As soon as one hears about real estate agents, Carlo Verdone immediately springs to mind where in the film Grouse he plays a picturesque broker intent on trimming a hovel for a poor, naive maiden.
Sadly, this scene will haunt our profession for centuries to come, going on to fuel the misconception that all real estate agents are professional barkers in suits.
But is this really the case?
What is the reputation of real estate agents in Italy?
This question was decided to be answered by the trade association of which I am a director (FIMAA).
And to do so, she turned to a very authoritative body when it comes to surveys, namely NOMISMA, which, thanks to its expertise and capabilities, conducted a series of interviews that yielded a very interesting and insightful result.
Let's look at some of them:
First, let's start with the qualities most sought after in a real estate agent by Italians:
In the first place we find a demand for TRANSPARENCY understood as the need to make the parties aware of all known and knowable events related to a property ( an obligation reiterated several times by some cassation rulings moreover )
In second place is the ability to properly appraise a property, a characteristic that is not always dependent on the will of a real estate agent but is considered important by those who need to sell or buy a home.
In third place ( it will seem strange ) the availability to make appointments. Very often users find it difficult to schedule inspections with real estate agents who are unavailable or do not call back the home-seeking client.
Transparency and trust, these are the characteristics that a good A.I. must convey
Another survey that has been conducted is what are the reasons Italians use a real estate agent and what they hope to get as a service:
The main need is to find a contact person who is able to simplify the paperwork by making the purchase or sale of a property as least traumatic as possible.
The second is to be able to do it safely, that is, to avoid surprises or flaws after purchase ( this relates back to the need to check all documentation first )
Third is the possibility of reducing the time frame of a transaction.
Ultimately, the Italian is looking for someone he can trust, and who can accompany him without surprises on the winding path leading to a purchase or sale.
So what is the Italians' liking for real estate agents?
A full 7!!!
On the occasion of the presentation of this survey, I had the opportunity to interview Nomisma CEO Luca Dondi.
Here is the video!
Want to download the whole survey? Click here to download it.
