So funny, Jay, as usual! Good on you for following this one right through till KW was speechless!

I can relate to what you're saying. It doesn't just happen in the real estate business but also the mortgage industry. It sounds so cheezy "#1 loan officer in the world".

Awesome post, Jay! Love the call out on overhyped statements of "fact" - without any basis of support for the statement in the first place.

If you make a statement, you should be able to back it up...with proof. (Or at the very least, have a logical & reasonable position to support the statement.)

@Jay- ROFL...

@KW - Good grief.

@ Gary Miljour's point

"I think you hit a nerve, but when someone makes such a broad statement without doing the proper research, they leave themselves open to be critiqued." Spot on...if they really WERE number one, they would have jumped the shark, etc. ;-)

Love IT! Who cares who is number one. All that means is everyone is gunning to take you down, just like my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers..... #1 college football team in America (Who's campus' are in Lincoln NE) Anyway there is an agent in Omaha who was the number one agent for xyz brokerage, which led you to believe he was the number one agent in town. Truth is the fifth largest broker in town had the #1 agent in town by 2x's his numbers. (yes we have more than farm fields in Omaha NE) Great post Jay, you are my number one Realtor in AZ.

I can relate to what you're saying. I once went to another office to drop an offer off and right on the window in big bold, it said: "Our Agent is Better Than Yours." I was there with another couple of agents and we couldn't believe our eyes. How pompous and insulting! Who is he to say he's better than everyone else? Because he is an REO agent and we are not? He must be doing it to impress clients, but the only problem is that he's also damaging his business relationship with other agents. Foolish man.

Perhaps there is room for humility. Maybe we should try "We're not the best, but we're better than the average Realtors in San Diego." Or maybe "We're not perfect, but use us as your real estate agents and you'll be better off than representing yourself."

I think most people know that "#1...." is a gimmick unless it is based on a survey. In Columbia SC there is a neighborhood that was voted "#1 new community- by the readers of the ---- newspaper". It shows credibility to locals that know the newspaper but for anyone else... not so much. Sure, I get annoyed too, but marketing is full of gimmicks. I, like you, don't make these claims but have no problem citing a magazine, newspaper, or website that has written an article about our State or City as long as it is a credible source.
.-= Brian @ Land in Blythewood´s last blog ..A Summary about Longcreek Plantation, Blythewood =-.

Here is another one - not KW, but "Michael J. Maher (America’s Most Referred Realtor). " via Star Power no less.

How does that claim get measured? Not to mention the improper use of the term REALTOR.

Love it Jay! Love it, love it. I thought I was #1 at Digging up Manure --- until I read your post. KW is full of $hit. :D

I have never been asked about market share either. 14 years and no potential client has ever asked. I think brokerages care because it gives them something to talk about. Very few folks, in my opinion, ever check out statements to see if they are true, it just seems acceptable to them. Market share is really irrelevant to todays home seller. Effective marketing is what counts. Can someone looking for a house like the one you are selling find THAT house easily, as opposed to finding every house remotely similar. Just my opinion.

Thanks,

Ken
.-= Ken Jansen´s last blog ..Wolf Valley Luxury Homes and Acreage in Overland Park KS =-.

That cracks me up. I think they started on twitter about two years after I did, some technology company. LOL
.-= Teresa Boardman´s last blog ..ATL and MSP =-.

This is great reading. I am a former KW agent. I was very happy there, but now I am an independent brokerage owner. I no longer had a good answer for the question 'what am I paying the Broker for?' So I started my own.

Thanks for posting the great twitter debate.

Ken

I'd be much more impressed if a major brokerage claimed they sold more homes per agent than any other major brokerage. Claiming you have more twitter followers than others? Zzzzzz

I'm glad I stopped by, I almost forgot I had a twitter account. Time to go grab some followers quick.

