“There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” – Aristotle
I find it both interesting and sad that some people intentionally put other people down. The real estate world can be a nasty place to be (the mainstream office culture at least), and I have witnessed first hand agents putting agents from other agencies down, attacking each other at meetings, and bad mouthing agents in general (even from their own company) to buyers and sellers – in particular: potential sellers.
Even the number 1 agents for their agencies often feel the need to put others down – particularly when it comes to listing appointments – or worse yet – when the seller notifies them that they didn’t get the listing. This is where these “# 1” agents reveal their true colours. My question is: Why?
There are a number of reasons as to why someone feels the need to put others down, here’s a few reasons:
- The need to feel superior to others
- Childhood trauma
- Low Self-Esteem
- A poor home life
- They have been bullied or put down themselves
- Insecurity
- Poor Education
- Lack of Empathy
- Underlying mental health issues
It’s my thoughts that 1) the need to feel superior to others, 2) low self-esteem, 3) insecurity, and 4) poor education all contribute to why a #1 agent still feels the need to bad mouth others. Maybe also 5) lack of empathy. This indicates to me a major lack of that I think is incredibly important:
Professionalism & Respect.
It’s my stance that you should conduct all your business, meetings, open homes, phone calls etc as if someone was recording or filming you. Always act with professionalism, and always act with respect. No exception.
My advice; if you come across an agent willing to bad mouth another agent to you – you should get as far away from them as you can. There’s a high chance they’re bad mouthing you to their colleagues, clients and family.
Do we need to put others down? No.
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