Is this taboo to those of you of Christian faith?
Mentioning it to your prospects/clients.

Do you find it hard or easy to tell prospects/clients
you're a Christian? Do you think it matters to others?

My personal opinion is that religion is a VERY personal thing that should be left out of business. Telling some random client what God you happen to pray to accomplishes nothing, except perhaps alienating those who don't share your faith.

Obviously if you disclose this fact to a client of the same persuasion, it could work in your favor. I'm simply of the belief that religion should be kept out of business, school, and any government entity.


John from Boston

The people of any business that try to get business by advertising that they are a christian in my experience are usually the worst christians you can find. I myself am a christian, but I never really tell people unless it comes up. I hope my actions are an example of a good christian.

If some salesperson told me about their christian beliefs I would not use them. It's not that I don't believe, I just don't want to hear it from them.

I usually do not offer the information. There have been too many phonies who used the name "Christian" to sour most people's minds to Christians.

I agree with keeping it out of my professional profile though other Christians probably think I'm ashamed of Christ or something, but it's not that at all.

It's not Christ I'm ashamed of.

This sums it up nicely.

[quote=Perky_REALTOR]

This [b][url=http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/EPH/8310.jpg]sums it up nicely[/url].[/b]
[/quote]


Brilliant! I love that, Perky! Thanks for the laugh :grin:


John from Boston

Are you trying to use your religion to help you make money? That's one of the skewed things that gives religion a bad light nowadays.

I remember seeing Benny Hinn asking for 500k for a new bus. Do real estate or be an evangelist, but not both at the same time. "Hello Mr and Mrs owner, please render unto Caesar..." I could see how you would want to mix the two though. Religion is the biggest business on the planet. And at 10% commission its hard to believe the big man can't get his work done on this planet yet. I really don't think the eternal creator is a male that gets pissed off so you'd be insulting me if you came at me with religion+marketing.

What if I said i was a practicing satanist?

There is a time and place for everything but I don't think anything as personal as your religion should be interjected in to a potential business transaction with someone you may have never met before. Let your example, not your words about beliefs, demonstrate your personal integrity.

I've actually had a new homes sales agent say to my customer "Are you a Christian? You know, sometimes God just puts things in front of you that can't ignore...this home is one of them"...
....
....
....
....
....wow...

Those are the same people that hand out business cards at church during the service and also attend funerals and visit hospitals with alterior motives.

That's NEVER how I will conduct myself!

The beauty of running your own business is you get to choose the values you aspire to.

If you do alot of real estate you do small talk.You try to stay away from PASSIONATE subjects such as religion,politics,race etc.

I always stay away from argumentative topics that will sidetrack the mission of getting the business or selling there property.They have plenty of other people to debate those things.My goal is to handle there real estate needs.

It's all about boundaries and balance while running your business.

Here is my moto in life... im a practicing catholic... if you bring up the issue of religion and ask i have no problem telling you... so i would say i wouldnt bring it up, but if my client brought it up i would have no problem mentioning it... the thing is, if they bring it up they are probably not going to be upset about you talking about it because obviously it is something important to them

These are the same Christians who pray fervently to God for a good Golf shot, or a nice day for the Picnic. What a Waste!!!

I would like to think that the way I operate my business and respect and care for others is enough of a statement. If they can't see that I believe from my actions, appearance, etc. then I am doing something terribly wrong. Do I mention it or bring it up verbally? No. If it comes up, I have to shout, "YES!" Does it have a place in business? Yes, it should guide our actions, but it should not be a means to generate business.

I'll get down from here now.

I got Ordained out when a "Christian" inlaw condemned me to hell. He now has to call me Reverend (and I am licensed to marry in my state as well). I guess I should mention that I got ordained via the web and purly out of spite.

I don't think it matters what you practice religion wise. My kids go to a catholic church on Sundays, attend a class on wednesdays with Baptists, and a bible study on Fridays. Ask them what they are, they will give you a blank stare and do not know. They believe in something though.

I have always found that those who have to mention that they are "Christian" are the ones to run away from.

