You're tuning in to a special episode of Drive with NAR here in Boston, Massachusetts at NAR NXT we're on the Mic Takeover. I'm James Wiggins, aka Dougie Dwiggins, co-host of Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast, along with my partner in crime, Mr. Crazy Uncle Keith. Keith Robinson. Yes, sir. Tell us about Robert Morris, international speaker, keynote broker, certified trainer. Yeah, he talks a lot about certifications and things today. He does. And elegant human. Yeah, he's just awesome,
man. I would listen to him talk about anything with the voice and delivery that he has, but he spent a lot of time talking to us about designations and how you can use them in your sales business to improve your competency, your confidence, and just to affect change. More change in your business for more of what you want. He talked to us about leadership and how you can develop as a leader through various designations, and what leadership skills and and what leadership means to
him. And then he talked about his thoughts for 2025 and what's important. That's good content. Yeah. It was you're gonna dig it, put it in your ears, kids. Robert, welcome to the show. We are excited to have you here today. You've been here. You said since Tuesday. I get that right already, right? It's Tuesday and you're you're going to be leaving this next Tuesday. So a full week of Boston originally from or you're in Nashville. Is that where you're.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Okay. Yes. Okay. It's a special place to be from. It is? Yeah. Seems like everybody knows that now. Everybody. Yeah. So I want to talk to you about education. And you've been involved in helping develop a lot of the different designations, the certifications, etc.. Um, give us a little bit of background on, you know, where your passion comes from, from that and how you got involved in all of this. And you're you're a speaker and you talk about this stuff around the
country. So go deep on that. And obviously we're going to go deep in further into the importance of education, especially on the go forward basis. But give us some historical perspective of your background on all of that. Well, the background, quite frankly, is I was just raised in a household where my mother taught school for 34 Four years. Okay? Yeah. I wasn't allowed to rip the English language. Yeah. She taught English, and so every every word mattered. Every word mattered.
Yeah. Yeah. But, uh, my my deal was I am a fish out of water. I actually double majored biology, chemistry minor, and psych, and I was going to med school. Okay. Became an EMT and started my paramedic route. Yeah. And then somebody told me I probably couldn't make it in real estate. That's what they told you? They told me that I probably couldn't. And then I took the test and they said, well, it doesn't mean you could sell anything. And I was like, oh, okay. And this was my
mom. Oh. Dang. Mom. Now, did she did she do that? Because she knew that if she told you that, you would work harder to prove her wrong, or was was was there like a master plan there or not? I think that she just knew her child. Yeah. And the challenges that she put forth would actually motivate me to to do those things. So yeah, so I started real estate in 1985 and Got My Brokers in 1987. Opened my first century 21 office in 1989, and the rest is sort of history.
You know, I'm going to I want to piggyback off this. So your mom was was being really intentional and smart about getting you to do some of that stuff. You know, it's been a lot of change. Yeah. For the industry. Um, is there is there is this an opportunity for us to look at these changes differently as well? Is there a way to motivate everybody else the same way your mom motivated you in, in this new, this new world? Honestly, I would say this is the best time to be in real
estate. Go. Go deep. Yes. Tell us what. Talk about it now with the changes that we are partaking in right now, we actually get to talk with people about what we do. Mhm. What are the things that we're going to bring to the table to service them. Mhm. How the compensation actually comes about and who might be responsible for paying it. So having conversations up front uh Actually, with new agents coming in, they're learning the right
way. So I'd say it's a great time to be in real estate for sure. You know, it's interesting comment you just made with Keith. And I had this this discussion a little while ago. For people who've been in the business a while, this is different. But for everybody coming into this space now, they don't know any different, right? They just know whatever they're being, you know, trained on you know, today are how are you adjusting some of the training and education based upon some of these changes?
What are you are you approaching it differently with agents as you're doing keynotes around the country and things? Well, we've been on this mission with Nar, of course, to deliver the ABR courses. Yeah. And I have done probably 10 or 15 of those myself. Yeah. Um, I think just disseminating the information to where they do understand now what they're tasked to do. Yeah. That's been the biggest hurdle. And unlearning things that they learned previously. That needs to be
changed. So that that hurdle is, is they're continuing to make them aware. And the biggest thing they talk about is how I get paid. Yeah. And, you know, we're trying to say buyers and sellers are willing, in my opinion, to pay you. Yeah. They just want good representation. They want advocacy. They want people to be explaining the process.
