I’m No Expert, Just Trust Me

I feel like I get advice from every direction these days.

People telling me what to buy, where to live, what to eat, how to exercise, what to vote for, and apparently, how I should run my life. I have no shortage of “sage” advice.

I’ve got AI telling me how to do things. I’ve got my team telling me what I need to change. My friends tell me all the time that I should do something their way instead of the way I’m doing it.

Well, as I said, I’m no expert, but I have lived in this body for 53 years now, and I know it pretty well. I’m thinking maybe I know a little more about running my own life than some of these other sources of information. 😊

That doesn’t mean the advice isn’t well intended. Most of it probably is.

But good intentions don’t necessarily make someone an expert.

So, I’ve started thinking more about WHO actually earns the right to influence our decisions.

Who are you taking financial advice from? I’m thinking Warren Buffett might be someone whose brain I’d like to pick. But what about the person telling you how to invest your money? Have they successfully managed money? Do they have experience? Have they weathered good markets AND bad ones? Or did they simply pass a test and learn a script?

What about the salesman at the BMW dealership?

He gives you a beautiful presentation about why this magnificent driving machine absolutely needs to be sitting in your driveway. Then you find out he drives home every night in a Toyota Camry.

Nothing wrong with a Camry.

But I have questions. 😂

If you’re asking me to make a huge investment in something you don’t believe in enough to own yourself, how much of what you’re telling me comes from experience and how much comes from the sales meeting Monday morning?

That reminds me of a story from one of my favorite mentors, Zig Ziglar.

Early in his sales career, Zig struggled while selling expensive cookware. He knew the company. He knew the product. He knew the presentation.

But he didn’t own the cookware himself.

He and his wife weren’t exactly rolling in money at the time, and the cookware was expensive. So, every day Zig was asking other families to spend money on something that, deep down, even HE thought might cost too much.

Imagine trying to overcome that objection.

Customer: “It’s too expensive.”

Zig’s brain: You know, you’re probably right.

That’s a tough way to close a sale.

Eventually, he was challenged to buy the cookware himself.

So, he did.

He and his wife began using it. He learned firsthand what he liked about it. He experienced the benefits instead of simply memorizing them.

And something changed.

He began to believe what he was saying.

He wasn’t just delivering a sales presentation anymore. He was sharing an experience.

There is a tremendous difference between someone saying, “Here’s what I was taught to tell you,” and someone saying, “Here’s what I’ve learned.”

That brings me to real estate.

Most people probably know a Realtor. Actually, most people probably know 20.

Your cousin has a license.

Your neighbor just got hers.

Your friend’s daughter needs her first sale.

And there’s certainly nothing wrong with giving someone an opportunity to build a career. Every experienced Realtor had a first client.

But there is also nothing wrong with asking:

Is my largest financial asset where I want someone getting their practice?

That may sound a little sassy.

Okay. It IS a little sassy.

But we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars.

When choosing someone to represent you, ask questions.

How well do they know the local market?

How many transactions have they been involved in?

Have they navigated difficult inspections?

Do they understand negotiations?

Do they recognize issues that deserve another question?

Do they know which professionals need to be brought in when something is outside their expertise?

Have they ever owned a home?

Have they seen markets rise, fall, stall, and completely lose their minds?

And perhaps most importantly:

Will they tell you something you DON’T want to hear?

Because that’s where a trusted advisor becomes very different from a salesperson.

A salesperson’s job is to help you say yes.

A trusted advisor should occasionally be willing to tell you:

No.

Or…

Slow down.

Let’s investigate that.

I don’t think that’s in your best interest.

You may want this house, but I want you to understand what you’re buying.

That’s experience talking.

Anyone can pull information off the internet. Zillow can give you a zestimate. AI can explain a contract clause.  An online brokerage hundreds of miles away can generate some numbers.

Information is everywhere.

Wisdom isn’t.

Wisdom comes from doing something repeatedly. From making mistakes. From watching other people make mistakes. From seeing what works, what fails, what costs too much, and what saves someone from a bad decision.

Experience gives context.

And context matters.

As I said, I am no expert in everything. Far from it. But I do have years of experience in Real Estate. I understand our local market. I understand that every client has different goals, different finances, different fears, and different reasons for making a move.

That is why I would never want someone to sell themselves short by hiring a person who has no real experience simply because they know them, like them, or want to help them get started.

If you want to help them, by all means, support them.

Encourage them.

Send them referrals they can handle.

Heck, donate to their coffee fund if you feel led.

But when it comes to your biggest assets, you might want someone who knows their house from a hole in the ground. 😊

There is a time to be kind.

And there is a time to be wise.

Sometimes they are the same thing.

Sometimes they are not.

So, before you take any old advice from someone, whether it is about your health, your finances, your car, your marriage, or your Real Estate, ask yourself one important question:

Has this person earned the right to influence my decision?

Not because they sound confident.

Not because they have a polished presentation.

Not because they are your friend.

But because they have experience, understanding, integrity, and enough conviction to tell you the truth even when the truth may not be what you want to hear.

That is who I trust.

Not the person who says, “I’m no expert, just trust me.”

The one who can actually show me why I should.