Last week, I went to an all-day real estate expo. I had a booth there, and I was offering real estate agents and brokers (and basically any professional who may be an advisor to families) a chance to join our exclusive Family Advisor's Club. I started the group because my clients often ask me for referrals for certain types of professionals, and I really want to be able to say for sure that anyone I refer clients to knows what families want and need, and understands how to effectively and ethically reach them.
I'm happy to say that I had quite a few professionals eagerly sign up! These professionals understand the value of the family market. Some of them have families of their own, and so they prefer to work with people like themselves, who just want some honest professional assistance. Several of the professionals who signed up had their kids with them. I'm sure they take any chance to be able to bring their kids along on the job. They probably don't get to do that too much when they're showing houses or working in the office, but the day of the expo was a perfect opportunity! And the kids got to eat a lot of candy, since so many booths were offering it.
I'm really excited to start working with these professionals. I'm basically going to be teaching them all of the things that I've learned as an Advisor to Families, and that I know just because of being a Mom.
But, not everyone wanted to talk to me! I would estimate that 30-40 people walked by my booth and said, "An attorney!? You have a lot of nerve being here!" or, "Wow, we've never had an attorney here before!" One man actually stood back about eight feet from my table and yelled, "I would never let my clients talk to you!"
I was utterly confused, until I finally asked a man who was signing up for the Club why people were saying that. He said, "A lot of real estate agents see attorneys as deal-killers, but I figure, if you're doing things right, it only helps to have an attorney look things over."
I was shocked. Deal killers? (But kudos to the man for his attitude that if you have nothing to hide, you don't need to see attorneys as deal-killers.)
I wonder if this is a huge reason for the real estate mess we're in right now. I'm betting that close to 100% of buyers who are being foreclosed on right now or who are doing loan modifications did not seek the advice of an attorney when purchasing their property. (Let's hope they are using attorneys to modify their loans.)
It's also sad when professionals are so short-sighted. Trying to make a sale that is not sustainable in the long-term is not helpful for anyone! I bet if a lot of those agents could see the big picture, they'd go back in time, and maybe they'd have made less money in the short-term, but there would still be a market for them right now, and they would have the trust of their happy clients, which is more important than anything.
I don't want you to think that all real estate agents have the attitude that attorneys are deal killers, so I'll leave you with a quote from another new member of the Family Advisor's Club: "I don't understand why anyone would buy property without the advice of an attorney and an accountant! I advise all of my clients to get a good attorney and accountant working for them!"
To your family's health & prosperity,
Candice
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