What do you do when you feel you’ve had enough?
Do I really need to publish the links again? Unless you’re on a remote desert island with no internet access or an agent who really doesn’t care much about your future, you know what links I’m talking about. Oh alright, one more time and then I swear I won’t like to them again (in this post). Issue #1 and Issue #2. So now that you’re up to speed (as if you weren’t) please allow me to continue.
All the commotion caused by these two issues over the last week or so has been amazing to me. I learned more about IDX, NAR, HUD, MLS, and OMG then I knew was possible. As I delved further into the issues and commented on posts and read other agents’ thoughts, I started to learn more and care more about what’s happening outside of my transactions. I have always taken an interest in these sorts of stories on AgentGenius, but something about this really got my attention. The more I talked about it to others, the more I found people asking me questions and caring about what was going on. Many were in the dark. I’d like to think I shed some light on the subject for them.
Did I just make a difference?
One of the biggest stumbling blocks I face as a newly crowned one year old Realtor® is the fact that I am new. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll know that I don’t mind the moniker, but I have to admit…sometimes it deters me. I’m surrounded by people with more knowledge and experience, but despite that fact, I am treated as a peer. It doesn’t mean that I’m oozing confidence every second of the day though. I do have my moments of doubts and fears, but when you see yourself taking a role and having people look to you for opinions and advice, you start to think that maybe you shouldn’t be having them.
I’m making a difference by being vocal and spreading the word. I’m proud of that. Fact is, it’s not enough. In six months I fear no one will be listening to me talk more about these issues – some of you will, but so many won’t. That’s discouraging, but unfortunately, it seems to be part of human nature.
It is time for me to take a step forward.
So today, I am announcing my new “Committme Campaign.” I am going to start working towards a goal of being on a committee on the national level. I looked through the requirements for them. Guess what? I’m not qualified. Most of the committees require some form of state or local experience. I did some research. Guess what? The Texas Association Of Realtors® is about to open up the committees. On May 28, 2009, I will be able to put forth my information to possibly join a state level committee. I have begun gathering information and asking questions of some local agents who serve to see if they have any advice for me and I want something from you, my AgentGenius friends. I want you to “committme.” Don’t let me back down, give excuses, hem or haw. Don’t let me dodge this, forget it, or sleep in late that day. I need you to help me do this.
If you have any advice, I’m all ears. I figure if I can make a move to join a committee or two, then I’m a few steps closer to helping build the National Association Of Realtors® that I want to see in the future. It’s a long road and it won’t happen overnight, but if I can make a tiny dent to repay all of you for what you’ve taught me, then I feel I’ve done my job. I don’t want it to be a lonely journey either, so I hope some of you will join me. I know I’ll get frustrated, but I hope you’ll keep me on track. I know I’ll curse myself for this commitment later, but I hope you’ll remind me of what got me here. I need your help to help me help all of us. I won’t save the world, but I’ll at least leave a mark.
photo courtesy of ILoveMyPiccolo
Ken Brand
May 21, 2009 at 6:55 am
I wish you speed, patience and endurance, you already have brains and moxie. Go Get’em.
Brad Nix
May 21, 2009 at 7:32 am
It is a commitment of time (oh the hours and hours), energy and money (not all expenses will be reimbursed and the lost business due to your time investment is worth noting). However, you will find good people trying to do what they think is right.
Unfortunately, you will be classified as the ‘young techie’ and in their eyes that means you know how to use the internet well, mastered the pda, and generally have nothing else of value to add beyond answering tech support questions. Please fight thru this stereoype and prove your value by being forceful with your ideas for improvement. Let me know if I can help in any way.
Vance Shutes
May 21, 2009 at 8:59 am
Matt,
Having served in both committee and leadership positions at both my local and State Boards of Realtors, I salute your commitment to giving back to your profession! Thank you, and may your example serve as encouragement for many others to get involved in their local Boards. As your business grows, and the demands on your time grows accordingly, the service you provide at the local and State Boards will help you become more laser-focused on each transaction, client, and Board activity. Go Matt, Go!
Benn Rosales
May 21, 2009 at 9:23 am
Question everything, and always put the needs of the membership above your own, and the day you can no longer be who you are is the day to step down.
I’ve always known you were a cut above, you have my support, although I’m a lousy alarm clock.
Louise Scoggins
May 21, 2009 at 10:07 am
Wow, Matt, I am impressed! I envy your committment to become involved. As a busy Realtor / mom / wife, I am always hesitant to get involved with committees b/c I am afraid it will detract from my business or family. I wish you the best of luck and will be following along with your progress! Kudos to you!!
