More words about education and certification. It is never enough for sure.
The more you get and the more you need.
Some company are requiring or offering a high cost certification. Be honest!
What justifies this high expense? Are we more efficient with such certification?
Do we receive more assignment?
May be for some but I have invested a subsequent amount in certification and
education and have never seen the immediate result.
The highest certification offered by REOTrans/Equator as “Platinum”
is coming to expiration and I have already received an invitation to renew it
and encouraged to be certified at a higher level.
What can be higher than the highest ???
I have never received even one call as Platinum certified in one year. (NEVER).
The question is not even relevant: why again ???
Having said that and we can always write more about this aspect,
but a few words now about the “real” education.
The more you pay and the more glamorous the certification is, the better it is for you…
Maybe not!
At first and to be realistic we all know
that this industry in particular is changing all the time.
So your certification so high it was a year ago is probably obsolete by now.
I truly believe that a valuable education is a constant education.
There are many of them extremely valuable and affordable as NFSTI
and other are even free such as offered by Title companies,
mortgage broker or even lenders. I remember my first seminar on short sale
was presented by one Title company
and was certainly the most complete and explicit presentation on the subject
I have ever seen (for free !)
I don’t believe one topic covered by one class and five question quiz open book
will make you an expert on the matter.
Same topic is covered by one seminar and again on a different class with different words
and update will complement a good education. This is the key.
Again and again to achieve a complete and updated knowledge.
The learning process has four different levels as:
1- The lowest one as “rote learning” is the ability to repeat back
what one has told without necessary understanding …
....remember your first short sale seminar !
2- The “understanding level” is when one can not only repeat what was told, but understands the principles and theory behind the knowledge…
...your first call with short sale negotiator!
3- The “application level” is more than understand the concept
but also apply what has been learned and perform correctly…
...let say fully initiate and succeed a short sale.
4- The “correlation level” is when one is able to associate
various learned elements with other segments or blocks of learning
or accomplishment. I can relate this last one when you take the initiative
to pull out a property from auction in favor of a short sale before
it is too late and you can convince the negotiator to do so !
Wondering where I am pulling this information from?
My flight instructor certificate is the answer.
What is taught to any flight instructor by the FAA.
The final question is what should consider an Asset Manager as the most valuable:
one high certification obsolete from two year ago or
a continuous and constant education complemented by various seminars?
I would say the second choice as a common sense is definitely showing
an agent more motivated, dedicated and more knowledgeable
with the latest measures related to the industry.
Again, just an opinion!
Comments
And, after all this $$ spent we have 8 new listings in the past week, a mix of short sales, REO and 2 traditional sales; 3 ratified contracts with 2 being all cash sales, and I am going to Baltimore to attend another asset management training class. I am starting to see the pieces fall into the puzzle.
Do we not warn the general public of all the foreclosure and short-sale scams and frauds going around? Why do we fall for the same type of scam just because they call it Training?
The current wave of pay-to-play, guaranteed listings companies as well as REO training companies are just the next group of people preying on hungry agents who want clients. It really is sickening.
I've always said that I will not pay a company to get business ... If a current client requires a certain certification then OK, I'll do it, but show me the money first. Shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars with the promise that you MIGHT get work is BS. Assign me an asset or 10 and THEN I'll shell out the buck to get "certified" in your system.
I hate to be so negative, but this is the reality as I see it. All the courses I've taken and required conferences I've been to have really been of no benefit to me, and I've never gotten business from new clients because I attended. Seriously, you would think that years of experience and a solid track record of listing and selling assets would be enough to get into a particular network if it is real.