A One On One With A Realtor
Interviewee: Lisa Scoggins
Interviewer: Justin McWilson
This week we here at The Music Casting Network decided to sit down and discuss the topic of negotiating and closing deals. We were luckily enough to find an individual that works in the field of real estate. As part of the interview we wanted to see how she would respond to some question that we ourselves being asked... (Lisa Scoggins is a realtor based out of Nothern California, she is currently studying at the North-Central University and preparing for the broker exam).
What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths: Working in the field of real estate has been a success for me professionally. Some of my strengths are my education background in psychology. Having this training has proven to be very helpful in working with my clients, and the community. It is important in this field to be able to understand and analyze people to the extent of being able to meet your clients needs when it comes to buying or selling a home. Another strength is the eye for details. When it comes to contracts and negotiations, it is very important to be meticulous and on your toes regarding details of a contract. Making the mistake on a contract or negotiation can break a deal. This can be very bad for the client.
Weaknesses: One thing that stands out is that organization is something I have to constantly work on. I have to go to great extents to make sure I have things organized. It does not come naturally for me. I have taken steps to remedy this problem, such as taking extra time in preparing, and have hired on an assistant to help with each step of the way.
How do you think others see you?
I do believe that others see me as a professional, who takes her career serious. Also, I am a helpful person, which is probably the reason I have chosen this career path and my education in psychology. I do enjoy helping people. There is a gratification in seeing the joy in people when I help them with their dream homes. Therefore, I would say that people see me as a helpful, considerate, and caring person.
How do you think self-confidence plays a role in effective negotiation?
I think that self confidence is important in negotiation. It is hard to take someone serious, if they seem unsure, or stumble on their words. A confident person portrays someone who has a plan, is well organized, and can lead. It would be more difficult to be persuaded by someone who is themselves unsure. If you cant be sure of yourself, how can you expect others to be sure of you.
Do you think that any of your fears keep you from being an effective negotiator? If so, how might you overcome this?
Yes, there are times when I do have doubts. This does not happen very often, but when it does I do need to reevaluate my options, and really consider that the best choice is being made. One way that I would be able to overcome this, is to do my research, be well prepared before the negotiation, and to rely on my assistant when needed.
How do you think knowing yourself will help you in your career?
Knowing myself is very important in this career. A person that is confident is a person that is secure, and has learned about themself. To know your strengths and weaknesses allows for perfecting skills such as communication, organization and negotiation. Also, knowing my weaknesses will allow me to be able to hire on assistant in the weak areas, to better meet my clients needs.
How do you think the following terms relate to you and your business...
Affiliation: An example of how affiliation has impacted me in my career, is a client who at the time, I was fully representing. I did my best to have my clients best interest in mind. However the client had been fed misleading information about realtors, and generalized these views upon me. There was no convincing the client that I was on her side and working for her, not against her. It made it difficult in making the deal go through in a timely manner, and the process got dragged out. In the end negotiations were weak, because of the continuous opposition of my client.
Autonomy: A time when my autonomy was challenged, was a friend who became a client. She came to me to assist her in the sale of her home. This was at a time when the market was declining. After going over the comps with her to set a price to sell her house, she was very dissatisfied, because in her mind, she thought her house could sell for more, based on sells in the past 6 months. However in explaining to my client that prices were declining, and her not agreeing, this caused a situation in which I was limited on my ability to do my job. It now became the decision of my client regarding the details of the sale of the home. This ended up causing a dissolution of the friendship, and it was an unfortunate outcome.
Status: Another situation in working for a friend on the sale of her home, turned out to be quite the opposite of the previous example. An old friend had information that I was working as a realtor, and contacted me to help sell her home. It was very refreshing that in this instance the outcome was quite the opposite, I was praised and there was gratitude in the information given to my client. The homes were selling for 3 times the amount she purchased her home for, just 4 years prior. This became a situation in which my clients were very pleased, and there was positive recognition on my job well done.
Role: A situation that was fulfilling in my role as a realtor, was in the helping of a widow, who had previously had lost everything due to finances, and the death of her husband. This woman had suffered years of struggle, and suffering. Due to the unfortunate accident of her husband, and the settlement she accrued, her situation took a turn. Being able to provide the service to her in helping her find security in the purchase of a home, for her and her child was rewarding that I was able to help this women in the process of easing a burden of finances at a time when she needed security the most. There was no way that I could do anything to ease the pain of her losing her husband. I was able to however assist in helping this women ease the new burden of providing for her son.
