Do Real Estate Agents Have a Bad Reputation?

Do all real estate agents have a bad reputation?

An agent commented yesterday that she felt embarrassed to be part of a profession in which so many real estate agents have a bad reputation because she does not deserve that moniker. Hey, some agents deserve the bad reputation label because they have earned it. Other agents are thoughtful, skilled, compassionate and excel at their job. It’s why some listing agents get paid 6% commission or more, for example, and others only 5% or less. Because good listing agents are worth what they are paid.

It’s rare I run across people who believe that Sacramento Realtors are miserable scum, so I’m not that affected by it. Plus, I look so good by comparison without doing anything except being. But I do know some people harbor a wrong belief about agents. Hey, a guy told me only yesterday that all agents promise great stuff but they can’t deliver. Excuse me? I back my guarantees with solid performance, and I can prove it. But in this case I’m not sure I have the time to educate.

All agents are not the same. We don’t wear the same hat, we don’t do the same job, and we don’t have the same life experiences. You can’t choose a listing agent based on picking the cheapest commission because you’ll be sorely disappointed. You need to pick the best. The best earn that paycheck by outproducing and netting the seller more money than the seller would get with a cheap agent. It’s that simple.

So how do you tell who is the best when so many real estate agents have a bad reputation? Especially when it comes to buyer’s agents who all get paid pretty much the same regardless of the amount of work they do or their skill level. Listing agents are often paid more by sellers for their work than the amount buyer’s agents earn. But that is not to say that buyer’s agents are less qualified because they are not. It’s just the way the system works.

The best way to find out whether real estate agents have a bad reputation is to Google them. The really horrible agents will have terrible reviews published about them online. You can read about a client’s personal experience working with an agent on these websites, and you can tell the agents who perform and the agents who give lip service.

Plus, trust your gut. If your agent is confident, can produce a published track record, and has been in the business long enough to gain a following and referrals, your agent probably is one of the better ones. Check out the Bureau of Real Estate website to see how long the agent has been licensed. Look for meat, not fluff. Do all real estate agents have a bad reputation? Absolutely not, but there are enough to give the public a distaste for some of us.

Further, sometimes, a person believes what a person wants to believe and no amount of facts and statistics will change that mindset. Like those who don’t believe in science, think global warming is hoax, and will gladly pollute the earth in exchange for a dollar.