Everyone has heard the expression of a ‘Wolf in Sheep’s clothing’, However,I feel that estate agents are very much ‘a Cat in Sheep’s clothing’!
Your average domesticated cat is independent, it will seek attention and can be cuddly wanting constant stroking one minute and then gone the next, it is reactive, is wary, defensive, and pretty much uncontrollable. They may be domesticated but nature is still very close to the surface, the hunting instinct is still there, and they are territorial too.
If we take a look at the average independent estate agent, we find that they seek attention when they want it, seeking ego stroking one minute and then they have disappeared the next (instruction in hand)! Estate agency is entrepreneurial and reactive an ideal environment for feline characteristics. Their business nature is very close to that of the Cat too. They stake a territory, seek to defend it and then they begin to stray into new territories, whilst viciously defending their own should any straycats venture into theirs.
The average independent agent is a sceptical beast mirroring cat-like wariness, curiosity won’t kill him! Anything new warrants nothing more than keeping a healthy distance or moving away entirely until completely sure there is no hidden danger. This trait is often on display when faced with proptech or with new modes of agency competition. They keep their distance and if approached they immediately go defensive, ‘big’ themselves up and the claws come out in readiness for a fight.
Moral of the story, never try to control cats or approach too quickly, when they are ready, they will come to you.
This was a ‘Mews bulletin’ for the cool cats of the estate agency world brought to you by:
Mutual, the Pre-Portal Property Platform
Max Fuller is the Creator and Founder of the Mutual Pre-Portal Property Platform.