There’s a number the real estate industry loves to talk about:

Sales volume.

How many homes did you sell? How many transactions did you close? How many awards did you win?

And yes, experience matters. Production matters. Results matter.

But after more than a decade in this business — both selling real estate and leading other real estate professionals — I’ve learned something:

The highest sales numbers don’t automatically make someone the best REALTOR® for you.

Numbers can tell you how much business someone has done.

They don’t necessarily tell you how that business was done.

A REALTOR® can have impressive production numbers and still leave behind frustrated clients, poor communication, rushed decisions and experiences people would never want to repeat.

That part rarely makes it onto the billboard.

Sales Is More Than Selling

Before you hire a REALTOR®, look beyond the transaction count.

Look at their sales pedigree.

Can they actually sell?

Can they communicate?

Can they negotiate when there’s real money on the table?

Can they read people?

Can they tell a client something they need to hear instead of simply telling them what they want to hear?

Can they remain calm when a transaction gets complicated?

Those skills aren’t measured by the number of SOLD signs someone puts on Instagram.

Real estate is a sales business, but great salespeople understand something very important:

You don’t earn business by applying pressure. You earn it by earning trust.

Leadership Matters Too

There’s another quality I believe is overlooked when choosing a REALTOR®:

Leadership.

A good REALTOR® doesn’t simply open doors, upload a listing and wait for something to happen.

They lead the process.

That means having a strategy, explaining the reasoning behind it and being prepared to change direction when the market tells you something different.

It means coordinating photographers, lawyers, mortgage professionals, inspectors, cooperating agents and everyone else involved in getting a transaction across the finish line.

And when something goes sideways — because sometimes it does — leadership becomes far more valuable than a sales statistic.

Your REALTOR® should be the person in the room who knows what needs to happen next.

Experience Should Create Judgment

Years in the business shouldn’t just give someone a longer résumé.

They should create judgment.

After 13 years as a Broker, along with experience managing and mentoring real estate professionals, I’ve seen this business from both sides.

I’ve sold.

I’ve negotiated.

I’ve recruited.

I’ve coached.

I’ve managed.

I’ve helped agents work through problems with their own transactions and clients.

And that experience has reinforced something I strongly believe:

Knowing how to get a deal done is important. Knowing when a deal shouldn’t be done is just as important.

Sometimes my job is to push.

Sometimes my job is to negotiate harder.

Sometimes my job is to tell you to walk away.

That’s not always the easiest way to make another sale.

But I’m not interested in simply adding another transaction to my numbers.

I’m interested in earning your trust.

Ask Better Questions

So when you’re interviewing REALTORS®, absolutely ask about their experience and sales history.

But don’t stop there.

Ask how they negotiate.

Ask how they handle difficult situations.

Ask what happens when a listing doesn’t sell.

Ask how they communicate bad news.

Ask about their experience outside of simply selling houses.

And maybe most importantly, ask yourself:

Do I trust this person to lead me through one of the biggest financial decisions I’m going to make?

Because you’re not hiring a transaction count.

You’re hiring a person.

You’re hiring their judgment, experience, negotiating ability, communication skills, sales instincts and leadership.

The numbers matter.

They just shouldn’t be the only numbers that matter.

Francesco Armogida
Broker

Luxury is an experience, not a price point.