The role of the real estate agent in Portland Oregon or anywhere else is constantly evolving.  When I started my real estate career in 1985, we had one computer in our office.  NO ONE in my office had a personal computer.  I knew one Realtor with a cell phone (that was about the size of a State Fair prize-winning zucchini) and it was so expensive the agent was afraid to make calls!  No one had ever “faxed” an offer to someone (much less e-mailed one).  I still remember beating out another offer because I “faxed” an offer to a client in the mid-west for his signature (while the other agent overnight-ed their packet).  I had to work-out on a regular basis because my “Multiple Listing Book” was larger and heavier than a Manhattan phone book (and, that was really the only way to access the listing inventory).  Of course, the book was always two weeks behind the inventory due to publishing and printing constraints.  A secretary “manned” (or, more likely, “womaned”) the front desk and was your lifeline to communication with clients and potential clients, where you maybe checked in twice a day by stopping by or calling from a pay phone while “out in the field”.  Real estate offices did eventually “morph” and provided 2-3 computers in a work room for all the agents in the office to share (I was in an office with 75 agents and 3 computers at one time).  Since in today’s world way over 50% of our business is transacted through working on our web sites, blogging, e-mailing, e-faxing and connecting while in the field from our “Smart Phones”, I don’t know why there weren’t more shootings in real estate offices as agents vied for time on the computers!!! If I hadn’t lived it myself, I would think this was a figment of someone’s imagination….really good “fiction” about the way things were.  And, NO……those were not the “good ‘ol days”……not for me anyway!

Anyway, I digress.  To survive in the real estate business you must constantly reflect your buyer’s and seller’s needs and the requirements of the marketplace in present tense.  Real estate information is no longer proprietary and we are not the “gate-keepers” of listing inventory or property details.  Home buyers and sellers have access to multiple sources of information and with 90% of buyers starting their real estate search on the web and xx% of sellers researching their position online, the public does not need real estate agents as their first point of contact.  There are a myriad of ways to access much of that data.  Our industry must keep re-structuring and re-inventing itself to reflect the times.  We need to “kick it up a notch” and be a partner in an important set of decisions that revolve around a real estate purchase.  We must be a source for other referrals such as mortgage brokers, title and escrow companies and property inspectors.  We must be an educated and experienced resource.  We have to be a strategist, a fellow brain-stormer, an advocate and a sponge (take it all in, wring out what we don’t need).  We have to not chase the immediate sale, but rather embracethe long-term relationship.  We have to negotiate with a win-win attitude while solidly championing our clients’ position.  We absolutely have to maintain a certain level of technical proficiency and constantly be willing to upgrade our technology….it is a “people-first business”, but you must have access to fast information and an even faster response time!  We have to read, take classes, attend seminars/webinars and scour real estate, financial and economic “rags” to keep abreast of the “latest and greatest”.  We have to respect ourselves and our clients by first investing in ourselves, personally and professionally.  You cannot be an advocate if you’re not mentally, physically and spiritually at least trying to be at the “top of your own game”!

The emergence of this new breed of real estate agent will, of course, begin with the on-going edification of existing professionals.  The rest of the evolution of the industry will have to launch with hiring practices.  Instead of pressure on managing Brokers in real estate offices to “fill seats” or simply produce “warm bodies”; instead of a “numbers game” the industry will have to embrace the age-old “quality over quantity” ideology!  The public will have to insist on “full-time” vs “part-time” agents to represent them.  Why does this matter?  It matters because experience matters!  Everyone has to start somewhere, so why not institute “mentoring programs” within real estate offices, where new agents can actually shadow experienced agents and learn the basics.  Instead of fueling a state of paranoia, the agents develop a sense of community and camaraderie.  Of course, a little old fashioned competition mixed in doesn’t hurt, but sharing the wealth of knowledge is essential.  Lack of training is rampant and handing someone an RMLS-web code, a desk and a phone is not enough to secure the success of that agent or the clients they represent!

I am one of the lucky ones.  Not only do I love my job (despite the fact that 2008/2009 tested my stamina), but I started my career in another down market with interest rates at 13% and a stampede of real estate agents had left the business.  There were only 12 agents in my office and we were given individual attention and weekly required classes.  I know that many newer agents have never seen a downturn…till now.  This temporary down market could give managing Brokers the opportunity and time to really participate in their agents’ development.  Instead of setting the bar so low, we can now demand from ourselves our very “highest and best”.  Just some thoughts……………

About the Author | Janeese Jackson

• More posts by Janeese Jackson

My job is service...service to you and your real estate transactions! How can you benefit from my 25+ years of experience and expertise? What can I offer to make the process more productive? * Current information on available housing...comparative and competitive market pricing and analysis * Daily involvement in the local real estate marketplace * Thorough, comprehensive knowledge reflecting years of helping others complete their real estate business * Extensive network of professional resources to make the process as smooth as possible My commitment is to you! Being available to you...returning your calls...answering your questions...addressing your concerns...respecting your money...matching your timeline...meeting your expectations...helping accomplish your real estate goals!!

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