Erica Christoffer

By Erica Christoffer

Developing trusting relationships with other agents can be good for business. Agents should approach every interaction with professionalism and never speak negatively about others.

REALTOR® Magazine writer Lee Nelson recently wrote a story for brokers on how they can improve their company culture so that it values and promotes reciprocation and respect between agents in the field. Her article also offers four tips for agents on how to strengthen relationships with other real estate pros. Here’s a quick look:

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1. There’s enough pie for everyone. “The society of real estate professionals understands it’s about cooperation,” says Gaspar Flores Jr., broker-owner of Su Familiar Real Estate in Chicago. “You work for the best interest of everyone, and that takes two.” Earning an income for everyone in the pipeline comes from cooperation. “We will run into each other one way or another again—during open houses, transactions, and negotiations. Being professional definitely helps us in the future.”

2. Agents should do what they say they’ll do. For example, Cassie Mason, broker-owner of Cassie Mason Real Estate in Bethel, Maine, builds trust with other real estate pros by making sure the final walk-through of her sellers’ homes is immaculate. She pays a few hundred dollars out of her own pocket to get each listing professionally cleaned. “Other brokers thank me for it,” she says.

3. Mentor new licensees. “When I was doing REOs, a lot of agents would tell me that they never sold a foreclosure property,” Flores says. He made himself available to counsel them and help them understand the process. Agents can do this for newer agents in their offices. “When we look out for each other, but not in a snarky or bullish way, we all grow in this together.”

4. Being friendly goes a long way. “There’s no need to be negative or show anybody any form of hate or non-support,” Flores says. Mason agrees, adding that agents should never say a bad word about other real estate pros, even in a situation that’s highly emotional. Mason always brings baked goods to the closing and shakes the other agent’s hand, no matter what. “Go above and beyond,” she says.

“The real estate world is small, and we need to treat everyone as if we are going to be doing business with them again,” Mason says.

Read the full story.

Erica Christoffer is a contributing editor for REALTOR® Magazine and manager of the YPN Lounge. Connect with her at echristoffer@nar.realtor.