Finding Home In Utah: Choosing the Right Agent: Is Your REALTOR® a Mentor or a Motivator (and which is right for you)?

Monday, January 13, 2020

Choosing the Right Agent: Is Your REALTOR® a Mentor or a Motivator (and which is right for you)?

men•tor mĕn′tôr″, -tər
noun. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

To serve as a trusted counselor or teacher, especially in occupational settings

A MENTOR is someone:
Who trusts your abilities to rise to the occasion
Who tells you what you NEED to hear
Who inspires confidence and pulls you along to become your best

mo•ti•vate mō′tə-vāt″
verb. To cause to be enthusiastic.

To provide with an incentive or a reason for doing something; impel.

A MOTIVATOR is someone:

You depend on to keep you "up"

Who tells you what you WANT to hear

Who needs to push you to action

I admit: I am a terrible motivator.

Years of management experience, in and outside the field of real estate, has taught me that you truly cannot motivate another person. Motivation comes from within. You either are or aren't about whatever someone else is trying to motivate you to do or achieve. Most real estate agents are motivators, which is why the public often perceives those in my profession as pushy and self-serving.

I also admit: I am not for everyone.

"You didn't tell me that." This is a feeling I never want my clients to experience. I've built my service commitment on the foundation of helping my clients set achievable expectations, providing them with information about, well, everything, and being their step-by-step guide to a successful closing. Think of our relationship like learning a new language - Real Estate Immersion.

Choosing the right agent is your prerogative. Don't leave it up to Yelp reviews or Zillow advertising. Interview your agent voice-to-voice and face-to-face(time). Ask for a résumé and references. Make sure that they are a "match." This initial step to achieving your homeownership goals, whether buying or selling, is on you.

So in closing, and kinda-sorta relevant because he attended the London School of Economics, I leave you with this profound insight from Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones ...