systems are handled appropriately.
8. If sellers are on the property, do not discuss any details of the sale, including price with the seller. Refer all inquiries to the listing agent.
9. Do not use the telephone in someone’s home or business without prior permission.
10. Never use a bathroom at a listing unless it is marked “public.”
11. Don’t smoke in listed property.
12. Be responsible for visitors.
13. Legibly sign and fully complete the guest register.
14. Keep sarcasm and negative comments about the property and neighborhood to yourself.
15. Never allow buyers to enter property unaccompanied.
16. If sellers are on the property, inform them that you are leaving after a showing.
17. Make sure that the house is left the way you found it. Ensure that heating and cooling controls are set correctly.
18. Turn off the lights, shut windows, and lock doors.
19. Return the key to the lockbox and secure it properly.
20. Call the listing broker to report the results of any showing, correct any inaccurate listing information, and anything that appears wrong with the property.

Lem Marshall, Special Counsel for the Virginia Association of Realtors gave a presentation this morning called “Advanced Short-Sales”. It proved to be an excellent presentation that probably should have been called “What Realtors REALLY need to know about short-sales to successfully deal with one”.

Some of the things in the presentation that Lem covered were:

• The history of economics and lending in America, how credit markets work and why we’re in this mess.
• Prices may not be at the bottom yet. It may take another 12 to 18 months to get there.
• Knowledge is the key. Make sure you get everything out on the table regarding the seller’s financial and personal situation. You can not properly help them without knowing all the facts and their overall situation - past, current and future.
• Make sure you get the borrower’s permission, in writing, in order to publicize the fact that it’s a short-sale. You must have the seller’s permission to disclose personal and financial information about them, which is what you’re doing by publishing that it’s a “short-sale” or stating “subject to third party/lender approval”.
• Make sure that you correctly word the “subject to third party approval”/bank contingency. How you word this will directly affect whether you face potential issues in the future or not.
• If the bank says that they want the commission lowered from what you’ve agreed upon with your client, don’t give in so easily. Many Realtors in attendance said that they said “no” to the bank’s request and that the bank was okay with it.
• If the bank insists on lowering your commission, try asking them to counter at a higher price that covers both your and the Selling Broker’s commission.
• Remind the Selling Agent (Buyer’s Agent) that the process of approval by the bank can take 60 to 90 days, if not longer. This will help alleviate an upset agent and buyer down the line.
• Short-sales can be messy. Be prepared to do much more work than a traditional resale or even a foreclosure.

There were many other great points that Lem made that Realtors can use on a daily basis when dealing with short-sales. I recommend watching the video of Lem’s presentation once it’s up on the Dulles Area Association of Realtors’ web site sometime next week. I’ll publish a quick post when it’s up to alert everyone so you can go check it out.

Sure, it’s not easy being the new kid on the block. First of all, everyone else seems to know a lot more than you do about pretty much everything. And finding your own way can be really tough. Just ask any new REALTOR®. Getting a real estate career started under the best circumstances is not for the faint of heart. There are all of those regulations, trying to find clients, and then the awesome responsibility of all that money hanging in the balance between a client’s dreams and the harsh market realities.

Market challenges being what they are, we decided to find out from a few of our own new kids on the block – REALTORS® with fewer than three years’ experience under their belts – what it’s like being fresh on the scene of Virginia’s real estate profession.

With hundreds of fair-weather agents hanging up their spurs, we honestly expected to hear a lot about how hard life can be and maybe a little of what starvation feels like. So, imagine our surprise when five hearty souls gathered around a breakfast table recently to talk about their short experience in Virginia real estate, and nary a complaint was heard. In fact, these whippersnappers seem to have a few insights into carving out a successful real estate career that we think could help more than a few old-timers.

The latest to join the REALTOR® ranks are combining tried-and-true, traditional tactics with novel twists that come from having a fresh perspective on the business.

So, grab your own plate of scrambled eggs or bowl of oatmeal and see what these newbies had to say. We bet you’ll be surprised, too…

First things first: why did you become a REALTOR®?Is this your first career…or second, third or fourth?

Karen Newins, ABR, William E. Wood & Associates, Chesapeake I became a REALTOR® because I have a friend who is probably one of the top agents from our area. I had been in the medical fi eld for 15 years. It seemed like real estate would be a good fit for me, and my friend really encouraged me to get into it.

Karen Carpenter, 1st Choice GMAC Real Estate, Staunton My mom has been a REALTOR® for two decades, and I thought it would be a great way to subsidize my family income. I got my license in June 2007.

Bonnie Field, Real Estate III Crossroads, Charlottesville I retired from the medical field after 35 years. So I was looking for something I could do for myself. After working with patients for that length of time…working with people all the time, this is a good way to continue doing that in a different way.

Curtis Butterworth, Parr & Abernathy, Hopewell This is my third career. I practiced law for 19 years and then began to preach ten years ago. I am assistant pastor at Joy Fellowship Church in Hopewell. I received my real estate license in May 2006 and established a team, TheButterworthTeam, with my son, Brandon.

Willam Kimsey, GRI, ABR, ERA Kline & May Realty, Harrisonburg I became a REALTOR® in the spring of 2006. I had been interested in real estate for more than 10 years. Real estate is about helping buyers and sellers come together in a transaction that, ideally, allows both sides to get what they want by helping each other. In negotiation language this is called a win-win outcome.

My background as a teacher and trainer in communication and conflict resolution has prepared me well to serve as a VAR ethics instructor and a communication consultant for REALTORS® and brokers. In addition to completing my GRI and ABR, I am now working towards a broker’s license.

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