Do you value your time? Harlan Ellison, a Hollywood writer, had this incredibily irreverent rant that resonated with me. It resonates with me because people often ask me to give my work away for free.

Plumbers and electricians often get paid just to show up. Appraisers get paid to show up. Inspectors get paid when they show up. Real estate agents on the other hand, are often expected to give their opinions for free before they have even been hired. An experienced agents opinion could be worth thousands of dollars to the homeowner by the time the home sale reaches fruitition. So why do agents give away their best ‘stuff’ for free?

I can’t help but wonder if the National Association of REALTORS and large brokerages have effectively homogenized the value of agents. It’s in all of their marketing. Claims that working with a paticular brokerage or working with a REALTOR alone is what will guarantee great results. I wonder if people believe that.

I would recommend to any agent to reconsider how they go about their business. How they handle listing appointments and what advice they give potential buyers when discussing a paticular property, especially before getting something in writing.

Do you view yourself as a commodity? Are you really that easily replaced? If you have a unique knowledge and can offer advice that will help people make thousands more on their homes and save them countless headaches, shouldn’t you act like it? Do you communicate your value proposition effectively? Do you prove it in the service you offer?

It’s all about how you are going about your business each day. Chances are, if you don’t value your time, no one else will either.