A Realtor, an attorney and a marketing guy walk into a bar. I’ve always wanted to start a blog post that way 🙂 Seriously though, yesterday I was fortunate enough to have lunch with some amazing people in real estate and it did include all of these people, plus a broker and a media company executive. The conversation was, as you would expect, mostly about real estate and one of the subjects discussed needs airing to a wider audience. Before I get into the details however, you need to watch this video:

The video is important because the conversation was, in part, about just how much a Realtor should do to help sell a home. It ultimately centered on the perceived value of the Realtor in the transaction. ‘Transaction’ it seems, is a problematic word and the discussion touched on the language used by Realtors to describe what they do. Should it be a ‘listing presentation’ or a ‘marketing presentation’? Does a Realtor ‘sell’ real estate or ‘market’ real estate? Any suggestion that ‘it’s all semantics’ prompted an enthusiastic response; “To say its semantics is to say it’s not important. And it is important!”

Public perception of what a Realtor represents is surely the most important thing. What a Realtor says and what a Realtor does is at the heart of how the public view the industry and it’s no secret that the consensus isn’t positive. I’ve highlighted reports that detail how, when asked about the most trusted professions, domestic cleaners, bartenders and sex workers topped real estate agents so there clearly is a huge problem. Other surveys show that a home owner is far more likely to seek advice from a financial advisor or neighbor than a Realtor when they want to sell their home. The stats suggest the Realtor gets involved once the decision to sell (or buy) has already been made. How is the industry currently dealing with this perception problem?

In some instances by comparing Realtors to other professionals, like attorneys and doctors, with designations as ‘proof’. But you’d never find an attorney that would give you divorce advice while simultaneously helping you pack as you move out of the family home. A doctor wouldn’t drive you to the pharmacy to pick up your medication. So if a Realtor is a professional, on par with these two example job types, should they clean the house, mend a broken fence or, in the case of the Heather Stanton video above, vacuum, wash dishes and clean the toilet?

I agree that perception is reality and, I’ll put my neck out here, that a Realtor is not at the same professional level as a doctor or attorney. The question is why? For me, part of it is the years of formal education needed to become an ‘Esq.’ or ‘Dr.’ vs. the hours to become a Realtor. Yes, I know I’m ignoring experience but that’s because it can be applied in all of these job types. I ultimately find myself wondering if my personal perception is such because attorney’s and doctors draw a clear line between what they say and what they do all in the name of service. Would public perception improve if Realtors services were solely advice? Can a Realtor do too much?