And so again, I think it's a great time, uh, to be in the business and to actually talk about our value proposition and prove our worth in the transaction going forward. I got a follow up on that, specifically the ABR designation, which I know has been a big push for you and I think for for an agent, anything that gives you just a little more confidence and a little more, um, preparedness to go into that conversation.
If it makes a little bit of a difference for you, it's worth doing because you now can go bold a little more boldly into that conversation versus not. And especially with some of the changes in the teaching that you do. One do you agree with that? My guess is that you will. And then to articulate that better than I just tried to.
For anyone who's listening about how the psychological changes that can happen in when you sit down at a dining room table to to meet or at a conference room to meet with a, with a buyer. One of the key principles we talk about is the more you know, the better you are at doing or delivering what you have, right? And it gives you confidence. Mm. Uh, it gives you a self-worth that you know about, and it actually establishes your value that you actually
do. So we find that the agents who know more about the business are able to articulate that, and they actually do better in their service and their compensation is challenged less. Right. When they are perceived to be professionals in what they do. So I've always told people the more you know, uh, the better it is. Yeah. And any of those designations, certifications that one could earn, uh, only enhance their ability to do their job better. Mm. And so with that, I'm saying I'm an advocate of
it. Birds of a feather flock together. Yeah. Yeah. And knowing those things are better. One analogy I use in class is that people will talk about, well, I'm able to reach X amount of people every year. I said, that is fantastic. How long did it take you? Mm. Well, I worked 100 hours. I worked 100. I said, would you have liked it on the same amount of business in 50 hours? Right. Yeah. Sure. Right. And then they're like, well, what are you talking about? I said, yeah, you need for me to tell you.
Let me show you some things. You know, get the course. Or would you have liked to make more and help more people make their dreams come true? Yeah. In the same amount of time. It really does come down to, like, more time or or or more money. That is correct. Let's let's shift gears just a little bit away from the sales part of the business and into the leadership
part. Okay. So for the rest of this year and going into 2025, what leadership skill set would you recommend any leader in the industry start to focus on or level up or or just anyone who's a leader of of humans in the industry. How would you advise them to think going into 2025? I always stress this quote and it goes like this. It says the speed of the leader determines the speed of the pack. Mm mm. Interesting.
And what we talk about is with brokerages, if you want to have successful brokerages, you need to have successful agents. Right. That does help. And if we just say if, if, if your agents do well you'll do just fine. Yeah. It won't be an issue. So in the leadership piece that the the brokers need to be involved. Right. The brokers need to actually raise their game knowledge wise, knowledge base wise, so that they might share that with their, their, their flocks or
speak. Mhm. One of the frustrating things we do is when we teach an ABR or any other course and we tell the students, here's the new way, right. They go back to their firm and the broker says, ah, we don't do that. What are you talking about? We don't. And it just destroys everything that we're trying to build. Because the broker themselves are not in the knowledge lane of what it is. So I've looked at maybe we need to tweak and say not so much of reaching the agents.
We need to reach the brokers. Sure. Yeah. And let them disseminate the information to their agents. And I think that would be a more effective way. Right. To do that. But right now, ratios are way off. We only have I mean, 5 to 1, 10 to 1. Uh, as far as brokers in a class compared to their agents that are in a class. So leadership is about setting the course, charting the course. Leadership is about showing, uh, the flock how they can be successful.
Do you have a leadership program that you guys do as well that brokers could, could be part of to learn how to be better leaders and, and move their people in the right direction? Well, as a matter of fact, we have a couple of courses. Nar has the lead vision course. Okay. Uh, we have courses that are some are online and some are live. Courses about leadership and leadership development and what that means. Uh, leaders are innovators. I mean, leaders are motivators. Leaders are communicators.
Those people who are looked upon and as we always talk about it, says, you are a role model. And I try to tell brokers that you are a role model and people are looking at you, and if you're not doing what you need to do, why would they then think that they should do any different? And so putting that on them and making sure that they understand that they have influence and that influence should be a positive influence if they are truly leaders.
