Expert Advice Does Not Mean Perfect Advice

Today's post is an excerpt from our newest eGuide, Real Estate's New Market Reality, which explains how the role of the real estate professional has changed and what you can do to successfully help more buyers and sellers. You can download the entire eGuide at www.NewMarketReality.com. – The KCM Crew

Don't be afraid of those two words-expert advice. Remember:

• An expert doesn't mean you're going to give perfect advice.
• An expert means you're going to give excellent advice.

Here's the difference:

If you go to a doctor with a serious illness, she can't tell you how it's all going to wind up in the end. She can't know for sure. Therefore, she can't offer perfect advice.

However, your doctor can only give you excellent advice. She can tell you about your illness and your options, whether it be surgery or medications. She can also explain what she believes to be the best option for you based on your history, symptoms, and overall health. Ultimately, though, you're going to make the final decision of whether you go through with the treatment plan.

Once you make that decision, your doctor will take you by the hand and walk you down the road to recovery. She will explain to you that there might be adjustments that need to be made to the treatment plan, because no one can know for certain how things will turn out.

She might have to adjust your medications or increase or decrease your treatment schedule. But every step of the way, she's there with you, helping you get to your ultimate goal. This is called excellent advice. (By the way, does this sound like what we do with our clients?)

Similarly, if you went to an attorney, he can't tell you how the case is going to end up or how the judge or jury will rule. That would be perfect advice. What an expert attorney can do is explain your options. He might pick one or two he believes to be the best ones to pursue. He will then leave you to make the decision on which option you want to take. Once you decide, he will help put a plan together based on the facts at hand. He will help you get to the best possible resolution of the case. And along the way, he'll make whatever changes are needed. This is excellent advice. (Again, does it sound similar to how we help our clients?)

Your role as a real estate professional is similar to the role of the doctor and lawyer. You can't give buyers or sellers perfect advice because you don't know what's going to happen—you can't know the future. However, you can give excellent advice based on the information and situation at hand. You can guide them through the process and help them make the necessary changes along the way. And that's exactly what your clients want…and deserve!

This article originally posted by Keeping Current Matters. Read more articles like this at www.KCMblog.com.