The idea that industrial agents are basically all the same persists in some circles. On the surface, perhaps it’s easy to assume that since they’re all searching the same listings and in contact with the same people – particularly in a smaller market like northern Nevada – the actual agent him or herself doesn’t particularly matter. But a little thought quickly reveals how badly misinformed this notion really is. Still, if you’re going to generalize, it’s better to classify industrial real estate agents and brokers in two ways – the problem solvers and the order takers. Understanding which one suits your needs best is a quick way to narrow down your search for the right agent.
Industrial Agent Style – The Problem Solver
This agent is characterized by “driver” or “analytical thinker” personality types. Once he or she understand your needs, expect a clear direction of how he or she plans to achieve your goal to the best of their abilities. This direction will be based on your agent’s experience finding customized real estate solutions that best serve the needs of their individual clients.
Get the most out of this type of agent by explaining what you need and then getting out of the way. Once you’ve shared your expectations, keep your input and suggestions to a minimum, and let him or her do their job. The best problem solver agents will reflect on your input and adjust course as needed, and you’ll enjoy the benefit of his or her experience, expertise, valued council, and unique ability to both streamline the entire process and find the solution to your commercial or industrial real estate dilemma.
In most cases and for most clients, this kind of agent works well. However, if you prefer absolute control of the real estate process, hiring a problem solver agent will likely create a highly charged relationship. Unless you can allow the professional you’ve chosen to do what he or she has been hired to do, you won’t get the best of his or her ability. Ultimately, that will negatively affect your real estate deal. In this case, you’ll be better off with the other kind of agent – the order taker.
The Order Taker
This agent is agreeable and expressive, fun to be around, and supportive of the client by agreeing with and supporting his or her ideas completely. Because of this dynamic, the order taker agents are best suited to clients who feel they can handle their own needs by themselves, but opt for an agent simply to make this easier. That means the client is calling the shots, and the agent merely follows up with a little bit of council that may or may not be ignored.
The order taker agent’s clients generally complete their transaction feeling that their assessments were correct, that they ran the show, and the agent’s job was essentially handling the paperwork, crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. If you want an agent who will offer advice born of experience, and particularly when you are misjudging a situation, the order taker is likely not for you. This kind of agent doesn’t typically resists a client order, which makes them unlikely to insist that a client reassesses his or her position. Overall, results of a transaction with an order taker agent tend to lag well behind the results garnered by a problem solver agent.
So which one is right for you – the problem solver or the order taker?
Ask yourself whether you know definitively that you can manage an industrial real estate transaction yourself? If you honestly believe that you are a more skilled negotiator than the professionals who do this day in and day out, an order taker will likely work just fine.
If, however, you feel that a professional agent who performs these transactions for a living might be better suited to guiding you through the process, find a problem solver. That’s what we are, and we welcome the opportunity to show you why. Please contact us today.
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