My first “real money” job was waiting tables, at age 16. I was a waitress for the next four summers. Today, I tip generously. If my waiter does a good job, 20% is my minimum.
Waiting tables is perhaps the best training for any career, but especially in sales. It’s hard work that pays, because “you eat what you kill,” although my actual meals were snarfed on the fly. Hourly pay was next to nothing, so tips were everything.
To earn a decent tip, I had to be friendly, competent, knowledgeable, and FAST.
Fast forward 45 years: those same skills are the foundation of my real estate career. However, tipping only comes into play when a seller tips their hand. That is, they state what they expect to get for their home, often before I darken their doorway.
For example: “I’m thinking about selling my $900,000 home.”
Big mistake. A seller’s expected price won’t affect my market analysis. But there’s no shortage of agents who will massage the data – or ignore it – to match a seller’s expectation in order to sign a new listing.
For truly objective, data-driven advice, a seller should confer with at least two brokerages, avoid tipping their hand, and request/review references.
Why? This has become a challenging market; serious sellers need an advisor, not a yes-man.
Quote:
“There’s no shortage of agents who will massage the data – or ignore it – to match a seller’s expectation in order to sign a new listing.”
