Don't Ask Real Estate Professionals to Cut Their Commissions

This is one of those stories that you really don't hear that often. A woman called me up the other day to ask me if I would patch a small hole in her exterior stucco wall. I explained to her that I had a $300 minimum for any home repairs and then she shared this with me.

She said," It sounds like me and you won't be doing business together and then she proceeded to ask me if I knew anyone else that might be interested in doing her job." I thought for a moment, and I really didn't have anyone that I could recommend to her, but wished that I did.

I was desperately trying to think of someone that I knew who could help her out, when something dawned on me out of the blue and I asked her," If she knew any real estate professionals, because these people usually know the cheapest home repair contractors or handyman." Her reply made me realize, that I had just stuck my foot in my mouth.

She proceeded to inform me that she was herself a real estate professional, but she took it lighthearted and laughed. I asked her if she knew any other real estate professionals that could help her out, but by that time, she was no longer in a pleasant mood.

When I hung up the phone, it dawned on me that quite a few real estate professionals will not cut their commissions if asked to do so, but continue to seek out the cheapest home repair professionals that they can possibly find to work on their properties.

Its funny how one person's priorities don't seem to apply to others? The next time that you ask someone to cut their commissions or lower their prices, maybe you should ask yourself the same question. Would I cut my prices or lower my wages if I was in there shoes?