Buyers need dose of real estate 1.5

Flickr photo by trekkyandy.

Over the last few weeks, I've had several buyers walk in my office doors suffering from Real Estate Agent PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They've worked with other agents who were, shall we say, a poor fit for them -- let's just leave it at that. And most of them were apparently very introspective about why exactly the relationship didn't work, leading them to apologize in advance for some personality flaw of their own that they believed might have been the deal-killer to their previous Realtor relationship:

• "I'm sorry -- I think I must be too picky."
• "I have to tell you up front, I really don't like to be stood up. It's just a pet peeve. Sorry!"
• "I'm very nervous about making such a big decision. I think my nerves must have run her off."

Now, don't get me wrong. Most of these former agents were not "bad" agents, per se (except for the serial "stander upper" -- that's just not cool.) I'm sure they see themselves as hard-working, tech-savvy folk. They stay up on the technologies necessary to be a buyer's broker in this day and age, including automatic listing updates via e-mail; they have Facebook pages; and a few even are reliable texters, Tweeters or have their own blogs.

To give these other agents even more of the benefit of the doubt, I attract a group of clients who want or need extra care. You know how some agents have monikers like, "The Real Estate Artist" or -- I actually saw this on a guy's business card -- "The Real Estate Assassin" (don't even ask)? If I had one of those nicknames, it would be The Real Estate Therapist or, in terms the Real Estate Assassin might understand, "Real Estate Consigliere."

I have a master's degree in psychology and have built my entire business around understanding the psychological impediments to sound real estate decision-making and advising and coaching clients through that obstacle course.

But as these clients were filing in last week, I kept thinking to myself -- and actually said aloud -- hey, "I don't sell shoes." No offense to shoe salespeople, but if I sold shoes, I would probably be irritated by super-picky and hesitant buyers.

However, what I sell is probably the largest purchase these people will ever make -- their home. And if they can get past their fear and anxiety and overwhelm enough to give me the honor of advising them on this largest purchase, I can hold their hands, have my shoulder cried on, talk them off some ledges, and otherwise be a little more patient with them than I would be otherwise.

In fact, I would hazard a guess that if I walked into Nordstrom or Macy's right now and announced my intention to plop down a few hundred grand on shoes, my esteemed colleagues in the footwear world would probably tolerate my questions and anxieties pretty patiently, too! Buyers should expect nothing less from their brokers and agents.

So, with all the technologies that cutting-edge agents bring to the table, and the corresponding potential increase in the efficiencies of house hunting (for buyers) and pricing and marketing (for sellers), I don't believe that what the average real estate consumer wants is what we in the industry have come to call real estate 2.0.

They want more. Or, actually, less. If real estate 1.0 was the old-school consigliere model where your agent flipped open a big book of listings, handpicked a few and then drove you around to see them, and real estate 2.0 is the disconnected model where you send your agent some MLS numbers you pulled from Realtor.com, meet them at a few or go see them on your own at the open houses, what do consumers really want?

They want real estate 1.5. ...CONTINUED

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