Are You Working With A Younger Generation?

Fact: The average age of a REALTOR is 57 Years Old.

Fact: The average age of a first time Home Buyer is 33 Years Old.

(National Association of REALTORS 2015)

 Working with clients who may be 20-25 years younger than you has its upsides and its downsides, and sooner than later you will find yourself having home buying and/or selling discussions with a generation you may be unfamiliar with.

Here are some helpful tips on how to work with a client who may be a quarter century younger.

 Don’t Lecture…Do Listen.

Even though your clients may look and act like your children…they aren’t your kids… They aren’t kids at all… and you can’t treat them as such. Don’t try to talk to them like you do your children…if you do you will quickly lose them as clients.

Find out how they want to be communicated with. The younger generation uses text and social media as their main source of communication. Communicate on their level…even when it may be uncomfortable for you.

Listen to their needs… find a problem and help them fix it. Show them you care and be aware when they perceive… they believe… for them perception becomes reality… so if they think it is important… it also has to be important to you.

Don’t Patronize.  

Most of the younger generation are turned off by any form of condescension. Instead offer encouragement. No matter how confident they may seem, most first time home buyers are riddled with insecurities and fears. They crave and appreciate praise… so be generous with your compliments and support.

 Don’t Pretend You Fit In.

Think of yourself as a tourist in the land of the young. Their outlook and perspective on life is much different than a 57 year old. Learn and understand their culture and it will help you to better serve them.

Share Your Knowledge.

Baby Boomers have lived and experienced far more than someone 25-30 years younger… and with age comes knowledge.

EXAMPLE:  We know not to drink a 12 pack of beer when we have to go to work the next morning at 8am… Or how after 2 weeks off from the gym it’s not smart to try and do a heavy full body workout and then run 5 miles… OUCH!

Once you have hit 57, you should pretty much know what works…and what doesn’t! Young people don’t and can’t know everything yet…but you can’t lecture them on it. Instead, talk to them explaining how real estate works…. Sharing your perspective in a positive way. Many have a bad taste for real estate because of what the latest decline did to their parents. Show them the big picture and help them to remain calm even when the storm is howling around them. You have to become the YODI to the young Luke Skywalker.  “Try Not!  Do or Not Do, There is No Try”

Old People Got Skills.

Hopefully by your mid 50’s you have honed your skills to a razor sharp edge. You have been there and done that… and you have t-shirts tattered and torn with battle scars and age. You are the expert and you know how to negotiate an offer… You have excellent communication skills and know the value of a face to face meeting to get the best deal for your client. You’ve been told NO a thousand times, and have learned how sometimes a NO can mean “MAYBE”… and how sometimes "giving" a little can gain you a lot in return.

Even though we may look worn out to Millennials and Gen-X’ers… we still got plenty to offer. The young people of today will be our leaders of tomorrow… and maybe some of the knowledge we pass on will help them be more successful in life and business.  Old is a state of mind… Age is a state of experience and knowledge! 
Use it or you just might lose it!

Eddie Brown ©2016

ICU-Coaching.com

Do I Have To Report Criminal Charges To The Real Estate Commission?

QUESTION: An agent in my firm has just been charged with driving while impaired.  Don’t I as the firm’s broker-in-charge have the duty to report the charge against him to the Real Estate Commission?

ANSWER: Real Estate Commission Rule 58A.0113 requires that “[a]ny broker who is convicted of any felony or misdemeanor…shall file with the Commission a written report of such conviction or action within 60 days of the final judgment, order, or disposition in the case.”


Since your agent has only been charged with the misdemeanor of driving while impaired, there is no obligation to report anything to the Commission at this time.  However, if he ultimately is convicted of DWI, he would be required to report the conviction to the Commission within 60 days of the date of the conviction.  The conviction can be reported online on the Commission’s website.


In any event, you are not required as the agent’s BIC to report the conviction; the reporting obligation lies with the agent.  Of course, you don’t want him to get in trouble with the Real Estate Commission. both for his sake and the sake of the firm.  Thus, you should make sure your agent is aware of the reporting requirement because he can be disciplined for failing to report the conviction, even though the conviction itself may not result in disciplinary action.








NCAR provides articles on legal topics as a member service.  They are general statements of applicable legal and ethical principles for member education only.  They do not constitute legal advice.  The services of a private attorney should be sought for legal advice.
© Copyright  2016. North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, Inc.  This article is intended solely for the benefit of NCAR members, who may reproduce and distribute it to other NCAR members and their clients, provided it is reproduced in its entirety without any change to its format or content, including  disclaimer and copyright notice, and provided that any such reproduction is not intended for monetary gain.  Any unauthorized reproduction, use or distribution is prohibited. 

Latest Developments On The Use Of Drones

QUESTION:  I received a drone as a Christmas present. Am I permitted to use it to photograph properties I am listing for sale? If not, are there any new regulations governing the use of my drone for recreational purposes?

ANSWER:  We wrote a Q & A on the subject of drones less than three months ago. You can access that article here. However, drones continue to be in the news and there is one new development you should be aware of.


One thing which has not changed is the general rule: the commercial use of drones, including for real estate marketing, is prohibited by the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") unless the person or entity operating the drone has secured what is known as a "Section 333 waiver". The waiver will allow you to operate the drone in what are known as "low-risk, controlled environments". Operating without a waiver will subject you to the risk of substantial fines. You can find the application procedure described on the FAA's website.


One thing which has changed is the adoption of new rules requiring the registration of most drones in a national database. The FAA announced these new registration rules on December 14, 2015. Under these rules, owners of drones weighing between half a pound and 55 pounds are required to submit their names, home addresses and email addresses to the FAA. Registration is free if completed before midnight on January 20, 2016. After that, the fee is $5 for a three-year certificate of registration. Anyone who owned a drone before December 21, 2015 must register that drone by February 19, 2016. Anyone obtaining a drone after December 21 must register it before their first flight. Once registered, users must put their registration number on their machine, and have their registration card with them whenever they fly a drone. Failure to comply with the registration rules can result in criminal penalties, imprisonment and fines of up to $27,500.


The purpose of the registration process is to make the skies safer. While there no current requirement for drone operators to undergo any flight education course, the drone registration process does obligate the drone owner to check a box acknowledging that he or she has read the FAA's basic principles of flight safety.


Registration of recreational drones can be completed online. Currently, drones used for commercial purposes can only be registered by paper. However, online registration of drones used for commercial purposes is scheduled to open by March 31, 2016.


Michael Huerta, the Administrator of the FAA, recently confirmed that the FAA is continuing to work on rules governing the commercial use of drones. The National Association of REALTORS® does not expect those rules to be issued before August 2016.


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NCAR provides articles on legal topics as a member service.  They are general statements of applicable legal and ethical principles for member education only.  They do not constitute legal advice.  The services of a private attorney should be sought for legal advice.


© Copyright  2016. North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, Inc.  This article is intended solely for the benefit of NCAR members, who may reproduce and distribute it to other NCAR members and their clients, provided it is reproduced in its entirety without any change to its format or content, including  disclaimer and copyright notice, and provided that any such reproduction is not intended for monetary gain.  Any unauthorized reproduction, use or distribution is prohibited.