Lani at Agent Genius
May 21, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Matt, I’m a great alarm clock and we support you!!! 🙂
Mark Brian
May 21, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Great news you are taking a step to get involved. I have been hesitating to do so myself because I never seem to have enough time to get eveything done. But maybe I need to finally break down and try to make a difference by getting involved.
Matt Stigliano
May 21, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Ken – You’re showing your age using words like “moxie.” Haha. Good thing my mom used to use that word or I’d be running to a dictionary right now. Thank you Ken, thank you.
Brad – All things I’ve considered. My answer to the time/money issue is simple. If I don’t try to change and work within our various associations, my money and time won’t matter if I let them take it all away. You can help – keep doing what you’re doing. (I don’t want to admit this in public, but you’re one of my real estate idols.)
Vance – That’s an interesting take on the time commitment. By using more time, you learn to focus more. It’s true, but I hadn’t thought of it that way.
Benn – You said:
I have never backed down from a question, even if it sounds naive or stupid. Part of this is about the needs of the membership (myself included). And as for stepping down – I left a great, fun, and lucrative job for that sort of reason. I loved being a rockstar, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be anymore. I felt as if I wasn’t serving the needs of my fellow band mates or the fans. For lack of a better phrase – I was half-assing it. I left.
Louise – I don’t have enough time as it is, but the fact is, I can no longer use time as an excuse to watch everything from the sidelines. If I can’t be a part of it all, then I can’t complain near as much as I do.
Lani – Thanks. You know, I still think the “Million Realtor Plus Lani March On TAR” is a great idea.
Mark – I think you should. I’m scared to death of the time commitment, the unknown, the new…but if I don’t try, then I’m just another warm body doing my job. I want to see real estate move forward and although I’m a realist and don’t think I’m going to walk in there and change the world – if I can change one tiny little thing, I feel I’ve done what I came to do.
I actually hated this post. I was frazzled yesterday. I mean what I said in it, I just wish it had been better written. In fact, most would call me insane for attempting this and I missed one amazing bit of word play – “Committme”/”Commit Me” (insane, get it?). From here on out, I will have Ken Brand ghost write all my word play.
Craig Barrett
May 21, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Get it! Keep the faith and focus past the inevitable distractions. I got your back 🙂
Vicki Lloyd
May 21, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Good for you Matt!
My motto has always been to get involved or shut up and suffer the consequences.
I’m on my local MLS committee, and the Pro-Standards committee at my Board of Realtors. Participating in the meetings and discussions is valuable education, and there’s even a chance of making a difference!
Some of the old timers (who think “We’ve always done it this way”) can be educated and influenced when they get to know and respect you.
Just be gentle, or you will scare them away!
Good luck!
Brad Nix
May 21, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Matt, you’re gonna rock your local and state associations – just be yourself!
I just can’t get past the fact that two of your supporters belong to the same local association here in Cherokee County, GA. Louise Scoggins, way to show up and support Matty Rockstar! Now if I could just get you to help me make some changes in our local association;) Start by sending me your ideas for improvement, you know how to contact me – or just say when and I’ll be the beers so we can talk in person.
Matt Stigliano
May 21, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Vicki – That’s a good motto. We lived life the same way in the band. Stop your whining and start your working. We all broke the theory from time to time and complained or moaned, but it only made us work harder. Try touring England for two weeks (it doesn’t take much to tour through there) knowing full well that you haven’t sold a record. Guess what? Those tours of crappy clubs in the worst places made us into someone in the UK. Sometimes you have to suffer a bit to be where you need to be, but crying about it won’t get you anywhere. I’ll try to be gentle, but I will share my thoughts and work to learn more and explain what I already know.
Brad – I learned from you early on to be myself. You were the first one to really drive that home to me with those early email conversations. Louise could be a great ally for you…you just need to convince her you won’t take all of her time.
Louise – If anyone would be awesome to work with in the local associations, it would be Brad. Plus he’s offering to “be the beer” (I think a tried that once after reading a Zen book and having a couple of beers – I don’t remember the results).
Carolyn Gjerde-Tu
May 21, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I’m also involved on the local level- on my association’s board of directors – I’ll likely be pres-elect next year and recently became involved in my regions MLS committee. These issues do make me feel I need to get involved even more either at the state or national level – sometimes a fresh viewpoint is welcomed, especially if it is well reasoned and not argumentative. You can definitely make a difference locally – so I hope you get whatever committee assignments that you want. Actually, I did volunteer for my MLS committee a couple of years ago and was asked to be on the website committee instead – I paid my dues there (that’s how I was asked to be a director and then back again to MLS committe). So if you don’t get on the exact committees you would like right away, get involved with something – you will get there eventually.