I'm with Solomon on this. The best Preachin' is done by setting a Good Example.

I have had people ask "IF" we were the same religion as they; and then go elsewhere. Similarly, I've lost people who are of a different political persuasion decide they. Right now, we've got a big divide between the people who Love Wind Mills and those who Hate Wind Mills; and it's getting U G L Y ! I don't broadcast any of those adjectives or personal beliefs that don't pertain to the product that we're marketing . . . . Real Estate. That's complicated enough !

I agree with most of the responses so far. Unless you are in a christian leads group/networking group/church group (not a bad idea BTW), it's irrelevant, and most likely, unsolicited.

I realize many religions encourage evangelizing, and if you feel that you must evangelize with everyone you meet, maybe joining the ministry is more appropriate for you. I'm not trying to be smug. I'm just saying that if evangelizing is that important to you, you should follow your heart, but I'd be surprised if that were to help you be successful in real estate sales.

At least if you were in ministry, your actions would be in context with what you do, and you'd be doing what you love most.

vermont, we went thru the great windmill debate many years ago - many many. they're good, they're bad, they kill birds...in some real estate ads they're a great feature, as if they were mt. hood or something. "View the windmills from your porch."

gotta love it.

Side note to lighten the tone - Our pastor at church doesn't drink and he tries to make me feel guilty when I have more than a beer. I tease him saying that Jesus drank wine, so I'm just trying to be more Christ-like.

Another friend chimed in on the conversation saying [i]"Yeah - isn't Jesus turning water to wine when they ran out at a wedding why they call him "The Savior?""[/i]

Even our pastor couldn't help but chuckle.

I am a Chameleon; and strive to stay out of the emotional fray. In Real Estate, if you like them; so do I ! I run into problems when people want to put Restrictive Covenants into their Listing Agreements and the resulting Deeds . . . . like prohibiting Wind Mills, solely to perpetuate their viewpoint into posterity. It's a Control Thing.

Some of you may be old enough to recall the controversy that developed in the 1970s when Nixon nominated William Rehnquist to the Supreme Court and it was discovered that Rehnquist owned a Summer Home in Greensboro, Vermont, a couple of miles from me here (I wasn't here) and the Deed to his property contained (and still contains) Restrictive Covenants dating from the 1860s which barred any future transfer of Ownership to anyone of the "African or the Hebrew Race". Though unenforceable in the present time, it is still part of Historical Land Record.

People will always want to find a way to "Pigeon-Hole" you with a specific adjective; it makes it easier for them to make all future judgements where you are concerned. It is my job to Frustrate these Efforts and be my own person. My opinion or personal beliefs, including any religious affiliation, should have nothing to do with their decision making in Real Estate.

I live in the Bible belt and there are plenty of people I encounter who want to talk about being Christian. If they bring it up, I'm okay with it and will share with them. I am not one to "sell myself" as a Christian business person by TELLING YOU that I am. I tend to run from those people who tell me I should do business with them because, heh, they're Christian and I'm Christian and us Christians need to stick together! (as if we're an exclusive club and the "others" are somehow substandard). I've seen a lot of that around here in the past 25 yrs in a variety of businesses. Some of those folks have been the biggest scam artists . . .

Talking about your religion or your politics or just about any other deeply held conviction or belief should be approached with the utmost care.

You could just as easily lose as gain a client by coming down on the 'wrong' side of some issue.

Just as you could easily lose a client by saying something negative about his favorite football team.

what does religion or politics have to do with selling a house?

I actually almost scared a client because I had a bible in my car (forgot to take in in after church and I slid it under the console - but it snuck out going around a turn.

She expressed concern - because not only did she see my bible but she saw other names of locations in my area that made her wonder if she had entered the religious twilight zone: Lords Valley and Promised Land.

I don't think she believed me when I told her that no, we weren't a cell of religious nutjobs - the name Lords Valley was a family name that became a village, and Promised Land was a sarcastic name given when people who thought they could farm the land came to find out they couldn't. LOL

I never did see HER again...

