COOPERATION, NOT

Cooperation, Not Competition, Creates Mutual Success for Agents

When people get along during a business transaction, everyone comes out happier. And in a service industry like real estate, agents have the power deliver that happiness. By working cooperatively, sharing advice and helping each other help clients, agents not only enhance their own reputations, but that of real estate in general. “Bring everyone together”

Matt Kobelski, with Credentials Real Estate Group in Massachusetts, points out that providing good service involves more people than the party you’re representing. “I’m not afraid to bring together all the parties in a deal and say, ‘OK, let’s figure out a solution that works best

Teaming up with an agent from a different brokerage on a transaction is not as uncommon or complicated as it might seem

for everyone,” he explains. “My goal is to avoid being adversarial.” Real estate, he believes, should always be a field in which each person can win. “It’s about working toward a mutual goal, shaking hands, and walking away happy that a seller sold, a buyer bought and everyone got what they wanted.”

But Is it that simple? Most agents have experienced the ways conflicting personalities and tension during a transaction can heat up even the most cordial relations. In reality, however, it’s more productive to let down your guard and work with others as a team than it is to allow stress and competition to preside. South Florida REALTOR® and broker associate, Risë V. Siegrist, for instance, has zero interest in competing with other agents. “It’s more important to be professional and associate with competent, caring people,” she says. By serving others with a cooperative spirit, experienced agents like Risë set an excellent example for emerging real estate stars. Risë hopes to be a model for the next generation of agents, training people who may one day become part of her team.

Risë’s position on cooperation inspires more reasons for nurturing relationships with other agents. Over the decades, many agents change brokerages several times. Who knows if that agent across the table will one day work at the same brokerage you do? Perhaps you’ll even have an opportunity to partner on an exciting, future transaction. Good relations keep doors open to endless possibilities.

Co-listing cooperation

Teaming up with an agent from a different brokerage on a transaction is not as uncommon or complicated as it might seem. In fact, some agents cleverly capitalize on their collective attributes, rather than competing against one another. South Carolina REALTOR® Kimberly Pannit is a perfect example of the universal benefits of co-listings. Although she has always been an independent agent, Kimberly works hard to form professional alliances that give her business the feel of a cooperative network across brokerages.

This cooperative approach may be nontraditional, but it benefits clients in unique ways. By working closely with agents at other brokerages, she shows how agents can improve client service while helping one another.

Kimberly’s cooperative approach began in her own neighborhood, where an agent friend from a different brokerage also lives. “Several years ago, I approached her because both of us were friends with our neighbors. I asked, ‘Why don’t we give our neighbors superior service and

co-list together? We both love our area and are passionate about our jobs, the location and schools.’” She also didn’t want to make their mutual friends choose between them when they could work together. “I said, ‘Let’s give them amazing service together!’” With their brokers’ permission, two weeks later the agents co-listed their first home and put extra energy into ensuring uninterrupted client service.

Networking and “Co-opertition”

When the ultimate goal is to match a client with the perfect home or create optimal terms of sale for a listings, networking with other agents can facilitate that ideal buyer-seller match. Nashville REALTOR® and broker/owner Lisa Land embraced every opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the real estate industry and to her local market, even before building her own team. “Agents would frequently ask me for help or advice,” she says, noting that she shares, rather than guarding, the methods she uses to get through difficult or confusing transactions. “I was fortunate to have great mentors when I started in real estate, so I’m always willing to offer help, even to agents outside of The Luxe Collective.”

Meanwhile, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Janet Leigh Scott describes the climate between agents as relaxed and professional. “While the real estate market is highly competitive, we’re truly a ‘co-opertition’ market; agents work together and a have greater sense of community than you might experience in off-island brokerages,” Janet says. “If I have buyer coming into town, I’ll reach out to agents I’ve done transactions with to ask if they have anything coming up that might not be on the market yet.”

Even in hot, competitive L.A. real estate, independent agents such as Andrej Nagy of The Agency RE knows the importance of receiving and providing professional mentorship. “My relationships with clients are extremely important,” he says. “But my relationships with agents on the other side of a deal are also important.” For REALTORS® like him, working smoothly with other agents is a privilege. Doing so builds rewarding relationships while ensuring win-win transactions for everyone at the closing table.

RICK FERGUSON

Team Shot from left to right, Lori Bond, Realtor, Rick Ferguson, Realtor, Madeline Ferguson, Realtor, and Chris Attel, Realtor

Top Agent Rick Ferguson of Coldwell Banker Realty leads his team, Ferguson Approach, serving clients throughout the Southeast Valley of Phoenix Arizona.

When Rick Ferguson retired from his consulting business, he had no intention of going back to work. Rick was no longer interested in corporate work, he wanted to follow his newfound passion. With his wife Maja working as an interior designer and professional home stager for many years, Rick came to realize how much he enjoyed the real estate business and decided the industry was the perfect fit for him at this stage in life. He currently works at Coldwell Banker Realty, leading a team, Ferguson Approach, which includes two of his kids and two other agents. His partner agents, Lori and Chris, come from similar corporate backgrounds, having held executive positions in their industries prior to converting to real estate, and together they form a well-orchestrated team that serves clients throughout the Southeast Valley of Phoenix Arizona.

As a former military officer Rick is extremely organized and methodical—traits that have already earned him plenty of repeat and referral clients. It’s also his attitude towards service that has made him so successful in a relatively short amount of time. “I’m very focused on what my clients need. I have brought the same attitude that made me successful in the corporate world into my real estate work. And that includes a high attention to detail and always following up with clients. I brief my clients routinely and treat them as if they are my CEO,” he says.

When it comes to marketing Rick takes the comprehensive approach. He focuses on social media for digital marketing, but also

“I’m very focused on what my clients need. I have brought the same attitude that made me successful in the corporate world into my real estate work.”

invests in more traditional print marketing in order to cover all his bases. He’s also big on professional photography and videography to showcase his listings in the best light.

The real estate process can be overwhelming for many, and Rick makes sure to keep that in mind and help put his clients at ease. “I can speak to different people from various walks of life and make them feel comfortable. People are extremely vulnerable during the process of buying or selling a house. They are very trusting, and they can be taken advantage of. When my clients deal with me I want them to know that they can trust me,” he says.

Rick’s favorite part of his job is the ability to arrange a great transaction for his clients. “I love the negotiation and transaction process. I enjoy listening to what

clients need and then helping them find their dream home. And I especially love working with first-time homebuyers and sharing in on their excitement of buying their first home.” Rick also has an SRES designation and works with a lot of seniors. When he’s not working he loves riding motorcycles with his kids, and spending time relaxing with family and friends. Going forward he wants to continue building his business and growing his network of clients. It’s also imperative for him to be a

Ben Ferguson, Photographer/Videographer, Maja Ferguson, Interior Designer, Rick Ferguson, Realtor, Madeline Ferguson, Realtor

mentor to his kids, so that they can carry on working with the same high standard of ethics Rick believes in. “I’m always interested in doing the right thing. I live by the wise words of Marcus Aurelius, ‘We do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.’”