Whew.

I’ve said this line more than I should have needed to over the last few weeks.

Yes, the real estate market has been great for the last couple of years. Lots of agents hitting goals, humble bragging on social media, taking luxurious (well-deserved) vacations and enjoying the fruits of their labor. It’s easy to see this and think, ‘hey, I’m going to jump into real estate and make a few quick bucks on the side’.

Unfortunately, I keep hearing this over and over again, but, I’m sorry, you’re not going to work for me. We’ll talk, I’ll tell you what it takes. I won’t sugar coat it. And, when you tell me you aren’t planning to make it a full-time career soon or in the future, I’ll wish you well and we will part ways after I make myself crystal clear.

You see, real estate IS the career. It’s not the side gig. It’s not Uber. It’s handling the largest transaction in people’s lives. It’s emotional, it’s deep, it requires professional knowledge of the market and the process.

Let’s take real estate out of the picture for a second. It’s your anniversary and you’d love to take your spouse to the best restaurant in town. It’s the best restaurant, so you’re making reservations and counting on them to deliver an amazing experience. From the greeting at the door, to the meal and dessert, you’re sure that your money will be well-spent at this place. Your spouse will be totally impressed and you’ll have an enjoyable evening. Get the picture? So, you walk in and you’re greeted by a frazzled host that seems to have lost your reservation. They say, ‘sorry, the entire regular staff is out sick and they called in some temps to help out. I only use this computer system once a year, I’m sure your reservation is there and I’ll seat you as soon as I find it.’ Suddenly, that awesome night you were counting on turns into a nightmare. <—All this stress was just over a meal. Can you imagine that type of experience with an agent? Would you want someone who’s only dipped their toe into real estate assisting you with the largest transaction of your life?

The behind the scenes of those beautiful vacations and surpassed goals is much more than what everyone sees on the surface. Real estate is an all-consuming career that requires dedication and focus. You certainly cannot be working that 40 hour per week job and provide the level of customer service consumers have come to expect from their real estate professional. During those 40 hours, you’ll be missing calls, saying you can’t show at that time, hiring someone else to handle the inspections and so much more. You’ll have to lean on your co-workers and probably stress out the agent on the other end of the deal.

Are there agents that do this and get away with it? Sure, they’re everywhere. Now, I’m not saying an agent can’t have a couple of side gigs beyond their real estate career; a few hours here and there is totally manageable and sometimes even enhances your career. If that side gig is a position where you come in contact with lots of people and also get to talk about real estate, it’s a definite networking bonus. Many agents volunteer, or are on boards, are involved with the city or other groups, etc, etc. You see, these are side gigs. Uber is the side gig, real estate is the career, and I simply don’t have the time or the need to hire anyone that doesn’t understand or respect this.

I don’t have the need. You see, my company is different. We hire for professionalism. We hire for reputation. We hire to give the consumer the best experience. There is no number on my head that says I’ll be fired if I don’t hire xxx number of people. We simply don’t operate that way. It’s why I’ve stayed in my position with my company. We believe in the industry and we believe in the professionalism of it. I know the weight of a transaction and I respect it. I see first-hand how hard it is not only to earn the money for that beautiful vacation, but to actually let someone handle things while you take it.

There are companies that will accept and/or encourage those that want real estate as a part-time job. It’s simply not me.

I’ve done it. I’ve read every single article I could get my hands on about millennials. Frankly, I’m really tired of calling them millennials and putting them under a microscope. But, the truth is, we have to. They are a huge generation of young consumers that’s hit the world by storm. I’ve had the privilege to raise 2 of them and have hired a few of them as real estate agents in my office.

Today, I’d love to bend your ear and debunk some of the myths.

The first one, every millennial loves and embraces social media, is so false and it really was a major surprise to me. For the most part, the millennials I’ve encountered pay little, if any, attention to social media. Sure, they’ll flip through Facebook/Twitter/Snapchat every now and then, but they aren’t anywhere near as addicted as GenXers. They grew up with it and it may have been something fun they did as kids, but it seems to be like they’ve left it behind and are a bit bored with it now. They seem to value the connection, but it isn’t their whole world.

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Years ago, during a real estate convention, I heard the incredible Tim Sanders speak about goals, being cooperative and always giving everything you can. It lead me to start following him and reading his books. I was intrigued to find someone with the same values as me that had experienced so much success. The first book I read, Love Is The Killer App confirmed that it’s really okay, even better, to be what he endearingly calls a Lovecat. There’s been times I’ve been told I’m too nice to succeed—which was a shock to hear. If I have to choose values over money, values win every single time.

Lovecat vs. Tyrant

As a managing broker of a small, but busy, real estate office, much of my job is advising the agents on working through their transactions. Trust me, when it’s the biggest transaction of a person’s life, there can be issues on top of emotions on top of issues. Most days, you’ll find me at my desk or hovering over an agent’s computer reading an email that usually trails a phone conversation about details. Why am I taking the time to do this? Well, when you’re conveying a difficult message, it’s easy to talk on the phone and in person and hear voice inflections of the other party and read when they’re concerned about something. You keep your voice calm and pause as needed to help manage and diffuse. However, there are times when messages have to be delivered or re-stated via email, so all parties can understand the same message. This takes tact. I love that the agents trust me to help them with these delicate messages. My personal “Lovecat” advice phrase is: You’ll need to add some sugar. 

I completely believe that the tone of an email or text can break deals, just as it can break relationships in your every day life. I receive an average of 75+ emails a day. Rarely does anyone take the time to stop and consider how the person on the other end of the web will feel when they read an email. How can I tell? There’s just no personal touch. There’s no sugar. There’s no please’s or thank you’s. Simple directives can come across as demands. Lighthearted jokes can offend. Short, quick responses can come off as cold.

Whether my agents are emailing a cooperating agent or one of their customers/clients, the importance of finding the right words remains. Reputation is of utmost importance in the service industry. Some well placed SUGAR goes a long way.