Yes, this IS a big deal in places like Texas and Oklahoma! . . . Oklahoma University (Sooners) vs. Oklahoma State University (Cowboys) . . . and Oklahoma University vs. Texas University . . . and even the local perceptions about shutting down the local University's football program several years ago still linger . . . I try to just stick to real estate! (But with the really chatty types, I at least try to find out "which way the wind blows" with them before opening my mouth and running them off because I hold an opposing view.)

The Bible says Dont let your right hand knows what your left hand is doing. I do think this can pertain to this topic too. There is no reason to mention this. But when asked, I have no problems telling them that I'm a Christian.

What I've found to be the best approach when clients bring up religion or politics or sports is simply to listen and acknowledge what they have to say... which is different from agreeing with what they have to say.

That goes not only for clients... but for other agents and business associates as well. An agent in the office the other day was trying very hard to pin me down on who I support in the presidential election. I simply wouldn't offer an opinion. When she finally blurted out who she supported, it was not my first choice. But I simply smiled and told her she was doing the right thing for keeping abreast of the important issues facing the nation.

There are exceptions to this rule. Associates who I've known for a long time or have more personal relationships outside the office know much more about my religious and political views... but that's another ballgame altogether.

I have no problem telling people I'm a Greek Orthodox Republican, but I don't know that that always gets me business.

So do you say "Hi, my name is C. Barris, and I am a Greek Orthodox Republican. How may I help you with your real estate needs?"

LOL

Oh, Perky - that's a riot! At this point, I'd rather talk religion to a chatty client because I REFUSE to talk politics! This election year has annoyed me so much, I can't see straight-- I only discuss politics with a small handful of like-minded friends, very close friends.

barb3^^^^^^^^^who are you going to vote for;-)?

I see two sides to the coin. I don't evangelize my Christianity because I believe that my character is my witness and I've had plenty of people ask me about my religious views. At the same point, the way I operate is to become friendly with my clients. When we're driving around together or viewing houses, we are always involved in conversation not only about the homes, but about life in general. They know about my family. I know about theirs. Often times I'll talk about someone I met in Church or a Ministry I'm involved in. Not to push religion, but because we talk to each other about our lives, and being a strong Christian is a very big part of my life.

My clients feel comfortable talking to me and have never once taken offense to me talking about my faith. I've worked with Muslims, athiests, etc. and have never gotten into religious battle. One of my best clients doesn't believe in God. She loves the time we spend together looking at property because it's a laid back environment and we talk about everything. She's an incredible source of referrals for me.

It shouldn't be taboo to talk about religion, politics, etc. If it's part of your life and it comes up in day to day conversation, no big deal. People shouldn't hide who they are just for the sake of getting a deal. Again, I don't lock the doors and thump people over the head with a Bible. But I don't hide anything or avoid subjects like that.

If you're true to yourself, people respect that and usually don't get offended.

Hahahaha! Heh, estate, if I had a fish, I'd slap you with it!

I'll let you know if my candidate wins, 'k?

"Please allow me to introduce myself
Im a man of wealth and taste
Ive been around for a long, long year
Stole many a mans soul and faith
And I was round when jesus christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But whats puzzling you
Is the nature of my game"

I Sell Real Estate
and get my Client the best price
I negotiate and anticipate
all on your behalf..................

When I started in real estate I was told there are 3 things you do not discuss with clients:

1) Religion
2) Politics
3) Sex

There are other hot button issues as well which I always steer clear from. I am like TexasAgent and handle these things the same way.

Since my faith has become part of my vocabulary, I think it does come up in one way or another with my clients. None have been deterred and a couple have invited me to thier church.

There are those rare occasions, however, when discussing religion or politics or sex with a client might lead to something productive, or even enjoyable.

had to try! I will await your answer

Has anyone ever had this happen from the other side of the fence? I showed some clients a condo and they loved it, but then they met the landlord for their "dog interview" for which I was not present. Apparently he thought their dog was evil or some nonsense and made them pray with him and his wife that it would behave in the condo. They both grew up in Christian homes but were uncomfortable enough to walk away from their perfect condo. I can't say I blame them but what would you have done in this situation?

