Be Who You Are, But Keep it Professional

You may think of professionalism in terms of how you’re dressed for client appointments, whether you respond to calls and emails in a timely manner or what you say out loud when you’re touring a home. But your interactions with clients aren’t the only consideration when thinking about your level of professionalism. What about how you work with cooperating agents or take advice from brokers and mentors? Two REALTORS® who have helped develop the Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) platform, which tests real estate pros’ knowledge of professional standards, discuss what kind of effect your dealings with your colleagues can have on your reputation.

Ali Whitley is an agent and director of education at RE/MAX Crossroads in Akron, Ohio. In addition to serving buyers and sellers, Whitley is passionate about professional development and education. She enjoys sharing her love of knowledge with fellow agents as an educator and mentor, and as an instructor of NAR designation and certification courses. A real estate pro for 25 years, Whitley has been active in local, state and national associations, having served as an NAR director and member of the Commitment to Excellence Committee, a longtime director and 2022 treasurer at Ohio REALTORS® and president of her local association in 2012.

Mark Shepherd has lived in Clearfield, Utah, for the past 25 years. After working with several brokerages, he founded the Shepherd Real Estate Group to better serve his clients and spend more time with his family. Mark served nearly nine years on the Clearfield Planning Commission before being elected to the City Council in 2007. After six years on the Council, Mark was elected as Clearfield’s mayor in 2013 and is now in his third term. Mark has served multiple REALTOR® organizations and on several NAR committees and is a past president of the Northern Wasatch Association of REALTORS®. He currently serves as the Chairman of NAR's Commitment to Excellence Committee and on the Professional Standards Committee.

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