Facilitators vs Business Trusted Advisors

Here some information I want to share with you about facilitator vs business advisors. As I mentioned before, one of the aspects that will set us apart from the rest is our knlowdege foundation. We will be able to do more than the typical facilitator who only wants to make a quick buck without regards of future business or establishing a relationship with the client.

To be successful in real estate, we must be more than facilitators, me must know about the products, markets and know when is a good time to buy and why. When the clients are having difficulties in arranging their the logistics of payment, we will be able to assist them due to our understanding of financing and real estate market. We must provide solutions.

Many facilitators are mainly "order fillers". They have no idea about the property, and in most cases they cannot solve the challenges that typically accompany the real estate market. Many times the facilitators in their fear of losing their "commission" is willing to say what the clients want to hear. Many times jeopardizing not only the business relationship with the customers and with other business partners, but most importantly reputation.

In todays business environment there are many orders and offers in the internet. There are daily offers being made of properties that are being recycled from one facilitator to another. None of them have an idea about the origin of the property, margin%, room for negotiation, payment terms, quality or even if the order is still valid or outdated, etc. All they know is that they found this opportunity and they want to make a commission. In conclusion they lose respect, since they do not add value to their clients.

Trusted advisors are client advocates. They are not afraid to follow the courage of their conviction, think rationally, and maintain their discipline, even in the worst of times. They set expectations, educate their clients, and work in a collaborative fashion-always putting their clients’ interests first.

Here are some differences between facilitators and a trusted advisors:

1. Courage of conviction-Trusted advisors carefully evaluate a client’s situation and make recommendations that are in the best interests of the client, even if the client initially disagrees or wants to do something different. In contrast, a facilitator may allow or even encourage a client to make decisions that might feel good in the short run but are counterproductive long-term. They might do this out of fear of losing business or a preference for expediency. Facilitators generally do not bring discipline and rationality to the investment process, which is a big part of the value of having an advisor.

2. Stated philosophy-Trusted advisors have a clear and unwavering approach to business. They take the time to educate their clients about their approach and are willing to turn away prospective clients that are not a good fit. Facilitators, on the other hand, usually don’t have a clearly stated business philosophy. They want the flexibility of being able to offer a prospective client whatever the client is looking for. Facilitators might offer several different solutions, even if they are philosophically inconsistent with each other. As a result, they may have clients following conflicting strategies, which makes it impossible to send a consistent message to clients.

3. Coaching and Educating-Trusted advisors act as coaches for their clients. Whether it is in sports or business, the role of a coach is the same. A coach is an educator and teacher who understands the objectives and defines and implements a process to achieve them. He or she also communicates collaboratively in a team-building fashion, and provides the discipline to ensure good, long-term results. Education is also critical to a successful advisor-client relationship. Clients benefit from learning about economics, finance, and how markets work. A trusted advisor is able to facilitate substantive discussions about these and other important topics.

In conclusion, clients make smarter decisions when they have useful and timely information. Facilitators often lack the skills needed to truly educate and advise their clients, and must fall back on other means, such as persuasive sales skills, to retain client relationships. They may not be willing to spend the time, or simply may not have the knowledge, to properly educate and inform their clients. A good advisor has a high level of expertise, as well as the skills necessary to impart that knowledge to others in an effective way.