Comments on: Experience Pays

By: Vetting your Charlottesville Realtor | RealCentralVA.com

Vetting your Charlottesville Realtor | RealCentralVA.com — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:20:19 +0000

[...] Experience matters as does being a full-time Realtor. [...]

By: Jim Duncan

Jim Duncan — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:05:35 +0000

Michael –

You mean, we have to work to make money? Darn it!

(more substantive comment coming later)

By: michael guthrie

michael guthrie — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:40:00 +0000

Sasha makes an excellent point re: designations and as Andrea noted, when a teacher can balance the theory of Principles (which we very rarely use) with the practical how to’s of the business, licensees would come out better prepared. the other positive result would be that some might never take the test because they see real estate is a tough, tough business and not an easy way to make money.

By: Sasha Farmer

Sasha Farmer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:34:41 +0000

I think that in a perfect world, the GRI designation would be replacement for the 2 years of post-licensing classes we are required to take. It is too bad that we can’t offer those courses at more locations or at lower costs, and make them a requirement within the first 1-2 years of business in order to renew a license. Experience certainly can’t be beat by any course out there, but if GRI, ABR, SRS, and CRS (these are incredible) courses were more of a standard instead of advanced designations, I think we’d all be better off. Our requirements for continuing education are alarmingly comparable to the prerequisites for entry- it would be nice if, at some level, we were held accountable for keeping up with changes in our industry and the technology that governs it.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:52:42 +0000

Jim – I think you are right in your inference that basic licensure classes may not produce extraordinary (or even competent) agents. Having taken the class at CAAR, I was very much aware that the quality of my instruction was solely the responsibility of my teacher, with positive results.

My instructor was a real estate professional who had been in the business and a REALTOR(r) for about 25 years…his method for explaining the VERY dry and less than entertaining concepts of agency law was to give us examples and stories from his real estate practice. I came out of the class with a much clearer understanding of what it means to be an agent – it’s more than just the book knowledge required to pass a test. So, the point of my post is to say that you are RIGHT – experience does make a difference, but it is possible to at least leave class knowing what one needs as a rookie agent – a good mentor. I am not sure that the online or super-fast options to achieve licensure are such a good idea for first-time agent wannabe’s.

By: Duane Gran

Duane Gran — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:48:56 +0000

I think it is symptomatic of the buying public. They believe the property is “the deal”, but once they are negotiating terms they may begin to understand the value of an experienced partner in the transaction.

You might be better served working with commercial real estate where the parties are more rational and your integrity and experience may be more of an asset.