First, I must say that I thought I was the only one with direct access to the Swedish Institute. They have assembled quite a few reports for me and SURPRISE, they all came out with us on top. We work in Portland, ME and there is currently a big battle going on between KW and REMAX regarding who has the biggest market share. It is quite amusing - especially since I have never been asked once, by any client, about market share at all. I would be curious if others have the same experience? Never been asked about Twitter followers either. I know it is against current norms - but I actually have the nerve to question whether Twitter really generates any leads for agents at the ground level - the ones out doing the job on a regular basis. I would venture to says its pretty small.

Jay,

I think you hit a nerve, but when someone makes such a broad statement without doing the proper research, they leave themselves open to be critiqued.

There is so much bad information now on the internet. The buying consumer just has to be careful and make sure they are working with creditable sources. Good job exposing bad information.

I guess this also makes me the number one blogger in my house. :)

Oh, PLEASE, Jay. Everyone knows that there is NOTHING more important than follower count. I've gotten several direct messages on Twitter that have told me so. They've even suggested that I send several hundred dollars to "Who Gives a Crap, LLC", so that they can prove it to me definitively.

I realize that I'm monumentally late to the party, but I appreciated this a great deal. And I'm proud to call "The #1 Broker at Thompson's Realty in Phoenix, AZ Who Is Also Named 'Jay'" my friend. :)
.-= Melissa DelGaudio´s last blog ..What Makes Us Human? =-.

How about the "#1 MILLION DOLLAR PRODUCER ON TWITTER" written in all caps! Yeah, that should get Jay rattled. ;)

Jay, that's too funny. These are just recruiting machines. REALTOR mag would run a "best place" to work once a year and always use production numbers. If you took the time to look at the numbers it was always just a few doing the sales and the rest paper hangers. The paper hangers were always the ones bragging about how great they were in their own eyes.

"Numbers don't lie, but liars use numbers", was my Dad's often told advice.

How ridiculous. The customer could really care less if you're a X million dollar producer. It all just meshes together... like in Manhattan where everyone claims to have the best cup of coffee or the best pizza. People see right through this and choose either what other people have recommended or what they feel most comfortable with. All this "#1, club member, million $ producer" is all for the agents ego.

If you are going to say you're the best, back it up.
.-= Atlanta Short Sale´s last blog ..Get Paid to do a Short Sale? Really? How You Can Get $1,500 for Moving. =-.

"@KWCareers: @phxreguy Understand…will work to get u info. In the meantime, maybe u should take a closer look at the KW model: http://bit.ly/cjJcOk "

REALLY!!!- KW needs to take a look at Thompson's Realty model- it works- just sayin

Sadly, while we can try and call each other out on it, until the brainless clientèle that are dealing with many of these messages realize and get it more, stuff like this will continue.

Don't try to say otherwise; most people are stupid enough to fall for those catch phrases and cliches, no matter how "tired" they are. They put their trust in a message like that, then wonder why they either get burned or don't get great service that they were expecting to a degree...

Beyond that, great post.

Dear Anonymous -

Please endeavor to read with a more critical eye. As I said in the article:

"For the record, I’ve got nothing against Keller Williams.
. . .
What bugs me are these claims – by anyone – of being #1, or “the best” or “top” whatever."

Jealous? Hardly. I'm glad you love your brokerage though. You SHOULD love where you work.

And congrats on your $19K cap at KW. Since you asked, my agents are capped at $15K, about 21% lower than you. And I'm very confident that my agents start off at a better split than you do. But honestly, splits and caps are only one component of choosing a brokerage.

Love that I'm not the only one who gets into arguments like this.

Also, I'm the #1 Tyler Hurst in downtown Phoenix right now.
.-= Tyler Hurst´s last blog ..What revolution? =-.

Spot on Jay! (as usual...)

I believe part of the problem is no one has ever asked the real estate industry to "show me the data". For years, brokers and the marketing folks they hire have been making the numbers do anything they needed them to do and no one questioned - because they didn't know how to.

Accessibility of information and data has changed the game and it's about time we (those of us in the industry and the consumers) started calling out those that claim to be this or that. If you are, let's see it and let's see it in clear, concise, provable data.

