{"id":24865,"date":"2025-05-06T14:32:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T14:32:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/?p=24865"},"modified":"2025-05-06T14:32:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T14:32:51","slug":"establishing-expectations-for-the-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Establishing Expectations for the Office"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You can\u2019t expect an agent to meet a goal they don\u2019t know exists. Establish expectations early, and reiterate them often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carey Murcin, associate broker at Meservier & Associates in Auburn, Maine, sees a lot of agents moving from company to company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can only guess they are looking for something that they feel is not being provided at their current brokerage,\u201d she says. \u201cExpectations, of course, come into play. Agents need to know and align with what is expected of them, and what they can expect from their agency.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brokers are responsible for setting and relaying clear expectations for their agents. When this is done effectively, agents understand exactly how they need to perform to meet those expectations. Once an agent is on board with what\u2019s expected of them, they can communicate better with their clients. Clear expectations from the top trickle down to the customer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s when communication from the broker to the agent is murky that things go amiss, which can cause issues both internally and with clients. In an industry that centers around helping customers make a major purchase\u2014oftentimes the largest purchase of their lives\u2014crystal-clear expectations, communicated effectively, are a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom beginning to end, regardless if you are working with a buyer or a seller, they need to know what is expected of them, what they can expect of their agent, and what to expect from the process in general,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting Your Office Up for Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A 2023 Gallup poll<\/a> shows that nearly half of all U.S. employees don\u2019t know what\u2019s expected of them at work. This applies whether an employee is remote, hybrid or in the office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lynsey Engels, CRS, AHWD, president of the Mel Foster Co. in Bettendorf, Iowa, says she makes sure her company\u2014from leadership and management to staffers and agents\u2014is communicating expectations on every level. Leadership communicates to management, management to staff members, and staffers to agents. And when it\u2019s done right internally, it trickles down to the clients as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of communicating effectively and making sure expectations match the needs of the business is keeping everyone up-to-date on changes. Engels takes this seriously and makes it a point to \u201ceducate everyone on significant changes,\u201d she says. She has more than 150 agents and 20 managers in locations across Iowa and Illinois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also focuses on providing training and inviting experts to speak to her office, ensuring her agents and staff are updated on industry or industry-adjacent best practices. The experts include a host of attorneys they work with, who often speak to the various liabilities agents might face in the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal, she says, is to make sure her agents have what they need to do their jobs well, which then makes the customer feel comfortable with the agent representing them in the transaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Sure Everyone Is on the Same Page<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Murcin believes there are certain steps to ensuring agents have a clear understanding of a broker or owner\u2019s expectations for them and their businesses. Likewise, it\u2019s important that brokers understand the expectations and goals of their agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Sure Agent Expectations Align With Yours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a broker, it\u2019s important to ensure your agents\u2019 business goals align with what you envision for your brokerage. Not all agents have the same goals for their business, and that\u2019s OK, says Engels. But it\u2019s useless to set expectations and then find out your agents\u2019 goals don\u2019t align with your own at all. That\u2019s essentially setting yourself and your agent up for failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have a conversation with your agent first, to make sure you can help them reach their goals and that they can help your business reach its milestones as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communicate Effectively<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Keep it simple. It all comes down to how information is communicated. Simple, clear communication goes a long way. \u201cBe direct with expectations even if you are worried there will be resistance,\u201d Murcin says.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Give context. \u201cExplain why the expectations are what they are and what benefit it has to the overall structure of the company and how it will, in the end, help everyone succeed.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Be flexible. \u201cAlways be open to reevaluation of the expectations and keep an open dialogue with your people. Do they still make sense? Are they still serving the purpose intended? If not, be open to change.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Come up with a plan for unmet expectations. The reality is that even if goals are clearly set and articulated, sometimes someone misses the mark. \u201cMissed expectations can be very disappointing, especially when you take pride in your profession,\u201d Murcin says. Build in space for error and a plan to help agents get back on track.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Help Agents Set Expectations for Customers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Expectations aren\u2019t just for the broker-agent relationship, though. It\u2019s also important for an agent to have reasonable and realistic expecations for their customers. Murcin says they should keep in mind that buying or selling a home is not an everyday occurrence for a customer, and agents would do well to keep that in mind. As such, the customer\u2019s knowledge of the intricacies of the transaction is limited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSetting realistic expectations from the start is helpful to avoid the emotional roller coaster that can be buying or selling a home,\u201d she says. Brokers can help agents by helping explain what they can and cannot expect a customer to understand about the process. This can then help agents serve their customers in a way that instills trust and conveys value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Setting clear expectations is an important part of ensuring success for the brokerage at all levels. It is one of the best ways to make sure everyone is held accountable for their responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    National Association of REALTORS\u00ae
    Reprinted with permission<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    You can\u2019t expect an agent to meet a goal they don\u2019t know exists. Establish expectations early, and reiterate them often. Carey Murcin, associate broker at Meservier & Associates in Auburn, Maine, sees a lot of agents moving from company to company.  \u201cI can only guess they are looking for something that they feel is not … <\/p>\n

    Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,8],"tags":[5,32,4,9],"class_list":["post-24865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-real-estate-tips","tag-anthony-didonato","tag-news","tag-real-estate","tag-tips","item-wrap"],"yoast_head":"\nEstablishing Expectations for the Office - Real Estate Agent and Sales in PA - Anthony DiDonato Broomall, Media, Delaware County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908\"},\"headline\":\"Establishing Expectations for the Office\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-06T14:32:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-06T14:32:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":977,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908\"},\"keywords\":[\"Anthony DiDonato\",\"News\",\"Real Estate\",\"tips\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Real Estate Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/\",\"name\":\"Establishing Expectations for the Office - Real Estate Agent and Sales in PA - Anthony DiDonato Broomall, Media, Delaware County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-06T14:32:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-06T14:32:51+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Establishing Expectations for the Office\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"Real Estate Agent and Sales in PA - Anthony DiDonato Broomall, Media, Delaware County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania\",\"description\":\"Properties and Real Estate for Sale\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/anthony-110x150.jpg\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/anthony-110x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/anthony-110x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/anthony-110x150.jpg\"},\"description\":\"For all of your Real Estate needs, place yourself in the competent hands of a career Realtor who is a Philadelphia native and Delaware County resident. Skilled, smart and enthusiastic about his work and his life, Anthony DiDonato has the appealing combination of business sense and people skills gives him an edge in an industry that demands both. Educated at Drexel University with a dual major in accounting and finance and minors in management and psychology Anthony DiDonato offers over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry. He has been a real estate investor since 1985 and a member of H.A.P.C.O. (Landlord Association). He became a licensed Realtor in 1992 and a member of the Local, Pennsylvania and National Associations of Realtors. Anthony DiDonato is also a member of the Computerized Multiple Listings, (MLS) and Internet Marketing Programs. In 1997 Anthony DiDonato became Century 21 All-Elite, Inc. Corporate Secretary. Anthony DiDonato believes in taking his profession to the highest level of quality service. He is known for finding that \u201cperfect\u201d property in Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania for his buyers and helping his sellers prepare their properties so they sell quickly and efficiently. When it comes time to negotiate the terms of a contract, Anthony DiDonato has the knowledge, experience, and professionalism applied to meeting \u2013 or exceeding \u2013 his clients\u2019 expectations. His service to his clients is second to none. His honesty and integrity have been his claim to fame. For Superior Real Estate Representation in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania\u2026 call Anthony DiDonato.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Establishing Expectations for the Office - Real Estate Agent and Sales in PA - Anthony DiDonato Broomall, Media, Delaware County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/#\/schema\/person\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908"},"headline":"Establishing Expectations for the Office","datePublished":"2025-05-06T14:32:49+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-06T14:32:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/"},"wordCount":977,"publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/#\/schema\/person\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908"},"keywords":["Anthony DiDonato","News","Real Estate","tips"],"articleSection":["News","Real Estate Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/","url":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/","name":"Establishing Expectations for the Office - Real Estate Agent and Sales in PA - Anthony DiDonato Broomall, Media, Delaware County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-05-06T14:32:49+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-06T14:32:51+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/establishing-expectations-for-the-office\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Establishing Expectations for the Office"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/#website","url":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/","name":"Real Estate Agent and Sales in PA - Anthony DiDonato Broomall, Media, Delaware County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania","description":"Properties and Real Estate for Sale","publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/#\/schema\/person\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/#\/schema\/person\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/anthony-110x150.jpg","url":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/anthony-110x150.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/anthony-110x150.jpg","caption":"admin"},"logo":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/anthony-110x150.jpg"},"description":"For all of your Real Estate needs, place yourself in the competent hands of a career Realtor who is a Philadelphia native and Delaware County resident. Skilled, smart and enthusiastic about his work and his life, Anthony DiDonato has the appealing combination of business sense and people skills gives him an edge in an industry that demands both. Educated at Drexel University with a dual major in accounting and finance and minors in management and psychology Anthony DiDonato offers over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry. He has been a real estate investor since 1985 and a member of H.A.P.C.O. (Landlord Association). He became a licensed Realtor in 1992 and a member of the Local, Pennsylvania and National Associations of Realtors. Anthony DiDonato is also a member of the Computerized Multiple Listings, (MLS) and Internet Marketing Programs. In 1997 Anthony DiDonato became Century 21 All-Elite, Inc. Corporate Secretary. Anthony DiDonato believes in taking his profession to the highest level of quality service. He is known for finding that \u201cperfect\u201d property in Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania for his buyers and helping his sellers prepare their properties so they sell quickly and efficiently. When it comes time to negotiate the terms of a contract, Anthony DiDonato has the knowledge, experience, and professionalism applied to meeting \u2013 or exceeding \u2013 his clients\u2019 expectations. His service to his clients is second to none. His honesty and integrity have been his claim to fame. For Superior Real Estate Representation in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania\u2026 call Anthony DiDonato.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net"],"url":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24865"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24866,"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24865\/revisions\/24866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}