Higher Standards Part 1: Nest Realty Agents

This is the first in a series of posts discussing Nest Realty’s belief system of raising the bar in real estate.

Over the last few years, the debate has intensified regarding the low requirements for earning a real estate salesperson license (note: I hate the term salesperson, but that’s what they call it).  In Virginia, an applicant must complete 60 hours of class work and pass the State and National salesperson test.  It’s pretty similar in most states – some are a little more stringent, some slightly more lenient.  The point here is this: it’s pretty darn easy to get your real estate license. 

And while I don’t have the time (or patience) to lobby for an increase the licensing standards for Realtors nationwide, we do feel strong enough to implement stringent standards for all Nest agents.  To that end, we’ve implemented some ‘minimum’ standards for every agent that joins the team:

1. You must be full-time in real estate
2. You must have 3-year’s full-time experience
3. You must earn your Broker’s license
4. You must be involved in the local or state Realtor association

There are a lot of brokerages out there that base their business models on training and recruiting mass quantities of agents, hoping they each do a few deals a year, and praying that a small percentage of them turn out to be successful in the long run. 

Not Nest.  We’re setting the bar high and we’re keeping it high.  Our screening process is stringent – those minimum standards are actually just the beginning.   

So, why do we set these standards? 

1. Because that’s what we believe in.
2. Because we believe that is what is best for the consumer. 

(If you continue to follow the Nest Report, you’ll see these two points as ongoing themes)

First point: we believe that the bar in real estate is set too low.  It’s too easy to get a real estate license.  It’s too easy to keep a real estate license.  In the end, those low standards hurt the true professionals…and there are absolutely a lot of true real estate professionals out there.  As for new agents – I don’t have anything against agents new to the business.  (Hey, we were all new at one time).  But, in reality, new agents need mentoring and some experience under their belt before they can truly serve their clients well.    

Second point: how do these standards benefit the consumer?  Well, first of all, I think everybody who chooses to work with a Realtor would tell you that they want a knowledgeable, experienced Realtor to work with.  You know that if you work with a Nest Realtor, you are working with a true professional.

That being said, I’d like to welcome 3 exceptional Realtors to the Nest Realty team: Martha Campbell, Keith Davis, and Jim Duncan.  These are truly All-Star agents who put their clients first, bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, and have a proven track record of success.  They also understand that the real estate world is changing and, because of that, they have chosen to affiliate with Nest Realty.

It’s an honor to have them as part of the team and I look forward to working with each of them for a long time.