By the way, I am #1 in my own head. I dare anyone to try to un-seat me.

Crap ... Lost the bet. You are on page #2 on Google for "keller williams real estate phoenix" though!

Damn. There's just no one like Jay. This entire industry should take up a collection just to make sure he stay's around. For. Ev. Er. (Later, put him in a mausoleum so feeyoocher peeeple can see him too.)

Hi Jay, I just roll my eyes by some of the outrageous claims by Realtors. Why doesn't the Dept of Real Estate or Board of Realtors stop some of this nonsense? Don't we have any advertising guidelines? You could never do this in other professions. Btw, I got an award this morning for having the "Best Customer Service".

It was from my gold fish - but I'll leave that part out of the discussion.
.-= Carmen Brodeur´s last blog ..Desert Mountain Private Restaurants to Delight Your Tastebuds =-.

Jay, another outstanding post. I really can't contribute to my feelings on the subject, because it's been said (and agreed upon) many times in the comments. What I found interesting/entertaining was the ONE single "negative" comment came from someone that didn't have the cojones to actually identify themselves... yeah, the only "anonymous" commenter... who basically added to the comment stream an example that so eloquently compares to "yeah, well you're ugly though!"... humorous.

Hey Anonymous, way to represent your brokerage.

Cheers Jay.

This is essentially the same thing as all the SEO experts and all the crap on my end of things I have to deal with... It kind of just comes with the territory of the internet... I see realtors (you've heard this from me already but no offense still) are still very new to the internet... claiming shit like "we're #1" is just the burst of egocentric power they get from having "followers/friends". What they don't realize is the web makes it easier for somebody to call bullshit for lack of proof.
.-= Chuck´s last blog ..People Don't Buy What You Do – They Buy Why You Do It =-.

Great post Jay!

Coming from an auto racing background I understand the desire to be first, to be number one, to win. But auto racing is measurable. The one who crosses the finish line first, and passes inspection (wink), is the winner and the indisputable number one. The point I'm trying to make is that there is real evidence as to who is in the top spot.

Claiming to be #1 at something without being able to back it up with facts is ridiculous! Doesn't matter what business your are in.
.-= Gary Sattelberger´s last blog ..Buying & Selling Real Estate is a Group Effort =-.

It turns out that based on a survey of an Evergreen real estate niche broker: I am the number one real estate agent on Twitter. In fact, there was no second place since the respondents voted wholly in my favor. Oddly, I'm a KW agent-- maybe that's what they are referring to.

BTW, I am so envious of your IDXpress but can't get it here yet.

-Bob Maiocco

P.S. I am also the best skier in the world.
.-= Evergreen real estate´s last blog ..Evergreen Real Estate Values So Far In 2010 =-.

Jay - Thanks for including me on your list of accounts with more followers than KW's corporate profile. I did find it interesting to see the (anonymous) KW agent who mentioned capping at $19K. Every KW agent in Austin caps at $18K. How do I know this? Well, for one, they used to try to recruit me constantly before I started my own brokerage in 2004. Also, I have recruited many former KW agents. For what it's worth, our agents cap at $15K as well, and our split arrangement is also higher for the agent. :)

Great post Jay, the ridiculousness translates to the Great White North as well... Give the masses value and they will stick with you. Promote meaningless claims and they will move on.

And nothing stinks of self-uncertainty like an embarrassing anonymous comment such as the one above... "My dad's tougher than your dad!"
.-= Mike Wiseman´s last blog ..SOUTH HILL (RED DEER, AB) | NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATE =-.

Oh Jay you love to stir the pot, don't you?!

Here's what I take from those crazy and meaningless claims: Nothing. It's no call to action, it's no unique service position. Give me something to hang my hat on--or rather give it to all the potential clients out there!

...and being a former KW agent: I agree with Ken O! Super high fees.