Matt Stigliano
May 21, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Carolyn – Great advice and encouragement…thanks! I just sent an email to our last chairman of our local board to see if he could offer me any advice. I’ve been in contact with a few “big names” in our association (I figure they’ll at least know my name by the time I get there!) and just that experience is becoming fun and firing me up just a little more each time I get an email. I see your point about being open to other committees and I am, there’s a few I can’t imagine I would perform well on (right now), but I have a couple in mind so far.
Paula Henry
May 21, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Matt – I commend your dedication to enacting change and yes, it will be slow progress. Every little bit helps though. Every voice counts.
I got your Commit Me, and insane, it may be. I sat with a few board members today and have to say, it’s painful to watch and try to educate those opposed to growth and progression in the industry. I don’t think my board is ready for me 🙂
With people like you and many others here, who knows, one day we may take back R.com. A few baby steps at a time.
Bill Lublin
May 22, 2009 at 12:32 am
Matt: A great big Man Hug AND a chest bump on top of that- Your taking steps to participate in the governance of the REALTOR movement is what is needed for NAR to move towards the future.
When I first got involved in my local association, my broker (who was a former board president) said to me, “If you leave the association in a little better shape than when you found it, you’ve done a good job” I’ve tried to keep that advice in my mind since then, and its always served me well. Hope it does the same for you.
Looks like you still rock dude!
South City Lights
May 22, 2009 at 6:01 am
Join the Committme. | Real Estate Blog Magazine – Real Estate … https://tinyurl.com/pvs77m
Louise Scoggins
May 22, 2009 at 9:21 am
Hey Matt, Yep I know I can learn soooo much from Brad, he is a local Real Estate icon (at least in my eyes). I am amazed at all he does and am glad you have found encouragement from his words. I again state I am envious of your “just do it” attitude. It’s definitely something I can learn from. I think it’s great that your passion for your industry and the change to come has caused you to step up to the plate…it has definitely made me think about some things.
Matt Stigliano
May 22, 2009 at 10:40 am
Craig – How did I miss you in my replies? D’oh! Thanks for the back up. I think I’ll have a lot of good back up when I get stuck, frustrated, or feel a bit lost.
Paula – As I’ve said, your post really got this rolling in me. Why sit back and wait for changes like that to come about when I can “head them off at the pass.” I owe you (and a lot of AgentGenius people in general) for helping craft me into who I am. I took my own self and applied the principles I started to learn here and now I feel I’m growing in many ways. I don’t think your board is ready for you…I think you’ve proved that.
Bill – Just got an email this morning from our past-chairman with some great advice and encouragement. He’s the kind of guy I thought wouldn’t take a minute for a young guy like me…he’s too important, I thought. I had the same thoughts about you when I first read your posts. Not because of the way you acted, but just a simple pre-conceived notion because you were a “big-wig.” You proved me wrong long ago and with that thought in mind, I took a shot and sent him an email. I got the response. I’m learning to not pre-judge other agents and people in roles of “authority” in real estate. One more step for me. I love the quote and will do my best to live by it.
Louise – As my The Stigliano Chronicles is geared towards newer agents, I thought it was important to have this conversation about my “Committme Campaign” here. Perhaps I could inspire one or two of them to join in too. I definitely believe that if more of those of us join in and participate in the associations and boards, we can move real estate to new levels.
Austin Smith - Goomzee.com
May 22, 2009 at 11:34 am
Do it to it, Matt! I applaud you for coming to this conclusion in light of last week’s controversy. How do you fix what’s broken? Become proactive, that’s how! Good luck with your goal, Matt…hopefully you’re duties won’t cut into you’re blogging time.
Todd Tarson
May 22, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Matt, I applaud your attitude and believe it is the right one to have if you indeed are passionate about this industry and more importantly, your clients.
I decided to get involved with my local Association soon after becoming a Realtor Member. It hasn’t been all daisy’s and roses (but I’m not a flower kinda dude anyway). It took time and sacrifice but I’ve been blessed with more knowledge that has directly helped me become a better practitioner… and my clients thank me for it.
The change you want will only come when you put your effort into it. Do not wait around for anyone else to change, you be the agent of change. It is needed now more than ever and the changes need to process through in a timely fashion. Our industry requires these changes.
Bottom line… do it. I wish you good fortune and much success.