Let’s face it, the real estate industry has less than stellar reputation. Believe me, we’ve witnessed it firsthand. The reality is, not all agents are professional, polished and truly committed to client service. And, as with all industries, it’s a small few that often color the reputation of the group overall.

We understand the perception that real estate agents are only interested in their sale and commission check, and that they will do anything it takes to push their buyer to make an offer and get to the closing table.

But, for us, that’s not the case.

One of my agents was up against this reputation recently. As she began working with buyers that she had only known for a short time, she was constantly feeling that her client was suspicious and paranoid of her advice. She worked hard to explain that she was only trying to help them achieve their goals and that her advice was based on experience and years of expertise.  In a multiple offer situation, these buyers became resistant to my agent’s recommendation to offer a higher number in order to win the bid. In the end, they lost the property, and perhaps only then started to see the value in the advice being offered to them.

This just proves that when it comes to building trust with clients, actions speak louder than words.

The next time these buyers wanted to make an offer, my agent was sure to make her intentions known. This time, only their offer was on the table, which encouraged them to keep moving forward, but a home inspection revealed some pretty significant structural issues with the building. At this point, the buyers were frustrated with their home search, interested in the property, and not competing with anyone for the offer, so they were ready to overlook these issues and move forward. But luckily, my agent brought in an expert who confirmed her suspicion that the structural issues would be expensive to resolve. She advised her buyers to walk away from the transaction. And thankfully, they trusted her and three months later found a home they fell in love with.

The fact is that even though every agent is concerned about their commission, they should always be thinking about the future. Because, there will only be a future commission if their current client is happy, feels well looked after, and trusts that their agent has their best interests in mind. A happy client will come back, refer friends, and will always remember that their agent cared more about their happiness than bringing home a paycheck.