When we surveyed our members at the start of the RESPECT campaign, we noticed that of the five principles of professionalism, ‘Honouring your community’ was the least familiar to them. That is not entirely surprising because community can mean so many different things.
For our purposes, community includes many layers of people, beginning with your immediate connections with office colleagues, and then expanding outward to include the broader community of people who work and thrive in the real estate sector such as Realtors, assistants and office staff, board employees, municipal staff, developers, notaries, and so on.
Community can then expand further to include the communities where you live and work and can encompass the Quality of Life principles, volunteerism and charitable giving.
Honouring your community means that you conduct yourself in a way that supports the dignity and value of the people working and living alongside you. A stronger community of Realtors, of the industry and of our local connections ensures a positive future for all of us.
Here are some simple ways to honour your community:
1. Treat others with respect and dignity.
2. Be courteous to your peers, colleagues, and clients.
3. Don’t slander the competition.
4. If you don’t have all the answers, refer to someone who can help.
5. Assist your colleagues when they need you.
6. Be considerate of other people’s time.
7. Share your skills, time and resources with others.
8. Mentor a colleague.
9. Give back to your community.
10. Be a responsible citizen and a friendly neighbour.
Visit the RESPECT website for more articles and videos or to send in kudos about an awesome Realtor.