5 Professional Traits Every REALTOR® Should Have
LOUISIANA REALTORS • August 7, 2018
Every golf bag has a certain combination of clubs. Each one designed to achieve a certain result; crafted to be dependable in its intended situation. The traits you possess as a REALTOR® are not dissimilar. The arduous journey of any real estate transaction presents a number of obstacles, challenges, and opportunities. How you use your professional traits to respond to each of them is how you separate yourself as a REALTOR®. While a golfer has a driver, irons, wedges, and a putter in their bag, what tools should you have in yours?
Honesty and Integrity
First and foremost, and one of the key qualifications of being a REALTOR® as your bound to these principles by the REALTOR’S® Code of Ethics, is honesty and integrity. These traits
along with your distinction as a REALTOR are what offer you a powerful competitive advantage. Earning the trust of your clients during one of the most significant events of their life cannot be overstated.
Communication Skills
The ins and outs of buying or selling a home can make your spin, that’s even truer for your clients. With all of the different parties and processes involved, communication is key. From clearly explaining current and next steps to potential advantages and disadvantages of certain decisions to aligning conversations between the relevant and appropriate people can and will make everything run more smoothly.
Negotiation Skills
At the end of the day, this is a business decision for everyone involved, and the bottom line needs to be considered. As a REALTOR®, you have a duty to provide your client with the best possible outcome, and that will largely come down to negotiation. Your experience and knowledge need to be able to represent your client from either side of the transaction in the best way possible. By understanding the value of what is being bought or sold, and why it holds that value, along with the ability to communicate and defend that position, you will be able to be the resource that your client deserves.
Knowledge
Knowing what to expect during each part of the home buying and selling process, as well as the particular details of what your client needs is paramount. Location, taxes, schools, commute, amenities, valuation trends, and more are what your clients expect from you. Using this knowledge to assist in making offers and recognizing inconsistencies will give you allow you to reach the best result for your client.
Responsiveness
Timeliness is essential in real estate. Offers come and go, decisions need to made, and information needs to be shared. In a client-facing role like yours, returning texts, emails, and phone calls in a timely manner is vital. It shows that you are engaged and care about your client’s needs.
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Candidate qualifying for Louisiana’s November 3 election began Wednesday, August 5, and concludes Friday, August 7. The three-day qualifying period will establish the candidates for all six U.S. House districts, as well as judicial, parish and municipal races across the state. This election cycle includes several changes to Louisiana’s congressional races and election calendar. The state’s U.S. House primaries, originally scheduled for May 16, were canceled following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The Louisiana Legislature subsequently adopted a new congressional map that reduced the number of Black-majority congressional districts from two to one. Under the revised election calendar, the November 3 U.S. House contests will use an open primary system. All qualified candidates will appear on the November ballot, regardless of party affiliation. A candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote will be elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the two candidates receiving the most votes will advance to a December 12 runoff. U.S. Senate The November general election will feature Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and Democratic nominee Jamie Davis. Letlow's Senate campaign has also created an open seat in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District. 5th Congressional District Several candidates have announced campaigns for the 5th Congressional District seat: State Sen. Stewart Cathey State Rep. Michael Echols Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell State Rep. Gabe Firment Cathey, Echols and Firment currently serve in the Louisiana Legislature. Additional candidates may qualify before the deadline on Friday. The 5th District covers portions of northeastern and central Louisiana and extends into the Florida Parishes. 6th Congressional District Congressman Cleo Fields has announced that he will not seek reelection in the newly redrawn 6th Congressional District. Instead, Fields is running in a special election for his former state Senate seat, which became vacant following the death of Sen. Larry Selders of Baton Rouge. The newly drawn 6th Congressional District extends around the Baton Rouge area and includes portions of rural communities surrounding the capital region. State Sen. Rick Edmonds has announced his candidacy. State Sen. Blake Miguez has also been discussed as a potential candidate, although the candidate field will not be finalized until qualifying closes Friday. Federal law requires congressional candidates to reside in the state they seek to represent but does not require them to reside within the specific congressional district. 2nd Congressional District Congressman Troy Carter currently represents the 2nd Congressional District, which extends from the Baton Rouge area toward New Orleans. Under the newly adopted congressional map, the 2nd District remains Louisiana's sole Black-majority congressional district. East Baton Rouge Parish Judiciary All 15 judgeships on the 19th Judicial District Court are scheduled for election following the Legislature's creation of two new judicial election subdistricts. Each subdistrict will elect seven judges, with an additional judgeship elected parishwide. Litigation challenging the new judicial map remains pending. Judicial races are among the contests being monitored by Louisiana REALTORS® and local Political Action Teams. Judicial decisions can have implications for property rights, business activity, litigation and the overall legal environment in Louisiana. Local Elections Voters across Louisiana will also consider candidates for mayors, city and parish councils, school boards, police chiefs and other local offices. While these races typically receive less statewide attention than congressional and statewide contests, local elected officials make decisions affecting land use, zoning, permitting, infrastructure, taxation and housing policy. These issues can directly affect real estate activity and development within local communities. Candidate Lists and Election Information The candidate field will not be final until qualifying closes Friday, August 7. The official list of qualified candidates is available through the Louisiana Secretary of State's Candidate Inquiry portal. The complete election schedule, including key dates for voting, registration and absentee ballots, is available through the Secretary of State's election calendar. For Louisiana REALTORS®, the qualifying period provides an early look at the candidates who will appear on the November ballot and the races that may affect real estate, property rights, development and local communities across the state.
The Louisiana REALTORS® Board of Directors will elect six (6) LR At-Large Directors at its October 1st meeting. Qualifications and an application for the position can be found below.
