Independent real estate agents are often reluctant to explore the agent team approach. They often mistakenly believe that the best way to serve their clients is to do everything themselves -- answer the phone, develop CMA's (Comparative Market Analyses), create presentations, meet personally with clients, show homes, and perform all the other tasks required to run a successful real estate business.

Unfortunately, this "nobody could do it better than me approach" often results in inferior customer service.

I was recently flying home from the NAR (National Association of Realtors) convention in Las Vegas, and I began wondering what would happen if airlines followed the same approach that most Realtors practice. I would call the airline to book a flight, and the pilot would answer the phone. When I arrived at the airport, the pilot would check me in, check my bags, follow me to the inspection point to make sure I wasn't trying to carry any prohibited items on the plane, and then escort me to the gate to make sure I boarded the right flight and secured a seat.

Prior to takeoff, the pilot would enter the cabin, show us how to buckle our safety belts, explain the emergency procedures, and tell us to turn off all of our electronic devices. He would then slip into the cockpit and prepare for takeoff. Once we were cruising along at the right altitude, the pilot would return to the cabin to pass out snacks and drinks and then collect our trash when we were finished. I could go on, but you get the point: Having the pilot handle everything would be an incredibly inefficient system. Yet, Realtors take this approach every day in their business. Then they wonder why they are so overworked, stressed, and impoverished.

Power agent teams can liberate you from the shackles of your occupation. By hiring and training staff and delegating tasks that you really don't need to be involved with, you can focus your energy and efforts on addressing high-level client needs, drumming up more business, and serving more clients. In other words, you can do what you do best and are most passionate about and assign the rest of the work to others who are better trained and equipped to perform those tasks.

With a team, for example, you can have a Director of First Impressions answering the phones, greeting clients, and managing the office. A closing coordinator can handle all the paperwork required from the time a buyer makes an offer on a property until closing day. A marketing manager can ensure that all listings are properly advertised, create and manage your website, post fresh content on your blogs, and work toward building a strong brand presence for you and your team.

Concerned about the costs of maintaining a team? This is certainly a valid concern, but as long as you have more business than you can currently handle, the additional business that a team will enable you to handle and the subsequent revenue that your team will generate is almost always more than enough to cover the added expenses. In fact, most agents who run successful teams often wonder how they could ever have afforded to run a real estate business without a team!

Published: January 14, 2008

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Ralph R. Roberts, CRS, GRI is an award-winning and internationally recognized real estate agent, author, coach, and speaker. Throughout his career, Ralph has proven his commitment to helping other real estate and sales professionals build upon their past and present success, grow and expand their businesses, and provide a rich and rewarding future for themselves, their customers, their employees, and their families. As president and CEO of Ralph Roberts Realty, Ralph has personally helped thousands of consumers realize their dream of homeownership. While selling over 10,000 homes (and buying and selling over 3,000 investment properties) throughout his 30-year career, Ralph has made the time to mentor and coach hundreds of professionals in real estate, sales, and a host of other fields. Ralph is a recognized authority on Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud; Residential Real Estate; Personal Salesmanship; Sales Force and Office Management, Motivation, Design, and Team Building; and Foreclosure Self-Defense and Loan Modification, fields in which he has demonstrated his commitment to preserving the American Dream of Homeownership. Ralph's numerous websites, blogs, seminars, and speaking engagements engage, entertain, and educate both consumers and professionals. Ralph is also an accomplished author with several successful titles to his credit, including: Power Teams: The Complete Guide to Building and Managing a Winning Real Estate Agent Team Financing Real Estate Investments For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Mortgage Myths: 77 Secrets That Will Save You Thousands on Home Financing (John Wiley & Sons) Foreclosure Self-Defense For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud: Preserving the American Dream of Homeownership (Kaplan) Foreclosure Investing For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Foreclosure Myths: 77 Secrets to Saving Thousands on Distressed Properties (John Wiley & Sons) Advanced Selling For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) Flipping Houses For Dummies 52 Weeks of Sales Success (John Wiley & Sons) Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman (John Wiley & Sons) Cross-Cultural Selling For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons) To learn more about Ralph, visit AboutRalph.com, check out his daily insights on real estate and mortgage fraud prevention at FlippingFrenzy.com, or visit his latest blog dedicated to helping distressed homeowners fight foreclosure, KeepMyHouse.com. You can reach Ralph at or by calling (586) 751-0000.