Selling Your Soul For Half A Sandwich

What, no breakfast muffins? 😉

Ok, I am printing this post and anonymously leaving a few copies at every agent open I or anyone else hosts in the future.

I like broker open houses as a chance to let the other agents and brokers see the property and yes, I confess, I bribe them with food. It is a great tool to get feedback on the pricing, etc. I agree that when we attend we should be aware of the power we are presenting the other agent.

Maybe it is my area, but competing agents tend to respect other top agents and offer respect based on experience and professionalism more than office affiliation. It has never bothered me, especially since most of those listings aren’t ones that I was competing for, anyways.

I see the point you are making and can even agree with much of it, but will still utilized the broker open as a tool for my listings.

I found this post to be waaay to general. First, you didn’t tell us what KIND of sandwich are we talking about here. Perhaps a nice po-boy or a toasty sub? Furthermore, are we to imply that there is a bag of chips and soda involved ?!

I’m sorry but until I know all this vital info, I’m witholding judgment 🙂

I appreciate your thoughts. Broker’s opens in our little town are very popular, food is definately served, and it’s a big social party. We plan our tour with 3 criteria: 1. Office listings 2. Listings of interest 3. Food. And 3 isn’t a distant 3rd, either. Each week we average about 25 listings on our tour. 2-3 of those will be from our office. In a typical day, 5-6 homes is about all I can stomach or have time for. So I’ve got to narrow 22 listings down to 3 that I’ll tour (roughly). Food matters to me!
The other listings I’ll preview on my own time. I find private previews to be a great thing. Sellers hear your voice when you set the appt, they see your card alone rather than in a stack of 30, and they know you’re out previewing the market rather than chasing food.
So I’ll continue to follow the food on Thursdays…but 1/2 a sandwhich? Come to Gig Harbor and taste the chocolate covered strawberries and fresh salmon!

For the love of everything that is good in the universe, don’t use the term “sheeple” ever again.
Otherwise, an interesting article. We do lots of agent’s/broker’s opens here in my town, and sad to say, the food is often the only reason people go.

Broker’s Opens, like public Opens, are listing tools. I could’ve written this post, just not nearly as well.

Lisa — Your point, as usual, is well taken. the Kumbaya approach anywhere consistently falls on its face. Helpin’ folks is one thing — hurting your own business is another entirely. This is where the concept of so-called transparency goes off the tracks. IMHO

How transparent do you think I was with the content of my direct mail content when they produced an average income of $30-50K per mailing?

Lisa — Should I then infer you reject Ken’s example of the iPhone?

Thanks for you comments. When I penned this puppy I thought might raise a brow or two.

To clarify and bottom line my sentiment: Broker Open Houses have beneficial potential. Previewing listing inventory grows market knowledge. If I held a Broker’s Open House, I’d serve food and consider it a personal branding strategy in the real estate community. I DO feel that attending an open house for food is lame.

Also, I’m going to expand on my Feedback Fau Pax or Kumbaya in next weeks post.

Chris – Classic! “Thanks for the free food, can I give you feedback on what you should serve me next time?”

Marcie – Good for you. At least pretend you’re there for the right reasons. You’re class sounds interesting. I’m going to write about “Showing Feedback” next week. I’d like to hear what you think of that.

Joe – What? Please share….for the repeat offenders, staple it their forehead and forget the annon. My 2 cents.

Tara – Thanks. Yep, it’s a great way to network and build relationships with the Realtor community. I’d hold them and do a great job at them. Plus as you shared, it can really impress the seller. Especially if I am able to wrangle a great turnout from all the top offices in the area. My point is exactly that, the people who are only attending for the food are helping smart agents out shine the average and ordinary. Crazy biz.

Lesley – I would hold them too and I’d visit properties that would help grow my knowledge. I never leave feedback except for team members. Rock On:-)

Chuck C – Whoa! Wait a minute, I want everyone to read my blog post. I think that most people read interesting blogs because they are either entertained or educated, they don’t read them for a cookie or a sandwich. I thin that attending B/O/H is a great way to expand market savvy and when it’s done for food alone, well, it’s short sited.

Erion – Reminds me of the punch line, “Now that we know what you are, all we have to do is negotiate the price.” 😉

Matt – Interesting thought, the power of “Crowd Creation”. I’m not advocating abolishing B/O/H, I’m not cool with the idea of viewing properties for a free bite to eat. I’m gonna write in more detail about “Showing Feedback” next week. I think it’s a tradition that most sellers, if they understood, would ask their agent to NOT help other sellers our position them.

Matt – I practiced in Aspen for a year. I bet the spreads you speak of look shockingly as scrumptious.

Gigi – Wow, that’s one tightly knit market you serve. Sounds to me like you’re doing the right thing where you are.

Tim – I know. I had to really think it through. I double cocked and clutched a few time before pulling the “sheeple” trigger. In the end, I thought there wasn’t another word that would quite convey the sentiment. If you have a substitute, I’d love to hear it. I’ll hold in reserve the next time I’m fumbling.

BawldGuy – Thanks for the compliment.

Lisa – I’m looking forward to you’re post. Like you, I’m a believer in good karma, adding value to the community and lifting professionalism. I’m gonna expand on my “Feedback” take next week, my basic take is that a seller hires and agent and their brokerage to help them compete with other sellers for qualified buyers. If one of my team members or I help another broker’s sellers out position our sellers, I don’t think our sellers would thank us. I’m looking forward to hearing more from you on the subject – it’s an interesting topic with twists and turns and shades of grey. Sometimes I think that’s what makes it great and what makes it so lame too.

We don’t have a lot of Broker Open Houses here since the state decided Title Companies could not help with the party.

If there is no food, agents won’t come. So, do you spend hundreds of dollars to feed agents and get their opinion or is the money better spent on other marketing?

Wow, I have to say, as a non-realtor and past/potential future customer, your suggestions about using broker open houses to further your own selfish ends (promoting self and agency) over those of your COLLECTIVE customers serve to do nothing other than detract from the credibility of the industry in which you work.

Your analogy about I-phones is flawed. Real estate is a cooperative industry, where you sell each others' products. Your competition's customers are also a potential source of revenue for you. If someone else's listing doesn't show well, providing that feedback might make it attractive to one of your buyers, and you could close a transaction and make a little money. Withholding feedback in hopes that your competition's numbers look worse (in stats that likely no one outside your industry pays any attention to) is at best childish and unprofessional. Don't you all benefit from a market where homes are priced well, show well, and thus sell well?

Thanks for confirming my emerging view that the whole realtor thing is basically a self-serving racket that's very outdated in this internet age. If you didn't have a monopoly on the MLS, you'd have gone the way of travel agents.