The Curse of Knowledge.
There comes a time when enough is enough. When we suffer from information overload. Trying to improve ourselves - to perfect and polish what is already our sublime and effortless manifestation.
As consumers, we are bombarded throughout our working day with an endless stream of advertising, data and images. Our brain does the sensible thing and automatically ignores most of what we see and hear. It needs to conserve itself for the important task of keeping us safe and healthy.
Not so in real estate.
Estate agents and realtors are similarly bombarded with regulatory updates, statutory requirements and codes of practice.
On top of all of this, we have an extraordinarily active body of self-appointed 'trainers' that would have agents be 'better', as in more successful, at doing the job.
Constant and never-ending improvement.
My belief is that agents are good enough - more than good enough to do what they do. Almost all of them capable of winning and progressing an instruction through to completion. Even those without the qualifications that everyone so obsesses about these days. Qualification is not going to keep any homeowner safe from those agents that lack integrity.
The more new knowledge that is processed into our brains, the more existing information is deleted to our sub-conscious. And what we end up with is best-practice that is predominantly current practice, at the expense of older, perhaps more pertinent, knowledge.
We don't need more information - We need better information.
Information that causes and inspires agents to act with integrity. Not information that allows them to pursue their own agenda once they've become 'qualified'.
This obsession with 'competence', with what they do, has caused realtors to forget who they are - the very thing that homeowners first look for in every estate agent.
Aren't we just a little tired of the 'local property expert?'.
Who is often not the expert.
"I don't trust experts who claim to make the work easy. Meaningful work is always hard. Creativity requires practice, repetition, reinvention. Better to find people who can help you see the work more clearly, to think better about the work, to more eagerly attack what's hard." - Jay Acunzo.
Jay continues: "without knowing your context, who you are, who your customers are etc., unfortunately generalized advice is the best these so-called expert opinions can provide. Being compliant with best practice is being complicit with commodity work."
"Ask the homeowner more and better questions" is the standard advice meted out by the 'trainers'. Advice which brings up two bumps in that particular road.
Most agents only have an hour to meet, impress, appraise and possibly close the instruction. Questions need time to answer. Here, there isn't time.
Most homeowners are loathe to answer questions that are asked by a complete stranger. Where there's no apparent affinity. That's why the whole truth is often not in play.
So more knowledge doesn't rack up the points when any agent is trying to build rapport. Those agents that try to convince and convert with facts, figures, promises and boasts fare badly. To them, it's simply a numbers game. Until they eventually find a vendor naïve enough to fall for the patter.
Ditch the act!
Stop trying to position yourself as an 'expert'.
Try, instead, to be yourself.
Authentic, transparent and curious.
Authentic enough that you don't have to hide behind a mask.
Transparent enough that there's often no need for questions because now there's trust.
Curious enough to know that everything is uncertain, except your commitment to making it work best for your client.
The curse of knowledge is all too evident when competence rears its ugly head. The smart-Alec, know-it-all, 'passionate' professional agent. Blinding the vendor with more and more data. Oblivious to the fact that data doesn't change minds and their lack of persona doesn't win hearts.
Be yourself. Avoid the curse of knowledge. Stop trying to be that 'expert'.
We've had enough!
Thanks, as always, for reading. Happy to hear your comments and my advice is always free.
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