Do we really support our peers…or nah?

Here's a question I've been thinking about...

Real estate is a competitive sport and not for the weak or mealy-mouthed. It can be ruthless, heartbreaking, backstabbing and downright hateful. And that is just the agents! The clients sometimes are even worse! Every seasoned pro I know has a ‘black list book’ of agents that they would not help on the side of the road if there wasn't a drop of water for 100 miles. Show me an agent that has never been burned by a best friend, family member or client after you showed them the 47th home and I will show you a new agent with wet ink on their license.

We are supposed to be self-policing each other, yet…we rarely turn each other in for bad, unethical behavior. Why is that? IMHO, it's simple. We might have to work with that agent in the future. It is also incredibly time-sucking, emotional carnage overload and potential havoc on your business, so why bother? For all the reasons listed above, not a single one of the agents in my little black book have ever been issued a citation from the department. I took the path of ‘let them’ and focused on my own well-being and moving my career further. Was it right? I don't know.

What I do question, and what I do think we can do better as an industry, is how we help each other. Years ago when DocuSign came out (yes, I am that old!) I took it upon myself to teach the old timers in my office how to use it. One of my friends chastised me for doing so, telling me that I was giving away my competitive edge. Seems silly now, right? But at the time, it really did set me apart as a “High Tech” agent. I have also been an open book to share with others what works, what didn't work and lend a hand to help another agent. Why? Because I believe that it was Elevating the Standard™ (Yes, I trademarked that for our brokerage, so while I am all share-share, don't even think about it! 😆). Seriously though, me helping agents be better at their job helps elevate all of us. In turn, it elevates me in their eyes as the guy who is willing to share knowledge, market or otherwise, so it may encourage them to work better with me in the future. Quid pro quo, if you will.

When I opened my brokerage I was insistent that our agents do no less than 12 files a year and they had to get their associate brokers license. Part of that was my desire to have a company of peers, but also because of my disdain for those part-timers who were ‘bringing us all down.’ I have grown a lot over the last decade and, like my Greek-looking body, I have begun to soften a bit. Do I still think agents should strive for at least 12 transactions a year? Yep. Do I think getting your brokers license shows a commitment to your craft to elevate your standing in the real estate community? Also yes. But I have also learned that so many agents have a desire to do great, but get lost in the details, overwhelmed in where to start or bamboozled by shiny object syndrome and end up lost, broke and give up. I made a commitment to myself and my brokerage to help change that and elevate that standard to help all of us. We offer monthly CE classes for free and open to all just for this reason. I mentor newbies, even those not with our company, because I enjoy seeing others succeed. Their success does not take away from my success; there is plenty of pie for each of us.

So the next time an agent writes a truly sloppy BINSR, or puts out a TikTok that makes you cringe, rather than scold them, or worse—shudder—“turn them in,” why not offer to help them? Just like the airports, if you see something, say something. It will help them in the long run, make you feel like a better person and maybe, just maybe, keep that name out of your little black book.

So the answer to the question I have been thinking about…what are you doing in Elevating the Standard™?

Nicholas Yale

Designated Broker/Owner | Brokers Hub Realty