Hi Jay ~ Just love this post. You hit on just about every one of my pet peeves, (especially the photos), before ever getting to the good stuff... Times are 'a' changin - the consumer is not up for the hard sell anymore and the proclamations about being best and #1 don't cut it. KW needs to catch up. Good job calling them on it!
.-= Denise Hamlin´s last blog ..2184 Westminster Circle, Coralville =-.

I'm actually having too much fun laughing at the fact a company would brand themselves that way. It's almost as prestigious as being the number one pizza place in Fantasyland.
.-= Jonathan Dalton´s last blog ..Phoenix Real Estate Inventory Update - March 9 =-.

Jay- I always love hearing people say that the are the #1 anything. At least when I worked for a RE brokerage here in SC, and they made claims to be the #1 Brokerage in sales, they had proof. They had a graph showing #of places sold in the last year for the top five. They produced it into a graph and placed the poster predominantly at the front of every office.

Statements like this make me think of those who say I always give it 110% how can you give more than 100%? There is no such thing. And always? C'mon, lets be real.

As always, good stuff my friend.
.-= Jeremy´s last blog ..5 Tips To Using Video Effectively =-.

If dean can be the #1 vlogger at his house, I am going to proclaim to be the #1 blogger at my house.

There, I said it... I'm number one.

Whew, that wasn't so bad...

I was once given one of these, so it must mean I am the #1 right?
http://rlv.zcache.com/worlds_greatest_realtor_mug...
And also one of these:
http://cdn.holytaco.com/www/wp-content/uploads/20...

After doing some extensive research on these subjects, I came to the conclusion that not only were these items correct, but I also found out that I am the #1 @jb140 in the world. This research was done internally and was based on this:

This @jb140 has more followers, more lists, and more tweets than anyone else in the world. Also, when you google jb140 on twitter, it comes up #1. And as we ALL know, Google never lies!
.-= Jeremy Blanton´s last blog ..5 Tips To Using Video Effectively =-.

I think (obviously) this is just part of the real estate world. Meaning that with so many agents out there and most agents separated by very thin margins it's the nature of the beast to want to distance yourself from the competition. I agree with you by if an agent is going to say it they should have some sort of backing as to why they are what they claim.

Jay what I want to see is you write a post that says "hello world" and i want to see how many comments you get.

And for the record I am officially the #1 vlogger in my house and the #2 vlogger at Thompson's Realty. I can prove it...

Garrons, loved your response M Realty and your whole team rock!
.-= Dean Ouellette´s last blog ..Top 10 real estate posts of the day for 3/9/2010 =-.

A little friendly competition never hurts, but in this market, we should be focusing more on cooperation. If you don't think that's possible, if you think that is an impossible concept in the real estate industry...check out the Real Estate Tech Tank (#RETT).

We can debate who's number one when all these folks stop losing their homes...

Yeah...that's right, just spent 2 hours talking to a single mom friend who's losing hers...sucks

I am just wondering... Since they have so many followers, does this make them twitter gurus or experts? :)
.-= Jeremy´s last blog ..5 Tips To Using Video Effectively =-.

I work in housing (not an agent/broker/etc.) and have closely with agents... I've come across LOTS of people that claim to be #1 in this or that.. next time I see it I'll have to remember: "Show Me The Data".

But I also have another question for you all... why do agents insist on putting their headshots on EVERYTHING. Business cards... for sale signs... info sheets, etc. When I was looking to purchase my current home, I can promise you that some guy's picture on the 'For Sale' sign was NOT a factor in my decision process. I have, however, seen some headshots that may actually scare some people away... but that's a different issue.

Thanks, Jay. Fun post!

Hey Jay I can not agree with you more, I hate when companies or individuals tout themselves as #1 You can spin statistics anyway you want in your favor since there are so many different statistical categories to measure. I agree there is no way to measure what Keller Williams is touting in social media numbers, they probably do have the most twitter followers but there is no way to prove it and like you mention means absolutely nothing. Focus on the quality of service you provide to your clients instead of measuring # of agents your company has.
.-= Danny Nappi´s last blog ..Tampa to receive recovery act grant money =-.