In today’s tell-it-like-it-is society, are you alienating top agents because of your political and societal views?
I just got done listening to a great session called Recruiting Lessons Learned From the Pandemic, part of the RE/MAX Broker-Owner Virtual Conference. It was an eye-opener for me. The crazy part? It shouldn’t have been.
One case study in this session focused on a top agent who left one brokerage to join RE/MAX. One of the reasons she mentioned leaving her former broker was their political views. Chalk that up to the current climate of political division and social unrest, right? Wrong. Yes, she had different beliefs than her former broker. She wasn’t bothered by the differences, though. What bothered her, and instigated her move to a competitor, was the fact that she felt the broker was shoving those beliefs down her throat. Her new broker, she says, has kept things professional, unemotional and neutral. No one wants to be told what to believe in, or that they are less-than because they believe something different from another person. Why should it be any different in real estate?
Emotions are running high. We’ve got a double whammy of a pandemic and civil unrest. Our big cities are being looted and vandalized causing untold economic damage. We also have a lot of very vocal people shouting differing opinions. As a broker, you have a right to believe in what you want to believe. But, no one wants an authority figure to force their agenda on them, especially when that agenda has nothing to do with being a productive and responsible real estate professional. However, educating agents on the potential industry impacts of each party’s platform is useful.
Brokerage owners should think carefully about the public stances they take using their companies as a platform. While you may be gaining some supporters; you’re losing just as many—both customers and agents. Real estate leaders should be focused on helping all members of the community and helping agents become better at their career. Let’s rise up together.
