Are You a Trust Agent

This is a sponsored guest post written by Chris Brogan on behalf of Trust Agents. Post powered by Sponzai

 

Are You A Trust Agent

Want to know about our book, Trust Agents? My co-author, Julien Smith, and I want to know if you are a trust agent. What defines a trust agent? Here are the six main secrets of being a trust agent. Do any of these sound like you?

 

Make Your Own Game

You can do what’s come before or you can take a unique swing at the world. If you’re Hugh McGuire, you’re working on Book Oven, a whole new way to look at books and reading. You’re someone like Perez Hilton, who took on People magazine and won, as far as we’re concerned.

Are you making your own game?

 

One of Us

Maybe you’re the person in your industry who’s come to the larger online conversation, like Leslie Carothers is to the home industry. Perhaps you’re the next Matt Cutts, who represents Google to lots of us. He’s more Google than Sergey or Larry, because he’s here. He’s one of us.

Are you one of us?

 

The Archimedes Effect

Understanding leverage is what separates the hobbyists from the professionals. Do you understand how to take what you’re doing in one instance and extend it out into something bigger or better elsewhere? This is what brought Madonna from just another singer into being a worldwide brand. Leverage is behind all the most powerful people in the world, but it all starts somewhere. Gary Vaynerchuk leveraged his wine store into his video project and took that into his media project and his book deal. Gary bleeds leverage.

Do you understand the Archimedes Effect?

 

Agent Zero

Connecting and networking and building relationships is what moves you from an individual contributor to an interdependent kingmaker. Learning how to be a core element of several networks is where we think a trust agent works best. Take Robert Scoble. He went from being a guy talking about Microsoft to a guy on a mission to be moved by what he saw around him. Robert connects with people all over, and finds himself at the core of many important networks.

Are you Agent Zero to several networks?

 

Human Artist

There’s a world of difference between knowing how to build relationships with people and coming off as “that guy.” You know who we mean: that person who shows up with a bullhorn to promote her projects, to blurt about her interests, and then to leave before you get a chance to say anything about you. A human artist is what we call the people who interact well in this new world, and who know how to build nurturing relationships. People like Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker are human artists.

How do you relate to others?

 

Build Armies

Working solo is easy. Do you share what you know to promote larger interactions? Can you create resources to help you and then thread your efforts into theirs? Building an army, especially a loosely-joined and flexible group of people from many disciplines, is the key to being an advanced trust agent. People like Danny Brown, who started a social good movement know the value of armies. Ze Frank turned entertainment into a massively multiplayer online experience, one that has yet to be replicated successfully. The implications to business are obvious.

Are you ready to build armies?

 

If You Answered Yes to Any of the Above

You are definitely in the mindset of trust agents. Your examples might be different. You might not do as much of one of the six secrets as others (I’m still not very good with leverage, for instance). But at your core, you’ve caught on that these new online tools require a different type of person, and that not just anyone can get the most from the experience. You, however, are in the perfect position to be a trust agent.

If you are a trust agent, Julien and I want to meet you over the coming months. We’re traveling the US (and sometimes abroad), and we look forward to connecting with as many of you as we can. Why? Because that’s what we do.

I’m excited you’re part of the experience. We’ll appreciate your help, your input, your support, and your own experiences as part of the project. It’s how we do things. Thanks in advance. You’ve already made this all very much worth it.

If you haven’t joined the Trust Agents Community, swing by. And if you want to buy a copy of Trust Agents, you can get it here.

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58 Comments

  1. Hi,The best service you can offer your clients is results! If you can sell their home for a fair price (not promise them the world and then fail to deliver) in a reasonable time, I know that they will return to you…..harry

  2. Great thinking Chris Brogan. From the last point “Build Armies” i can say your thinking and my thinking is somewhat diff. I used to trust my friends… I have 2 friends and i used to share everything..
    Instead of building solo army i have build my big profile with my mates.. Everything is well and perfect.

  3. The best service you can offer your clients is results! If you can sell their home for a fair price (not promise them the world and then fail to deliver) in a reasonable time, I know that they will return to you.

  4. The listing agent isn’t neutral, the listing agent’s fiduciary responsibility is to the seller. Of course, an agent has to adequately represent the both sides of the transaction, but it is in the buyer’s best interest to have their own agent.

  5. If you trust people until they give you a reason not to you will save yourself a lot of worry, be more accepted in the work place and you will find most people are trustworthy.

  6. The best service you can offer your clients is results! If you can sell their home for a fair price (not promise them the world and then fail to deliver) in a reasonable time, I know that they will return to you. In addition, they will tell ALL their friends! Concentrate on results rather than gimmicks! Good Luck!

  7. I understand your frustration with agencies that post ads just to get candidates in the door. The strategy for them is, find a good person, then try to market them to the employers even if they don’t have an opening. This is not a good way to do business for a placement agency, and it wastes your time.

  8. First time homebuyer; don’t know who’s out to getcha. Trying to educate myself before trusting a real estate agent. Is there a website to check other than the better business bureau. Is it better to find a buyers agent over a real estate agent.

