Top 5 behaviors of 2009: “I prefer to starve than to work your way”
Part 2
(to read part 1, click here)
Why so many people still don't know the basics? Just because Libertatea does not have extensive trainings about this?
During 2009 I decided to work without Real Estate agents in my company. Just with connections and collaborators and just in specific market segments (the move proved to be correct, based on the results). The period has changed, clients are rare to find and I believe that it is possible to collaborate with someone else, who will represent one side, after I will have a contract with him signed. Well, not exactly. There are many serious companies out there (we collaborate with over 60),
but there are still hundreds which do not want to change their good old "know how"…
- Even now, with the crisis reaching its pick, we still have too many companies which promote fake properties. Yes, the ones you see online with very low price and when you call… "it was just sold, but we have something else".
- When people were busy, they had an excuse not to pay attention. Now what makes them absolutely not interested in a client's interest?
- Why in half of the cases a secretary never returns the call, or an agent never comes back (even at some of the so called "big companies")?
- How come most of them still don't have a file for each of their property? Even now the owners refuse to receive?
- Why do they try to pump the prices, sometimes doubling them, rejecting the chance to sell for a normal price and receive their commission? They used to excuse themselves saying that they have too much money, so they cant lose time. Now? Why I still receive properties worth 1.500 euro / sq.m. at the price of 7.000 euro / sq.m. and the agent gets upset if I tell him that it is expensive?
- Based on what strategy do they refuse a collaboration and then soon we hear that they simply closed down?
- How is it possible to continue not knowing almost anything AT ALL about Real Estate? Just because Libertatea newspaper does not have extensive trainings about this? Isn't it the time to learn the basics?
"I prefer to starve than to work in your way" (= to get serious)
During last November, I happened to be present in a really unpleasant moment. A client of mine invited me to have a coffee at the lobby of a hotel. While we were talking, he saw two people sitting near by. Automatically he became red, I thought his tie would explode. He stood up, went to the guys and started quarrelling with one of them. He was into Real Estate, quite well known. I tried to calm down the situation, as we were already the "main event" of the place". My client excused himself and left, asking me to reschedule our talk for the day after (he finally bought a property during December, in one of the most exciting deals of my life).
I returned to the gentleman who was sitting with his friend. As I knew him, I asked him what was it all about. In the beginning he tried telling me what I call "Dracula stories" (=bullshit). When I demanded some more seriousness, for the sake of knowing each other for some years, he started laughing. And proudly he described how he tried to trick this client in the past, pushing him to get involved in a property with major legal problems (whose owner offers huge commission).
"But you had been telling me that you have very serious financial problems, you are broke. Why didn't you simply give him some of the good properties I know you have?" The tone of his laugh rose… "Look, I prefer to starve than to work your way". I smiled. "What do you mean?" "I don't want anyone to take one of my properties for nothing. I worked hard to obtain them and if someone wants to buy, he has to pay very good". "And if you don't sell anything at all?' "I'll manage". I changed the discussion to football, better to discuss about Unirea Urziceni, than to listen someone being proud of things he should be ashamed of.
Please, explain to me, because I do not understand. With so many professionals having this approach, why and how the Real Estate market will "go up" and "change fast" during this year? If we don't learn from the mistakes of the past, how can we create a better future? Is it enough a minority of (few hundreds) of serious professionals to surpass this kind of mentality and set the basis for the rise of tomorrow?
2010 will be a very difficult year for Real Estate. Due to many reasons. Mentality ones as well…
Doru Dima Jan 22, 2010
Din nefericire pentru aceasta tara aveti foarte mare dreptate. In loc sa faca fiecare ce stie mai bine (adica in domeniul pentru care s-a pregatit, ne ocupam de cu totul alte lucruri. Daca vedem un business langa noi ce pare a fi profitabil ne bagam si noi, merge putin dupa care falimentam. Imobiliarele au fost un mare balon de sapun pentru multi, multi s-au si imbogatit peste noapte si doreau sa fie considerati “oameni de afaceri”. Iata totusi ca aceasta criza financiara va face curatenie printre toti smecherii din tara asta sau cel putin asa sper eu.
Vreau sa va mai spun o scurta istorioara asemanatoare cu a dumneavoastra. In noimebrie 2007 vine la mine un amic si-mi spune ca vrea sa cumpere un utilaj de asfaltat ca in domeniu sunt “o groaza de bani”. Business-ul lui era orientat pe vanzare de centrale termice. L-am intrebat daca se pricepe si daca vede un viitor pentru el in noul business in care vroia sa intre. L-am intrebat si daca se pricepe. Raspunsul lui a fost naucitor pentru mine pe moment – “Nu trebuie sa ma pricep, nu vezi cat se asfalteaza, il inchiriez unei firme unde e director fratele meu si facem bani impreuna”. A trecut un an si jumatate, la mijlocul lui 2009 vine din nou la mine si-mi spune: “stii, a cazut business-ul cu asfaltul, spune-mi ce sa fac altceva ca am datorii mari la utilajul de asfaltat si a cazut si afacerea cu centrale termice”. L-am intrebat de fratele lui si mi-a spus ca si firma aceea a murit asa ca si el a ramas fara contracte. L-am intrebat daca a incercat sa faca oferte pe la alte firme sau sa incerce el sa reinvesteasca in compania de asfaltare si sa mearga la licitatii etc. Raspunsul lui m-a demolat definitiv – “Da ce crezi ca am innebunit, cum sa ma rog eu de unul si altul. Am cumparat utilajul ca sa facem o treaba in doi cu fratele meu, el inchiria de la mine si totul era perfect, doar nu o sa ma duc eu sa caut clienti”.
Cam asta este tarisoara noastra. Eu sper ca acesti asa numiti oameni de afaceri sa dispara de tot, sa-si ia banutii si sa se mute la Monte Carlo, poate in felul acesta reusim si noi sa avem in Romania omul potrivit la locul potrivit – si nu e un slogan.