Right. And so I don't believe in asking anybody to do anything that I wouldn't do or have not done. Yeah. So or willing to do. Right. So one of the things we tell uh, brokers, you need to get some alphabet soup. And this is what I said, you need to get some letters after your name. Right? Well, people don't know what they mean, but I said they don't have to know what they mean. Yeah. They just know you have a commitment to excellence in your chosen field of endeavor.
Mhm. But do you think that they should be at. It's funny you say that cause there's obviously a lot of these, you know, the alphabet soup on business cards. Um, do you think that agents need to be better about explaining what those are and include all of that, as I find that some of these people just skip this. There's there's all this stuff and I pick it up as a consumer. I'm like, what does all this
mean? I mean, agents should have sheets to talk about what this means to how the education is what I've gone through, why it's important to separate themselves out. Um, brokers should do the same thing. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Because now it's about professionalism. Now. Mhm. If I want to pay the same money, what? I want to pay it with someone who's committed to this particular industry and helping me get it. Or would I just pick any anybody. And I always say the analogy is a surgeon.
Here's a surgeon John Doe. Mhm. M.d. and here's a surgeon. Jane Doe MD ABC, c x y z. 123. Yeah. And you've got to have surgery. Yeah. Which one do you want? Yeah, sure. Which, yeah. Which which one? You you may not know what all that means, but, you know, it means that they're bad. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. So I'm just saying to you, people who talk down about designations and certifications, other people don't have them. Right, right. Those are the only
people. And I said, that's not the choir that you need to be listening to. Mhm. It is power when you're doing a consultation and you tell a person I've specialized in training to assist you. Yeah. To help make your dreams come true. You might know this stat but what percentage of of agents have a designation. And if I know I'm putting you on the spot, but, uh, not unsure. Not enough, not enough, not enough. Right.
It's. I guess what I'm trying to articulate is that it's rare, rarer than it should be, and not everybody has it. And in a moment, in our industry where everyone is seems, rightly so, to be hyper focused on differentiation and providing value and making sure that they can communicate how they're different. Right. What an elegant way to show that you're different by adding these designations to what you're doing. Right, exactly. Yeah. And what we do is we teach this as well in a consultation.
Uh, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer. Yeah. Would you would it matter if you had a person who specialized in this area? Mhm. To be able to assist you in your negotiations, to assist you in, uh, terms, to assist you in finding the correct property for you and your family because I know it's a major investment to you. Right. Would that be of any value to you to have an agent who has a skill set to do that? Right. I mean, yeah. Oh, no. Yeah. I don't want that. No. I'd rather find one that.
And so now we're teaching or trying to teach agents to say you need to let people know. Right. That you are a specialist in this or that. Right. Or that you've committed yourself because it used to be negative. Because people says I can make as much money as you make, and I don't have to have any of those designations. Mhm. And I'd say you probably could, but I might do it in two years. Right. And it takes you ten, right? Yeah.
Right. So there is a correlation directly with education and professionalism designation certifications for those who have it and those who don't. Yeah. We've only got a minute left. So I want you to do two things. One is what should buyers agents grab as a certification. And then secondly listing agents. What would you recommend that both those groups do today on moving into 2025? Right now the premier designation for buyers representation is the ABR. Okay. They need that particular course.
It's been updated. It's got the new information in it based on the changes that we've had in the industry. That is a must have course on the seller's side. That's the SRS. That's the seller representative specialist course that gives them the specialized training to how they service the seller in a transaction. And I think those two pieces would be
great. But if you take the name buyer seller profile, the only other thing I would say is, is that when you look at it, it says, we want people who can do all those things, but we want them to negotiate on our best behalf. That's the one I was going to say. And we want. Them to price it. Right. Yeah, that's the R, E and E real estate. Uh, real estate negotiation expert. Yeah. And then the PSA is the pricing strategies that buys. Okay. The Bible is going to do that.
That's for that's what I would do. My friend thank you for all of that great information. And we'll have links in the show notes for people to get those designations and certifications as well. We appreciate you being here. It's been my pleasure. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining us at the NAR NXT conference in Boston, Massachusetts. We have been doing the Drive with NAR podcast in association with Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered. We want to thank everybody for tuning
in. We appreciate all of that. Make sure you subscribe to both podcasts. We got a lot of content coming.