Tag Archives: Vegitarian

Realtor choice: A matter of…taste?

Posted on by
Reply

Source: Lauren Baier Kim – CyberHomes Blog

CyberHomes

Daniel Berman wants you to buy a house from him. He can give you lots of reasons to trust him, but his primary selling point, laid out on his Web site is that he’s a vegetarian.

Really.

A San Francisco Chronicle blog post on Berman sent ripples through the blogosphere, where commentators scoffed, mocked and generally belittled Berman.

mirror and woman

What surprises me isn’t that Berman touts his personal lifestyle as a reason to hire him, but that no one in the Bay Area did it sooner.

There are no fewer than 35 Bay Area vegetarian and animal rights groups, according to the San Francisco Vegetarian Society (make that 36 organizations, then). There are at least two vegetarian restaurant chains in San Francisco and one super-expensive chi-chi destination restaurant.

We San Franciscans take our diet seriously, and food even more seriously.

So Berman bills himself as a vegetarian Realtor? My response is, Really? Just him?

What surprises me about this hoopla is that we often want to work with people who are like us–especially Realtors, people who sell their services based as much on their personalities as on their resumes.

Think about it:

  • When you chose your Realtor, maybe you looked for someone who lived in your neighborhood.
  • Maybe you chose someone who shares your faith.
  • Maybe you’d like someone you might run into at the yoga studio (my Bay Area colors are showing again).
  • Maybe you’d scoff at a 20-something agent, preferring someone closer to your own age.
  • Maybe you gravitate to one who’s also a parent.
  • Maybe you go out of your way to find a gay Realtor if you’re gay.
  • Maybe as a woman you prefer to work with another woman or as a man would rather have a male Realtor.

    • The fact is, there are so many Realtors out there that you can afford to be picky. Of course, we here at Cyberhomes know it’s best to find one who has a track record and is ethical.

    What does ‘ethical’ mean to you?

    For some people, ethical is going to mean vegetarian. For others, it’s going to mean Republican. For others, its that they’re both transplanted New Yorkers. Whatever the preference, they’re all valid, as long as you choose one who’s also got experience, recommendations and who is transparent in every transaction with you. Look for one who lays out what his fees will be, what you get for that money and a sense of what he expects from you.

    The rest is just gloss–or the dressing on the salad, as it were.