Winnipeg REALTORS®: Full-Time Professionals
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I had received a call from someone who was looking for a house on his own. He was asking about one of my recently sold listings. After I gave him the ‘bad news’ (house is sold), I asked him whether he was working with any of Winnipeg REALTORS®, and he replied “Yes, I’m working with ALL of them”. I can only assume that means that he was unwilling to work with ONE REALTOR®, and is deciding to keep looking on his own. Before I had time to explain the 7 reasons for working with your own real estate agent, he hung up.
Then, I came across an interesting blog post at The Next Web, which explains that today’s society seems to be changing away from “professionals” and move towards ‘multi-purpose’ jobs. Less people become “professionals”, and more are taking ‘jobs’. The example they give is a plumber who is also his own marketer. A dentist can have a side-line as a photographer. Problem with this is that we are creating “Jacks of All-Trades, but Masters of None”.
And in many provinces and countries, REALTORS® is not immune to this trend. That’s where you hear of real estate agents in California who sell 3 homes a year, and then supplement their income by being busboys or waiters 3 times a week. (My first job was as a busboy, so please put your hate-mail on hold….. I have nothing against the job, we just need to make a point here..:-)
Winnipeg REALTORS®, I am very happy to say, are an exception to this rule. The reason is that our association will NOT permit a real estate agent to have a second income. Real Estate HAS TO BE our only profession.
How does this help the consumer?
For starters, it forces the real estate professional to either be good at what he does…….or get another job. Since real estate provides the only means of income, it creates a ‘sink or swim’ situation. For starters, as a member of Winnipeg REALTORS®, we have to attend Mandatory Continuing Education classes in order to keep up with ever changing laws, rules and market conditions.
So, to anyone looking to buy a house or condo, I would like to say this: Work with one of Winnipeg REALTORS® in your search. FINDING a home is actually the easy part, but putting forth an acceptable offer, negotiating the best terms and actually GETTING the property you want is best achieved by working with your own agent. Please read my 7 reasons for working with your own real estate agent here, and after that, call me for a personal consultation.
By the way, did you know that Winnipeg REALTORS® is the longest continually operating Real Estate Board in Canada? If I recall my training correctly, Victoria B.C. was actually formed a few years before Winnipeg, but then disbanded at the beginning of the 20th century (yes, I’m talking over a hundred years ago)… which makes Winnipeg the longest continually serving board.
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Thanks for some other magnificent post. The
place else could anybody get that kind of info in such an ideal way of writing?
I've a presentation next week, and I'm at the search
for such information.
Winnipeg is one of few areas where real estate agents are not permitted to have another employer…
By the way, I remember from our teaching that Victoria is the Oldest Real Estate Association in Canada….. while Winnipeg is the Longest Continually Operating association. You started first, but shut down for a short time in the early 1900's, if memory serves correct.
Great point, Fred Carver. and I believe that is part of the reason why our association has supported this rule. Tough to service your clients when you're busy at your 'real job' ….
Great comments and question, Johan. Actually, the rule is that we are not allowed to have another employer at the same time. I think the main reason goes to your first point: that we are available to serve our clients. Congratulations on your success, and the fact that you clearly set our your availability, but perhaps the fear is/was that some would not do that, grab the listing and then get busy doing their 'real job'…. at least, I think that might be part of the reasoning behind this rule.
Hi Cathy Duprey… its not so much about how many hours, or how many sales. The rule is: You can not have any other employer to whom you have to answer. So you can sell cars on the side, or run another business, just so long as you are not employed by anyone else.
To Late for Victoria Realtors you can do anything and sell real estate, maybe why 10% are selling 90% of the Real Estate
I have been a Real Estate Sales Rep for 10 yrs but when I started R.E. in Ontario I did it "as available/part time" for 5 or 6 yrs and made an average of about 30k per year while working in hospitality. You could say it was "part time" but what does that really mean? You are either available for a client or not. I only do R.E. now but it took that long to establish a consistent level of business. I did not have a 50k advertising budget…more like 5k, when I started. I know MANY "full time" reps who are consistently unavailable when called/emailed/paged for not just other reps but for buyers and sellers. The biggest complaint I… Read more »
How do you determine full time? Hours worked, sales volume?
Great post. There is a big difference between full-time and part-time agents. I've had inquiries from buyers who tell me they can't ever get a hold of their Realtor because they are working at their other job. Buyers should ask if the Realtor they are thinking of working with is a full-time Realtor. As you say, they should work with one Realtor, there are many advantages to doing so.