“With great power, comes great responsibility!”
Never a truer word was spoken when it comes to success in life…
But what does this famous motto from Spiderman 🕷️ have to do with real estate sales?
And what the heck does a comic book hero have to do with selling homes?
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Well, you see, I happened to go see the new Captain Marvel movie 🎞️🎞️today, and as I was thinking about it later on, I was struck with how that motto weaves its way through everything in the Marvel universe (both the comics and the movies). Yes, I’m a comic geek from way back! 🙂
AND, I also was struck with how relevant it is to sales in real estate, and in any kind of business for that matter.
You see, when you agree to sell a client’s home for them, not only are you taking responsibility for the most expensive financial transaction they’ll probably ever make in their lives, but you’re also taking responsibility for the IMPACT that sale will have on the vendor AND also the buyer.
And that’s a HUGE responsibility, whichever way you look at it.
Possibly one you don’t always take seriously enough…
See, it’s not just about how much you can sell that home for and how much commission you’ll make, but it’s also likely to be about MANY important things in your buyer and seller’s lives.
For example, if the vendor is a divorcing couple, the sale and ultimate separation of the financial arrangement between them could have effects that last years – if not decades – into the future.
Get it wrong and 1 or both parties could have struggles (financial & emotional) for a LONG time into the future, long after you’ve moved on and spent the commission.
If it’s a deceased estate sale, you’re often responsible for a LOT of memories and strong emotions involved with the vendors selling their loved one’s home.
Do you take that responsibility seriously – and leave them with a feeling of respect, compassion and the ability to move on with their lives, or do you just put in 85% and not really give a sh*t about them?
And for a home 🏠 buyer, the responsibility of helping them choose the place that they will live in possibly for decades to come is also – in my opinion – huge!
How many memories do we CREATE in our homes over the years? That’s a powerful part of the process.
It amazes me how often SOME (but definitely not all) real estate sales people seem to treat buyers almost as second class citizens, just because they aren’t the vendor.
Sure, you have to represent the vendor’s interests – that’s the job you signed on for – but never forget without buyers, you have no commission and no job!
It’s really interesting to observe the apparent change in attitude in the industry at the moment, when times are tough and buyers hold all the cards. Suddenly agents start waking up and realising that they NEED buyers and become much more focussed on wooing them…
Which is VERY different from when it’s a seller’s market.
So, going back to Spiderman & Captain Marvel and the motto this all began with, if you are not already taking the importance of your role in the sales transaction seriously enough, maybe – just maybe – it might explain why you’re not having the success you want.
Are YOU the agent that gets labelled as having “commission breath” behind your back (or to your face), or are you the “superhero” in the transaction?
When I say “superhero,” I don’t mean in an egotistical way (a “FIGJAM” agent, as I call them.) I mean [you] doing what’s right for everyone and sacrificing to deliver the best experience for all parties.
Treat ALL parties in the transaction with respect and give 110% and you’ll eventually see that commitment paid back in multiples!
The very nature of being a “superhero” is not just special abilities and powers, but what you DO with those abilities and powers that makes a difference.
So, cheesy though it may sound, BE the real estate superhero. BE the person you would want to do business with, and BE the one who makes a difference (in a positive way) to other peoples’ lives, because the importance of the home to EVERYBODY cannot be underestimated.
NOte: I wrote this article & originally published it on LinkedIn back in April 2019. I figured I should add it to this blog now! 🙂