He is, without a doubt, one of the most notorious and cunning salespeople in real estate. Careful, you better watch your back …
Article By: Neil O’Donnell
Recently we introduced you to The Cheetah, one of the more notorious Supervillains of real estate. If you remember, his superpower was the power of pursuit. He is the one salesperson that simply cannot be outrun. He is too fast. He doesn’t understand social cues. And no, he will never catch the hint, no matter how many times you hit him over the head with it.
This month I will introduce you to another of the real estate Supervillains. This series of articles is, of course, meant to be fun and entertaining—but there is too much TRUTH contained in these descriptions to be considered pure fiction.
As a consumer, it is important to understand the fact that many commissioned-based salespeople lack integrity. Of course, this is not news to you, but I think a lot of people underestimate the threat. Especially when the seduction of their promises weigh mightily on our desired outcome.
“Your home sold, faster, for more money!” said in various ways, for whatever reason, leads homeowners to make stupid decisions that no responsible homeowner would ever make, if in fact, rational thought was involved.
“Your home SOLD, Faster, for More money!” said in various ways, for whatever reason, leads homeowners to make stupid decisions that no responsible homeowner would ever make, if in fact, rational thought was involved.
And specifically there is one Supervillain (of real estate) who’s notorious for his over-promising ways. He hails from billboards and the glossy covered pages of The Real Estate Book, Newspaper, and other real estate publications.
Dr. Ego bluntly stated, is all about HIM.
Sigmund Freud once said, speaking of “Dr. Ego,” this is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever. In his own omnipotent mind, he is the greatest, best, smartest, most knowledgeable, skilled expert that ever walked the planet.
This Supervillain is blissfully unaware of his shortcomings and weaknesses. However, as brilliant as this Supervillain believes he is, he’s quite easy to stump. He doesn’t even know the definition of the word “expert.” And, if you’d like to prove it to yourself, just ask him “What makes you an expert? Why should I do business with you?” This is, after all, a plausible question that any homeowner might ask.
Internally, if you could see inside him, you’d notice he starts to sweat. Squirms, and gets nervous… but, with blinded arrogance, will tell you everything about HIM, what makes HIM great – how HE’S a million-dollar producer, sold more homes than any other agent, how HE’S been in real estate longer than any other agent, how HE’S the best negotiator, the most skilled marketer, the most brilliant tactician, how HE knows the real estate market and market trends BETTER than anyone else [he’ll probably even show you some beautifully designed graphs and charts about HIM.]
Simply put, this Supervillain — Dr. EGO — doesn’t understand it’s NOT about him. That it is about YOU.
In addition, this Supervillain is the epitome of “fake it until you make it” and is always over-compensating. His clothes? He is always over-dressed. Suit, tie, ironed-shirt, and shoes, always shined. His car, probably leased, but it’s top of the line. A Range Rover or something, whatever the “in” car of the week is, according to I Can’t Afford It magazine.
This Supervillain prides himself on materialistic things – this is how he judges his value to himself – so he wears a nice watch, expensive, and is always pulling up his sleeve to make sure you see it. When talking to you, you’ll notice he crosses his legs too, one over the other and leans back in his chair, taking on a sort of a slouched position. This is a villainous “move” that, for some reason, he believes makes him look confident, something he’s practiced – another form of over-compensating.
But what makes this Supervillain so criminally dangerous is the fact his “Ego” is more important to him, than you, or ANY real estate goal that you wish to achieve.
So when things go bad, and they often do – rather than risk damaging his ego or tarnishing it even the slightest bit (something Dr. Ego can’t live with or even admit is possible) this Supervillain will blame you. YOU overpriced your home. YOU didn’t accommodate showings. YOU didn’t follow his advice. YOU… YOU… YOU… It’s all your fault. And, if you examine this Supervillain’s hands, you’ll notice that his index finger is about 30% longer than all his others fingers, from a lifetime of out-stretched finger pointing.
When things go bad, and they often do – rather than risk damaging his ego or tarnishing it even the slightest bit – this Supervillain will blame you. His index finger is about 30% longer than all his others fingers, from a lifetime of out-stretched finger pointing.
This Supervillain is bi-polar too. One day, he’s your best friend. The next, he’s throwing you under the bus – so be careful with this one! With this Supervillain, trust me, you need to watch your own back, yourself – it’s imperative.
Dr. Ego is a team player, seemingly, and always has your back, right up until the point you need him most. Then, whatever is best for his ego, takes priority. One moment, he’s your confidant. The next, his knife, motivated by the pure size and importance of his ego, is 6-inches deep in your back.
Next month, based on the positive feedback of last month’s column, I’ll share with you the character traits of another Supervillain that lives amongst us, causing homeowners Horror Stories.
In the meantime, stay smart.
Do your homework.
Protect yourself.