Giving ‘advice’ as a real estate agent
I have been always asked to give advice, either to certain specific development, or property market direction. And I have been always careful in giving out factual information, rather than giving advice and opinions in reply. Firstly, I do not think that I am an expert per say in real estate market. I do not analyse charts or dissect property information to project the market growth. Therefore I do not think that all my comments should be taken as advice. Secondly I am afterall a human who tend to have my personal opinion towards certain matters. However my opinion may not form the actual assessment especially on the real estate matter.
It is not easy to draw a line between comments based on factual resources and personal opinion. I am still struggling to find a balance between the opinionated write up and unbiased professional review on property matter. It applies my blogging as well as the day to day interaction with my clients.
All home sellers and buyers should talk to more agents or resort to more resources should they require further information in the market. Do not be swayed by biased and lop-sided comments, for most of time there tend to be an agenda behind it. Just like the saying: Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.
ERA agents reminded to be careful in choice of words in written communication
By Joanne Chan | 03 June 2010
SINGAPORE: Real estate firm ERA has reminded its property agents to be careful in their choice of words when it comes to written communication.
In an email to its more than 3,000 agents on Tuesday, ERA’s associate director of Asia Pacific, Eugene Lim, said agents have a responsibility to communicate the latest property market information to customers.
But agents are not to “twist the information and use them as scare tactics on customers”.
The email added that agents should “never use overly strong words like the market is going to crash”.
This follows a story carried by MediaCorp on May 31 that some agents are employing “scare tactics” to close deals.
Emails forwarded to MediaCorp earlier, detailed how some agents are using the government’s recent land sales as a bargaining tool to lower client expectations of property prices.
One agent disclosed that a deal was closed after telling the client that the “market is going to crash”.
ERA said it has investigated the alleged complaint.
It found that the transaction was sealed at market price, fully supported by a bank valuation.
The property firm added that no scare tactics were involved.
As such, no disciplinary action will be taken against the agent. – CNA/vm
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