Thousands of agents are at risk of becoming dinosaurs in a rapidly changing environment because they have cut back on training.
Estate agency trainer Richard Rawlings says the problem has been exacerbated by the sharp fall in new instructions.
He said: “At a time when instructions are desperately thin on the ground, agents are reluctant to send their people out on training courses that take time out of the business.
“Lower agency fees combined with tight instruction levels means that agents do not always have the cashflow available for regular training courses.”
Rawlings said a further issue is that many agents simply don’t understand the role of training.
He said: “It is incredible that, apart from corporate in-house facilities, there are no more than three or four estate agency trainers in an industry of our size.
“One of the problems is that many people assume that training is solely for novices.
“Only yesterday I had an agent in Scotland object to the very idea that she might benefit from training. She told me that she had been in the business for over 40 years and there was nothing more she could learn. I couldn’t even find her website!
“Small business owners also tend to work very much in the business rather than on the business and they work hard just to keep up with their competitors.
“Yet they themselves may not have had much training and they may well be completely unaware of numerous new ideas in marketing, instruction-gaining, negotiation, prospecting ideas, market intelligence, etc, let alone a host of technological innovations.”
Rawlings said the misconception could come down to terminology.
“These experienced agents may not require training in the traditional sense as they do indeed know what they are doing, are highly competent and very experienced. But if they were to replace the concept of ‘training’ with ‘professional development’, then a whole new world of opportunity becomes available to them.
“Indeed, one of my greatest thrills as an estate agency trainer is when a highly experienced agent tells me after one of my seminars that they wish they had attended it years ago. You don’t know what you don’t yet know!
“Other industries focus on developing new products and services with the sole aim of attracting new business, and the public is continually exposed to and influenced by such innovation.
“I see open-minded agents forging ahead and creating a new future for our industry (which does not, by the way, lie online), almost laughing in the face of their competitors.”
Rawlings has just launched an online version of his seminars for estate agents, which he says is cost-effective, gets round the problem of staff having to spend time physically out of the office, and also addresses the reluctance of experienced agents to be seen attending training sessions in front of their staff.
Comments (6)
Interestingly, on a site far, far away, a particularly vexatious comment was posted which prompted a (well-justified) personal response from Mr Rawlings.
RR (it must be something in the initials… ;o) ) and I have locked horns on several occasions over the years on 'that' website over different matters – that being said I have a respect for him borne of the opinions of others who have used his services.
I hope he drops in here.
JAM01 – Mr Rawlins states in his "excellent and really worth a read" article "Surely the customer would not be best served by selling their house on-line.
Firstly, let’s not believe our own spin here. The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, as well as the greengrocer, the pharmacist, the travel agent and the newsagent probably all said the same thing. And yet they were among the first to go. Their arguments simply didn’t stack up. Do ours?"
Well – sorry to piddle on his (and your) fireworks – but pretty much every High Street I pass through (and that's quite a lot…) has a butcher, baker, greengrocer, pharmacist, travel agent and newsagent still in-situ. Sometimes even two of them.
Bit of a bu99er for the candlestick maker, though. Wonder why he failed when the others didn't?
Maybe lack of training… ;o)
Peebee
Fair point, but the thrust of the article is an argument of why there will always be a need for 'full service' agency and that Vendor's interests in the main are best served with often what is their most valuable asset in using a quality 'full service' estate agent. From our own experience, we too know that many applicants do not purchase the first house they view or enquire about and the work that goes on within a 'full service' agency helps match the vendor to more suitable properties. That's what I took from the article on the point you raised.
JM
Thanks for the reply, JM.
Firstly – I am far from anti-training, by the way. I am, I believe, still a "qualified" Trainer (not sure that you can become UNqualified – except by death, perhaps…) from my days in Corporate Agency.
'Training', given at the right time; to the right people; in the right way, would benefit many companies in so many ways – but they always find reasons NOT to train – rather than wake up to the reasons they SHOULD be doing it.
What I DO know, is that at the first sign of an upturn, companies throttle back on training, as 'the market' irons over any lacking in staff capability. We haven't really heard much from Mr Rawlins and his competitors in recent years other than the occasional 'keep-the-name-in-people's-mind'-type press releases – but I have more than a passing feeling in my water that now we will be hearing and seeing a lot more from them.
Hey-Ho – perhaps now is the time to dust off my old Body Language and Neuro-Linguistic Programming books and start spouting off once more as to how vital I AM to my company's continued success (and why they should increase my pay as a result).
Nahhhh – I'll just keep rolling my sleeves up, ply my trade in the living room and in the office – and LEARN from every encounter I have with the public who, thankfully, keep me in a job.
I'll leave the training to Messrs Rawlins, O'Dell et al. Been there – got the Teeshirt (just wish I could still fit into it…)
Richard's article printed in propertydrum and highlighted on his website,comparing on-line and full service agency is excellent and really worth a read!
http://www.estateagencyinsight.co.uk/services/articles/213/on-line-estate-agencythreat-or-opportunity.php
John
This is amazing really. All successful individuals in any industry have an attitude of life-long learning, personal development and self-management. Training is key to this. It highlights opportunities for open-minded and forward thinking individuals in this service sector. Experienced agents being seen by their staff undergoing training should be an inspiration to the members of staff. Mindset is the key – having a success mindset.
Good article!
John