Why Aren’t There ‘Guys Nights’ At Bars and Clubs? Duh

by Jeff Brown

Real Estate Investments Broker

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The logic is so simple, and the result is usually so predictable, having a ‘Ladies Night’ at the local bar or club is a no-brainer. The more foxy ladies there are, the more guys there’ll be to buy ’em drinks etc. Why else would a local bar be packed on a Wednesday night? Gimme a break.

Listings are our foxy ladies. If worked correctly, every night is Wednesday — if you’re a lister. Look, for the record, guys go to bars on Ladies Nights ‘cuz it makes sense to hunt in a guaranteed target rich environment, right? Same with real estate buyers — they tend to congregate where the listings are.

But let’s look at this through the Ladies’ eyes.

They’re the magnets and they know it goin’ in. From bank owned Barb to rehabbed Richelle to young and perky Pamela, they congregate together, knowing there will no doubt be more than enough guys to go around. There’s usually all kinds of gals for all kinds of guys. But make no mistake — no gals? No guys.

Buyer’s markets are what I often describe as a ‘get while the gettin’s good’ situation. Sellers, if possible, tend to stay home when they realize for every buyer there could literally be dozens of houses from which to choose. This is why you won’t find bars lasting long with an extreme undersupply of ladies. Though guys are surely an integral part of the equation, women are in the driver’s seat with rare exception.

This is even true when the gals out number guys on a given night. You know I’m right. See the trio of lovely young ladies over in the corner? They’re all pretty nice, but geez-a-lou, look at the one in the middle. Absolute perfection — a vision of everything that is feminine pulchritude. You think she’ll have a tough time meeting a cool gentleman even though the ladies out number the men 5-1? Yeah, me neither.

This is all my very roundabout way of pointin’ out the obvious. Buyers are a huge part of my business, no doubt about that. But when we’re able, and we are again now (finally), we choose to have as many foxy ladies up on the MLS and elsewhere as we can possibly make happen.

If you’re an agent pondering your future, I’m not here to convince you to become a listing agent. Nor will I disparage becoming a buyer’s agent. I will tell ya this though: You’ll make far more money in the same time as a lister than as a buyer’s agent. Why? Simple — as guys go where the ladies are, buyers go to where the listings are. This is why buyer’s agents use other folks’ listings, ‘cuz if they didn’t they couldn’t attract flies, much less buyers. I don’t mean this pejoratively, it’s unfettered truth. Heck, they’ll tell ya that themselves.

So why wouldn’t an agent choose to be a magnet and make a handsome living from sellers AND buyers? It may be relatively easy pickin’s now for buyer’s agents, but that worm is turning as I write. (He bravely declares.) Those agents who choose to become long term magnets will always have buyers, regardless of the nature of the market.

Though my firm just now returned in spirit and in deed to our local San Diego market, the first thing we did was get a listing. Because we turned it into the foxiest lady in the area (the Bloodhound Way), it sold in about 48 hours. We also did an additional six sides as a direct result of the magnet affect. One foxy lady, seven sides. Works for me. Is it always like that? No. Is it EVER just a listing commission? Hell no.

I won’t put my thoughts into writing as it relates to why agents choose to be ‘buyer specialists’ as it almost always comes off as being less than kind, which is never my intention. Suffice to say, they didn’t do it to make less rather than more income — though that is surely the result, regardless of their loud proclamations to the contrary. If they could be listing agents, most of them would be, and debating that is silly on its face. Agents who’re consistently successful at listing/selling homes while also taking care of the buyers their magnets have attracted, out earn their buyer-only counterparts by Memorial Day most years, if not sooner.

It’s a choice, and certainly the right choice for John may not be for Mary. Please though, let’s not fool ourselves about who earns more over the same period of time, OK? My entire career has been based on this principle, and it’s never failed, not once. I witnessed first hand how it works in a multiple office firm as a high school student, and not a whit has changed since. Back then, never more than 25-30 full time agents combined to close over 1,000 sides a year for four consecutive years. Why not more? Dad got bored.

Again, this is not about what agents decide is best for them. Best is best, and certainly a very personal decision. However, if earning the highest possible income is the primary goal — being a buyer’s agent ain’t gonna cut it, not even close.

I list and sell magnets for a living.