Commissions Are Negotiable!

What a HOT topic on this hottest of weeks in California!  And thanks to The Real Estate Agent Group on Facebook (a closed group) for providing a great forum for discussion among agents.

The following question was posted on Wednesday, July 3rd:  “Why do I keep taking commission cuts to get deals done?  Is that also normal for all my fellow agents out there…?” 

Several agents responded with great input and suggestions, but I have a different perspective to offer into the conversation.

The question I would ask Billy, or anyone else who is wondering why we allow ourselves to feel pressured by Clients, is “What do you believe about the compensation you receive?  What do you believe about the time you spend working on a deal, and the level of service and expertise you provide?" Have you ever stopped to consider what you really think and feel about this somewhat controversial topic? 

When asked to reduce our fee from a company standard as required by most Brokers, most of us have our conditioned response, a knee-jerk reaction perhaps? Or maybe some scripted material from a coach or trainer – effective when put to appropriate use, but not necessarily our own.  We’re pretty good at attending seminars and buying into coaching programs, yet we are befuddled when it comes to claiming our compensation for services with much conviction. 

So the question I’m asking requires a little deeper self-inquiry, if we really want to know what’s going on.  The result may ultimately shift our paradigm and, if taken to the next level, will allow us to have a completely different experience when next we engage in this conversation with a Client.

Making a broad assumption here, we’ve all heard about “the law of attraction,” a concept that has become more broadly understood and utilized in our culture over the past 20-30 years (although, the teaching itself goes back hundreds, if not thousands of years).  The chart-topping movie “The Secret” brought the teaching of this spiritual law into the mainstream as more and more people have become aware of the power of “getting what you want simply by thinking it so.”  And, it’s true!  The law of attraction starts with a recognized want, need or desire, followed by focused attention on that thing until it comes to fruition, and manifests in form.  Or… it does not come, and we find ourselves in a less than satisfactory experience, like the one presented in Billy Barr’s question.  

The real power of this universal, spiritual law of attraction is found in the often hidden realm of our subconscious mind.  Each and every one of us has been taught from the moment of our first breath, through our familial and societal conditioning, how to be, think and feel.  We learn right and wrong, good and bad, pretty and ugly, nice and mean, with very little freedom, let alone encouragement, to actually discover our own, unique sensibilities….about anything!  Point being, most of what we learned was taught to us by others, and as a survival mechanism, it seems to have worked best to stay within those socially-accepted boundaries.

Understanding the critical nature of our beliefs as the root cause of what happens in our lives is paramount if we are to move beyond mediocre circumstances into the greater-yet-to-be that life wants for us.   Knowing where we came from and why we believe what we do is very useful.  But the fact of the matter is, we can change our entire experience by changing our beliefs.  We have to know that we are free to make a new choice, formulate a new idea, and evolve those old beliefs into new ones that work for who we are today.   

So, what does this all have to do with Billy’s question about why it seems like he has to cut his commissions?  It’s this.  The Law of Attraction is ALWAYS at work, whether you understand  it or not; it is always, always, always  bringing into your life a thing, experience or circumstance that is a direct reflection of your underlying, core beliefs.  If you believe you have to reduce your commission in order for a Seller to list with you, then that is true for you.  If you believe you don’t ever have to, then you don’t.  If you believe you provide valuable service and your compensation is a reflection of that service, then the conversation between you and your Clients is easy.  Know your truth, and speak it with conviction.  When your thoughts and actions are aligned with what serves you and your Clients best, and causes harm to no one else, the universe conspires for all good things to be delivered, including full compensation.

May we all know expansive self-worth, joy and abundance in every transaction!