If we want to win in a world where consumers have more information than ever before, we must become clear, stable professionals who improve experiences, writes new Inman contributor Brian Tresidder.
When we talk about “professionalism” in the real estate industry, it usually means the basics of showing up on time, communicating clearly, keeping close tabs on paperwork, and doing what you say you’re going to do. All true.
However, after years of serving the association and being recognized by my peers as Realtor of the Year, I have learned that the true differentiator is not a single skill. What matters is whether your business (and your community) consistently builds trust with your customers, colleagues, and the public.
5 leadership lessons to raise the bar for every real estate agent.
Here are five leadership lessons that directly translate into a better customer experience and a healthier industry. They are simple, practical and surprisingly rare. That’s why it’s important.
1. Build and protect a culture where people feel like they belong.
The year I served as president of the Sarasota-Manatee Association of Realtors (RASM), my theme was “Homes for All.” Not as a slogan, but as a standard.
If we want a culture of ethical behavior and strong results, people must feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions, and admitting mistakes early on, before small problems become big ones.
How to apply this to your business:
Set the standard for questions to be “not embarrassing.” The sooner you ask questions, the sooner you can prevent harm to your client. Be clear about your expectations: response times, documentation standards, frequency of follow-up. Use neutral language when there is a conflict. “Here’s what we agreed to,” “Here’s what’s in the contract,” “Here’s what the client needs next.”
If your team and colleagues know you’re being fair, they’ll be more likely to raise issues early on. By doing so, we can protect consumers.
2. Value what’s important, not what looks good
The association’s leaders taught me an uncomfortable truth. It means that your efforts feel like successes long before they actually have an effect. The solution is simple. Define your results before you begin.
How to apply this to your business:
Replace vague goals (“better communication”) with measurable actions (“same-day approvals,” “weekly proactive updates,” “48-hour document submission”). Track friction points that create client dissatisfaction, such as schedule disruptions, unclear next steps, unexpected costs, and disappointing expectations. Do a short post-mortem review for each difficult file. Find out what broke, why it broke, and what criteria will prevent you next time.
Professionalism is a system, not a personality trait.
3. Education is not a perk – it’s risk management
Most consumer harm (and most agent stress) does not result from “malice”. It stems from preventable knowledge gaps such as unclear forecasts, sloppy documentation, missed deadlines, and not understanding the special rules of a niche deal until the deal is complete.
I saw this firsthand when I spearheaded the creation of a new specialty class at my local association: RASM’s Certified Waterfront Specialist (CWS) program. Waterfront transactions come with unique considerations. If an agent doesn’t know what questions to ask early on, including legalities, pitfalls, and due diligence issues, a deal can quietly fall through.
RASM’s programs are designed to dive deep into these details (from property type to practical constraints such as bridge height, tidal and water depth, to topics such as docks/revetments, riparian and water rights).
Since its inception, this class has been one of the most attended classes in the association and consistently receives good feedback from participants because it is practical rather than theoretical.
If you want to actually reduce risk in education (rather than just “check a box”), build it like an operating system.
Choose one “high risk” topic each month and create a simple strategy for what to say, what to document, and what to do next. Please tell me about edge cases. Because it’s a moment our clients remember, whether it’s appraisal gaps, inspection disputes, condo or HOA document delays, repair addendums, financing issues, or specialized categories like waterfront where misunderstandings can be costly. Add checklists and escalation paths for each high-risk category. For example: A waterfront checklist that forces you to ask questions early on about water depth, access, rights, docks/revetments, and local constraints before anyone feels “trapped.”
The point is not to increase the number of classes. The key is to reduce surprises. Because surprise destroys trust. Proper education leads to consumer protection.
4. Transparency trumps talent, especially under pressure.
In leadership, the most difficult situations have not been those with bad people. They had unclear expectations and assumptions, and were slow to communicate. Consumers don’t expect perfection, they expect clarity.
How to apply this to your business:
Educate your client upfront about the “why” behind your timeline (so they don’t interpret waiting as laziness). Say the quiet parts out loud. “Here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t know, and here’s what we’ll do next.” Document your decisions and next steps in writing after the call. This prevents misunderstandings and protects everyone.
The most trusted experts are not those who avoid problems. They’re the ones who bring it to the surface early and guide people through it.
5. Don’t just trade, coach the person.
One thing I have always believed in, reinforced by my leadership, is “people first.” Transactions can be resolved. But if you don’t build that person’s confidence and abilities, you’ll end up solving the same problems over and over again.
How to apply this to your business:
When someone asks for help, don’t just hand them the answer. Give them a framework they can repeat. We celebrate consistent execution (clean files, proactive updates, calm negotiation), not just closings. Use cognitive-load-reducing technologies like templates, checklists, and workflows to help humans do what they do best: communicate and care.
Clients don’t remember your CRM. They remember if they felt guided.
The payoff: Trust scales up.
These lessons are not glamorous. They don’t get infected with viruses. But they are doing something more important. It means we are building a profession worthy of trust.
If you want to win in a world where consumers are more informed than ever, you can’t rely on being the “friendly local expert.” We must become clear, stable professionals who improve our experience and bring others along.
That’s what “home for all” means to me. It’s a culture of respect, accountability, education and service where every real estate agent has a place and a voice and every consumer gets better outcomes.
Brian Tresidder is operations manager for William Raveis Real Estate’s Sarasota and Siesta Key offices. Connect with him on Facebook.
