The Chicago Association of REALTORS®, the “Voice for Real Estate” in Chicago since 1883, represents over 17,000 members from all real estate specialties including commercial sales, development, property management, appraisal, auctions and residential sales.
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In our industry, when temperatures rise, patience often wanes. Tempers get tested with our clients, consumers, and our fellow REALTORS®. At CAR’s Spring Market Trends event, our illustrious top producer panelists shared insights into how best to navigate this tricky market.
Treat Others With Kindness
It always comes back to the golden rule: treat others how you hope to be treated. It is tempting to fixate on what the other party is (or isn’t) doing, but kindness and patience go a long way. We often aren’t aware when others are dealing with health scares, family issues or even other transactions going sideways. In those moments, kindness is key. Transactions have high stakes, and with the sheer number of parties involved — agents, clients, attorneys, inspectors, lenders, family members and so on — there are many personalities at play. Try to keep your cool and you may be able to keep a deal together.
Words Matter
We need to own what we say. Before hitting send, it pays off to take a moment to re-read emails and text messages to assess tone. Feeling fired up? Save it as a draft and re-read after you’ve cooled down. There’s nothing wrong with a rewrite. Having issues communicating or the email exchange is heating up? A phone call can quickly clear up misconceptions and save a headache, or even the deal.
While the phone is great, be sure to confirm everything in writing (email, too, not just text!). Protect yourself and protect your clients.
It’s A Small Industry
All three panels agreed on this one simple point: to be effective in this industry, good relationships with other REALTORS® are essential. There are two sides to every transaction, and there is no telling who is going to be on the other side of your next deal. All we have is our reputation, so let your moral compass be your guide. When competition heats up, there is no benefit to knocking other brokers or companies. There is more than enough business to go around!
I wish you the best this summer. Work hard, be good to others, and represent the best of our industry. When someone’s fuse is short or when their comments are out of line, take a breath and know, you’ve got this.
Best,
Rebecca Thomson, 2017-2018 President of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®
Some Resources:
Make sure you take your Code of Ethics training prior to the December 31 deadline!
In our industry, when temperatures rise, patience often wanes. Tempers get tested with our clients, consumers, and our fellow REALTORS®. At CAR’s Spring Market Trends event, our illustrious top producer panelists shared insights into how best to navigate this tricky market.
Treat Others With Kindness
It always comes back to the golden rule: treat others how you hope to be treated. It is tempting to fixate on what the other party is (or isn’t) doing, but kindness and patience go a long way. We often aren’t aware when others are dealing with health scares, family issues or even other transactions going sideways. In those moments, kindness is key. Transactions have high stakes, and with the sheer number of parties involved — agents, clients, attorneys, inspectors, lenders, family members and so on — there are many personalities at play. Try to keep your cool and you may be able to keep a deal together.
Words Matter
We need to own what we say. Before hitting send, it pays off to take a moment to re-read emails and text messages to assess tone. Feeling fired up? Save it as a draft and re-read after you’ve cooled down. There’s nothing wrong with a rewrite. Having issues communicating or the email exchange is heating up? A phone call can quickly clear up misconceptions and save a headache, or even the deal.
While the phone is great, be sure to confirm everything in writing (email, too, not just text!). Protect yourself and protect your clients.
It’s A Small Industry
All three panels agreed on this one simple point: to be effective in this industry, good relationships with other REALTORS® are essential. There are two sides to every transaction, and there is no telling who is going to be on the other side of your next deal. All we have is our reputation, so let your moral compass be your guide. When competition heats up, there is no benefit to knocking other brokers or companies. There is more than enough business to go around!
I wish you the best this summer. Work hard, be good to others, and represent the best of our industry. When someone’s fuse is short or when their comments are out of line, take a breath and know, you’ve got this.
Best,
Rebecca Thomson, 2017-2018 President of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®
Some Resources:
Make sure you take your Code of Ethics training prior to the December 31 deadline!