Herding Cats (er, Realtors)
Amongst the dozens of thankless tasks assigned to Office Administrators (“OA’s”) — the folks in charge of the day-to-day affairs at the big brokers’ real estate offices (think, Edina Realty and Coldwell Banker Burnet) — is making sure that all the Realtors timely complete and turn in their continuing education requirements.
Especially in a bigger office — Edina Realty-City Lakes has about 70 active Realtors — that’s no small task.
Further raising the stakes: the draconian penalty for missing the June 30 deadline — namely, an unlicensed agent is sidelined until . . . they are (re-licensed).
Given the requisite bureaucracy, that can easily be a month or more, during which time the agent’s listings and Buyers literally have to be reassigned.
Ouch!
Too Soon or Too Late
The inevitable problem for the OA’s policing all those Realtors is, there’s never an ideal time to bring up the continuing ed deadline.
Start too soon, and they just tune you out (trust me); too late, and procrastinators — or some genuinely swamped agents* — may risk missing the deadline.
Put it this way: a good OA tailors their message to their audience.
“Do Not Pass Go” (Do Not Collect Commission)
What is the best and fastest way for agents (I can’t imagine who) facing the continuing ed “ticking clock” to find an online provider?
I suppose you could ask fellow Realtors; try one of the many companies that bombard Realtors with advertising (I don’t want to encourage them); or check Angie’s List, Yelp, or something similar.
Or . . . you could just ask the OA what web site she’s seen most agents use for their continuing ed.
Thanks, April!
*Here’s an obvious proposal for minimizing continuing ed-related missed deadlines: move the annual date from the peak of the Realtor cycle, June 30, to an off-season time.
My suggestion: October 31.
See also, “Looming Real Estate Continuing Ed Deadline.”
