What would you do if every appointment you had was a job interview?  Would it drive you crazy?  After all, how would you like to battle head to head against competitors who are all looking for that listing.  It’s not like there is a Geneva convention for real estate.  Even if you get a new listing or a new buyer, circumstances can always change.  That buyer could lose their job,  or the seller may decide they just like the house too much to put it on the market.

I was thinking about a friend of mine.  She got her job as an intern in college and has been at the same job for over 20 years.  She’s never had to interview for her job as she was offered the job after her internship was over.  How do you think she would do in a job interview today?  I suspect she wouldn’t be all that comfortable.  Here’s a few reasons why

People think differently over time: What may have made perfect sense 25 years ago might not make any sense now.  As an example, how many people are looking for the best fax machine today?  I suspect not many.

  1. People think differently over time. What may have made perfect sense 25 years ago might not make any sense now.  As an example, how many people are looking for the best fax machine today?  I suspect not many.

 

  1. Employers look for different traits over time. When you interview straight out of college, what is an employer looking for?  Maybe a demonstrated competence in school, a cheerful disposition, etc.  It’s highly unlikely they are looking for 5-10 years of experience.  Contrast that with someone on their 3rd or 4th grown up job.  Now the employer is looking for experience, and some semblance of the applicant to be able to hold the job.  If education was a strong point out of college, it is less so now.

 

  1. Job skills don’t always transfer: Let’s say you are an expert in copier sales.  What skills transfer now?  We know that sales is a skill.  We don’t know how it transfers from business to consumer sales and vice versa.

 

A Job Interview mentality can be a great strength

 

When you’ve been in real estate sales for a while, you get to learn that the mentality of always being on a job interview can be a strength.  Here are a few reasons why.

 

  1. Keeps you focused. When you are meeting with a buyer or seller, you must focus on that interaction.  You can’t be distracted by visions of cashing a check on a sale that you don’t have yet.  Setting appointments becomes a serious exercise because without appointments there will be no sales.

 

  1. Keeps you up with the times. As times change, you have to embrace it.  Your sales pitch to a seller 20 years ago isn’t going to work today.  Just imagine how insulted some would be with recipe cards, etc.

 

  1. You learn there are no guarantees. I can go to a listing appointment where I’m in competition with three or more other agents.  What are my odds of getting the listing?  Let’s say 25%.  The odds aren’t in your favor.  You certainly aren’t guaranteed the listing just because you showed up.

 

  1. You learn some sort of humility. Have you ever lost a listing to a real estate agent who secretly drives you nuts?  I have.  Ever lost a listing to a client who died before you could list the house?  I have.  Ever had a buyer lose their job the day their offer to purchase was accepted?  You learn to be humble.  If not, I just don’t see how you can be in this sort of business over the long haul.  It would kill you.

 

  1. You learn to learn your market. You have a seller looking to sell their home in Webster Groves one morning, and in the afternoon you are showing homes in St. Charles.   You’d better have a good idea about what homes are selling for in the St. Louis area.  If you don’t know, your clients will suffer.  That’s not something you want as a real estate professional.

 

At Deerwood Realty, we’ve been through Job Interviews over and over.  We communicate with our potential clients and demonstrate our strengths.  After that, it’s up to the client.  We either ace the interview or we continue searching for another opportunity.  At least our resume wasn’t thrown in the trash before the interview 😉

Tags: , , ,