Issaquah Undressed

This inspiring photo has caused me to think about ethics.
It was in an advanced business college course. Dean Sealey taught it. He loved the Skyhook Theory. It espoused that everyone needs a skyhook. Something greater than your daily tasks to hang onto. The result made you a better employee, business person, or citizen.The Dean claimed no religious beliefs. I think the reason the theory stayed in my mind was that I thought it was interesting. I thought this might be his religion.

Today I had a conversation with a great agent about selling real estate. This agent friend clearly thinks of duty first, money last. It causes me to want to stay in the ranks of those who serve first.

Where is the skyhook in selling you real estate? Where is the greater good? To me it is obvious. The skyhook is in providing you the buyer the most professional service possible. It is in caring about your needs over the money. It is in making sure that turbulance is dealt with to minimize harm to your purchase.

WIth this thought I ask you to take a yes or no quiz.

Can a person sitting in an office, never leaving that office to sell you a home provide you the following: If not why is the person trying to sell to you? Does this person have a skyhook mentality? Should you do business with this person?

The quiz:

Can a person sitting in an office, never leaving that office to sell you a home provide you the following:

Can that person shield you from the seller or sellers agent, to hide your sheer joy, or even masked satisfaction that you have found the right home? Should the seller or his agent be able to have read you before you are through negotiating?

Has that person physically looked at numerous homes in your market, having an instant feeling for value?

Is this person working on commission, where it is a business rather than a job?

Is this person skilled and experienced enough to make a living on referrals, or is this person in this job because they failed the traditional commission way?

Has this person been around you enough to sense important facts you yourself may not see?

Does this person make or take important calls on your transaction after hours and on weekends?

Will this person have a high level of knowledge about lenders, inspectors, closers, title companies, and appraisers: to be a valuable resource for you.

Is this person honest in their business dealings by baiting you with a discount in return for your business, if the discount aborts or dilutes agency responsibilites?

Has that in house agent been honest with the listing agent, or does the agent consider ethics with a wishing washey measuring stick?. The wet noodle method.

Is money first and skyhook second in some business models?

How about you?

A former Seattle Seahawk player took weeks of my wifes time one summer. She was an interior designer for the finest furniture store in Seattle. He took her plans and specs and bought the entire furniture package on line. He told her it was ok by him because people did it all the time.

Professional interior design, the kind Kathleen can do, cannot be bought on line. In like manner professional real estate cannot properly be sold that way either. Not by those with a SKyhook.

For sure the web is a wonderful tool. You should use it. I use it. But the reason full service survives the day is that full service is needed. Even the model I am condemning in this post needs it.

Those that do as the Seahawk did won’t be around much longer than he was a Seattle Seahawk.

Here is my vote for the Skyhook Theory. Live it and I vote for you too.

Larry Cragun