jim jackson's Blog: All Categories

What happened to the professional service provider?  Teachers are now "educators"!  Auto mechanics are "service technicians"!  Real Estate Agents are ...frankly I don't know what, but as a group we certainly aren't service oriented, competent and professional.

Maybe I've just had a bad week, or month, but it seems to me that it is time for our industry to go back to the attributes of a professional.  I came up with an old list in my files:

ATTITUDE of SERVICE,honest,  genuine, integrity, PUNCTUAL, decisive, motivated, FOCUSED, HARDWORKING, positive, GIVING, responsible, intelligent, COMMITTED, OPTIMISTIC, KNOWLEDGEABLE, DISCIPLINED

You might highlight a diferent set, but few can argue that many of our peers fall short on many of these attributes. 

In…

I have tracked single family home sales in Austin Texas since 1997 when we purchased Capitol Area Realty.  The total closed sales profile, as graphed over time, is a bell curve.    2007 sales have fallen behind 2006 almost every month yet prices have increased an average of 9%.  Additionally tenants are payning 10 to 15 % higher rents.

Comparing September's totals to previous years, we are selling single family homes at a 2004 rate.  With the increased prices agents are making more per sale and incurring less expense.  Inventory is high enough that buyers have viable choices.  Sellers with well prepared and presented homes are getting multiple offers and closing within 90 days.

Incompetent agents and brokers are changing careers. 

In my opinion the…