  9. First time homebuyer; don’t know who’s out to getcha. Trying to educate myself before trusting a real estate agent. Is there a website to check other than the better business bureau. Is it better to find a buyers agent over a real estate agent.

  10. Trust is a tricky thing, you can’t know when it’s well placed. We trust people on faith. That doesn’t mean a decision to trust someone can’t be based on some logic. With double agents, you need to be sure that the agent has incentive not to work against you. Otherwise, you are blindly (and foolishly) trusting in them.

  11. Well I’m an actress so I have had a few scams thrown my way too. But the best advice I can give you is first make yourself a portfolio by getting a photographer to take different photos of you. You can have a beauty shot, an editorial ETC. Show the versatility also through different hair and make up looks like high fashion and commerical so the agents can see you are versatile and will be able to suit many clients.

  12. Keep in mind that finding an agent and getting published is not an easy process. Some people have to query hundreds of agents before they find one who will accept them (sadly, some never get accepted), but be persistent and keep trying.

  13. Trust is a tricky thing, you can’t know when it’s well placed. We trust people on faith. That doesn’t mean a decision to trust someone can’t be based on some logic. With double agents, you need to be sure that the agent has incentive not to work against you. Otherwise, you are blindly (and foolishly) trusting in them.

  14. Australia may not approve the visa anyway. Having a boy friend there would lead the immigration officials to believe that her intent is to immigrate. If, by chance, she should get a tourist visa, it will be conditional with no extensions allowed, for three months only.

  15. Well I’m an actress so I have had a few scams thrown my way too. But the best advice I can give you is first make yourself a portfolio by getting a photographer to take different photos of you. You can have a beauty shot, an editorial ETC. Show the versatility also through different hair and make up looks like high fashion and commerical so the agents can see you are versatile and will be able to suit many clients.

  16. If you want to gain their trust and have repeat business you need to give them great service, be available when ever they need you, put them first, strive to understand and help them achieve their needs in a home. Really care – it shows. It’s not about you, it’s about them and their needs. It’s very stressful.

  17. I have a hard time differentiating between double agents and politicians. I learned a long time ago that they are both looking for the highest bidder. Therefore, my trust for both double agents and politicians is very limited; if not, unlikely.

  18. I would use just the one realitor, but find one you can trust. I would NOT get a realitor that only wants to show you their listings. I would also not call the listing realitor myself. They have an obligation to the seller, not to you.

  19. The listing agent isn’t neutral, the listing agent’s fiduciary responsibility is to the seller. Of course, an agent has to adequately represent the both sides of the transaction, but it is in the buyer’s best interest to have their own agent.

  20. Ask friends and family for recommendations on who they have used in the past. You can contact the local board of Realtor and ask where you can check for complaints against particular Realtor.

  21. The listing agent isn’t neutral, the listing agent’s fiduciary responsibility is to the seller. Of course, an agent has to adequately represent the both sides of the transaction, but it is in the buyer’s best interest to have their own agent.

  22. Fist of all you would have to find out if this woman or man is a double agent of course. Since he or she knows her/his lessons to a T, you are dealing with somebody who’s split down the middle for the other side.

  23. Keep in mind that finding an agent and getting published is not an easy process. Some people have to query hundreds of agents before they find one who will accept them (sadly, some never get accepted), but be persistent and keep trying.

  24. If they see a home they like they will let you know. Guide them through the process of a sale or a purchase. Instill confidence. Pay attention to details. I work entirely off of repeat business and referrals. It really pays to be honest and genuinely be happy to do what is right for them – not you.

  25. The buyer has to be given a ‘Home Information Pack’ so the estate agent is responsible only for marketing and showing people around, he/she may also help a new buyer to arrange a mortgage, so, Yes nowadays they have the be trustworthy.

  26. The first agent was not a true agent. Agents never ask for money up front. The other two were blowing you off, because there really is nothing to stop an agent from representing a foreign born writer to American publishers. The publishing world has been international for quite some time now, so your current country of residence is not that much of an issue.

  27. Because its their job to make the vendor think they are working on their behalf to get the best deal while at the same time making the buyer believe they are working in their best interests too.

  28. Finding an agent and getting published is not an easy process. Some people have to query hundreds of agents before they find one who will accept them. It is really hard to get accepted and can get very discouraging at times.

  29. Hypotheek informatie, hypotheek aanvragen of afsluiten? Hypotheekrentes bekijken. Hypotheek aanbieders vergelijken, hypotheek vormen, bijkomende kosten,

  30. BKR problemen? Nu Geld lenen zonder BKR toetsing? Op zoek naar betrouwbare aanbieders? Wij vergelijken banken die u toch kunnen helpen aan een betrouwbare

  31. It’s definitely a good deal being a trust agent, no matter what you industry you are in, your ultimate goal should be being that role.

    Till then,

    Jean

  32. I’d be inclined to agree with you on this. Which is not something I usually do! I love reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to speak my mind!

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