When it comes to results, who you work with really does matter.
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The personal stories of one Realtor’s battles and triumphs in the highly-competitive Bay Area Real Estate Market, seeking to illuminate and humanize the very real ups-and-downs of homeownership.
I’ll admit it — my ego was a little bit bruised when I received the following text message:
“We have a listing in Oakland, just freshly launched on market. We are looking for a strong agent to host open house (sic) this weekend Saturday/Sunday. After viewing your tracking record we would like to present this opportunity to you. Are you interested in hosting? Please call if you would like to be the host.”
(I wouldn’t hold my breath.) After all, I’d spent the previous day at an ultra chic, invitation-only, private exclusive luncheon in Hillsborough with top-performing female Agents from all around the country, and was feeling pretty good about my newly-minted status among the “elite.” (Not for nothin’, but this is proof positive that DEI IMPROVES industries – it doesn’t weaken them.) After 20 years in the business, I was finally part of the “in” crowd.
That balloon popped rather quickly.
I should preface this by saying that I don’t know the inquiring Agent, have never heard of this particular person, and I didn’t recognize his Brokerage either. AND in spite of what I can only assume was a heartfelt, thoughtful, and grammatically incorrect invitation created by an anonymous robot, I’m fairly certain, this gentleman knows nothing about me either. (“Gentleman” being a bow to courtesy — my mother raised me right.)
Not that Sarah and I haven’t asked colleagues to man (I should say “woman”) Open Houses for us when its impossible to be in two places at once, but rest assured, we would never randomly select a complete stranger to fill this important role.
Exactly what was this guy thinking? (He wasn’t.)
With headlines throughout 2024 that ended in an industry-disrupting settlement with the DOJ that ultimately bifurcated Brokerage commissions, Realtors® are now in the difficult position of having to defend their value on each and every transaction, and with each and every client.
Fair enough; we’re happy to explain to potential Buyers and Sellers what we do, how we do it, and why it’s a good idea to hire and pay for a professional (“professional” being the operative word), but what we’re not willing to do is to defend lazy, sloppy, and incomprehensible practices.
Frankly, it’s Joe Schmos like this who give Realtors® a bad name.
To be clear, top-selling Agents prioritize key strategies; farming out the more mundane tasks to those who are better suited for it OR more enthusiastic. In fact, it’s why many Realtors® build strong teams; they excel at conquering and dividing, while focusing their limited time and energy on acquiring new business (as they should).
Still, I feel certain that none of the powerful women I lunched with on Monday are blindly asking any old Tom, Dick or Harry to hold open a house that they haven’t personally hand-selected, haven’t vetted thoroughly, and aren’t certain will take the necessary time to educate themselves about the property.
As for Sarah and me? We’re still personally hosting our weekend opens, still writing our listing agreements, still meeting Buyers for showings, still courting Sellers, still drafting copy, still negotiating, still problem solving, and still handling the bulk of our transactions from beginning to end.
That being said, “it takes a village.” While we are purposefully more front-facing, Jill and Kate are in charge of getting the properties ready for market, meeting inspectors, collecting bids, creating a budget, selecting vendors, overseeing the transformations, crafting the websites, creating brochures, and making sure the homes are front and center on Instagram and other social media platforms. When it comes to our business (and yours), we’ve learned to lean into our strengths, and capitalize on our team’s talents in concert.
And just to keep us all humble, everyone is in charge of picking up a broom and sweeping when necessary. (None of us have the luxury of letting our egos get in the way.) It’s a small team approach that works exceedingly well for us – and for our clients as well.
As for COMPASS, they bring heft, honesty, and ingenuity to the party. With more than 30,000 Agents nationwide, they are a company that has absolutely embraced diversity and inclusion, listens closely to its workforce, and adjusts rapidly. This year, COMPASS has introduced an onsite dashboard for its Buyers and Sellers designed to keep the transaction fully transparent called COMPASS One. It’s all the information you need at YOUR fingertips and more . . . .
Because, when it comes to results, to integrity, and to genuine care, who you work with really does matter.
How can we help you?
Julie Gardner & Sarah Abel | Compass Realty
Not just Realtors, but consultants in all things house and home, we’re here to educate, explore, examine and refer . . . In short, you may count on us to take care of your home as if it were our own and anyone who knows us, knows we take pretty darn good care of our homes.
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