On Monday evening, I walked out of my friend’s house, turn my phone on and was immediately faced with a barrage of messages running on our company’s chat room. Those messages weren’t uplifting or hopeful. It seems that one of our remote assistants has passed away that morning. She was a young, vibrant woman but more so she was kind, helpful and the kind of person you hope always picks up the phone when you call for assistance with whatever issue you are faced.
It is amazing to see, read and hear all the experiences the 70+ agents in our Brokerage have had with her. She has touched and changed our lives although we have never met in person. We never came belly to belly as our CEO likes to say.
This always leads to me thinking about the experience I am providing my clients, both buyers and sellers.
In the age
where technology takes over our lives these days (some voluntary, some not), how do we make sure AI is a tool in our hands as oppose to us being enslaved and replaced by it???
The answer is simple enough in my view – providing genuine value, support and service.
Whether you are a new or an experienced agent it is important to remember and adjust to a changing market. We can not take for granted the trust people put in us and the expectation they have that we will guide them through a process that they most likely isn’t common practice and at times can be very daunting and overwhelming.
We, Real estate agents/brokers have a reputation that at times is just one level above what used car salespeople used to be – conning, lazy, greedy and dishonest. Unfortunately, this wasn’t created out of thin air – it is most often the practices we engage in that cause people to be weary of trusting us or thinking we have anything to offer.
Sometimes, it is not just the way we treat our buyers and sellers but also the way we treat our fellow agents – and then we are surprised when we make a call to a seller who clearly needs our help but was left with a really bad taste in their mouth from their past experience with an agent.
We have to constantly strive to raise the bar on service even and especially in a business where payment is not always a promised outcome of hard work. We have to set realistic expectations for our buyers and sellers as well as ourselves and make it our mission to live up to those expectations.
The only way we can make sure we stay relevant is by providing genuine value so bear with me as I use an example from another industry.
Willis Chairman and CEO Joe Plumeri concluded a series of discussions on Mega trends in the Insurance industry 11 years ago by saying the “one of biggest challenges facing the insurance industry is the demand for differentiated value” and “price is only an issue in the absence of value”.
The only genuine value AI and technology offer is in the hands of the program coders. The one we provide is in ours so ….let’s all do the next right thing and the rest is sure to follow!
RIP our dear Isabel!
WRITTEN BY:
STEPHANIE (PAULIE) KATARIVAS, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, RE/MAX Edge
Paulie has been a Brooklyn resident for the past 32 years. Prior to joining The Napolitano Team at Re/Max Edge, Paulie had a very successful career in the Insurance industry for 15 years, where her commitment to excellence helped her ensure that her clients coverage needs were met and their expectations exceeded.
Her understanding of the Real Estate Market combined with thorough knowledge of homeowners / business risk management requirements, gives Paulie the edge needed to succeed in helping her clients achieve their real estate goals, whether it’s a 1 family home, coop, condo or commercial space.
Born in New York City and raised in Israel, Paulie has a unique ability to interact and relate to people of all different backgrounds and walks of life. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her two daughters, reading and meditating.
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