I'd have probably done nothing, but inside I would have daydreamed about going back to the landlord and giving him a piece of my mind about how I'd never bring anyone to look at any property he owned again! Well, and I would have prayed for the guy to be given some business sense. *rolls eyes*

I would not suggest talking about personal thing like religion and politics, it could turn a lot of people off....

Just mine opinion.

You know... its a bummer when everyone gets all wrapped up in mincing words... I say if Jesus is your Lord and Savior... let it be known... not to try and work the system... but to take every chance the Lord gives you to speak truth and be a light. Religion... its not about religion... its about a relationship with the one and only true God. Ok... I know some of you are going to get all worked up by this statement... well take it up with God. He said it... and I'm just claiming His truths. Yep you guessed correctly... I'm a Christian and love my King. The Lord has blessed my business over and over again... You know when you need to speak up... just let the spirit lead! How you like that apple!

Former broker owners I worked for were "christians" They loved to talk the talk but when it came down to money they screwed over many agents including myself. They did love to promote it around the offices, even setting up a "seminar" by one of the agents to tell everyone the secret to her marketing success. The meeting turned into her saying her business was down because she did not devote enough time to christ, and her business picked up after she added a scripture to all her mailings. My opinion, keep your God at home, it has nothing to do with business.

Illinois, your "People" sound zackley like my Bible Totin' "People" discussed here back in August at:

http://www.agentsonline.net/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/244804/Re_annoying_practice.html#Post244804

Every telephone call or email ended with that sappy and disingenuous "May GOD Bless YOU".

After I left, and Spirits got weak, one of them had to pay to get an Exorcism performed on the Other cuz Satan had somehow found a way to gain entry into the Brokerage !

Sort of but not in Real Estate. This was when cell phones were a luxurary item and was the size of a brick.

I had a co-worker who needed a person for his Churches Volley Ball game. Casual game, they went for beers afterwards, free, it was a social gathering. They prayed before the games began abd prayed after every game. A little odd to me, but hey, thats what they do, I respected their rules.

Then one night we were playing and one of the players jumped up and landed very wrong. I hope I never hear the sound of a leg snapping in half again! It was very obvious that this guy was hurt and he needed 911. It took all I had not to pass out (I'm not the guy you want when a medical emergency occurs).

The first responce from these people were to grab hands, surround the injured victim and pray very loudly. Sure pray for the guy after the ambulance took him away, but while he was in need of help???? I never played with them again.

Its a bummer that so many of you have seen bogus christianty. Yes we who have received salvation... are saved by grace and grace alone... not by works.. but it is not a license to sin. I figure... most of the postings above are against the Truth... so why not speak up for what I believe in. The word tells us to let our light shine! Again... if you don't like it... take it up with God. I did did not write the Living Word of God... But do desire to walk in complete surrender to it in my life. For those of you who care... check out Matthew 7... it some great nuggets relating to such.

Mat 7:1 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
Mat 7:2 "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
Mat 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Mat 7:4 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?
Mat 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Mat 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Mat 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Mat 7:8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Mat 7:9 "Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
Mat 7:10 "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
Mat 7:11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Mat 7:12 "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Mat 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
Mat 7:14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Mat 7:15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Mat 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn {bushes} nor figs from thistles, are they?
Mat 7:17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Mat 7:18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Mat 7:19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 7:20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven {will enter.}
Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
Mat 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Mat 7:25 "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and {yet} it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Mat 7:26 "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Mat 7:27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."
Mat 7:28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;
Mat 7:29 for He was teaching them as {one} having authority, and not as their scribes.

I really fail to see what Matthew 7 has to do with the topic of this thread, but hey.

There are many ways to "let your light shine." Jesus also cautioned his followers not to make their religion public in order to impress others with how spiritual they are (See Matthew 6. )

REO Dayton, I think the first thing anyone should do is pray but someone should have called for help while everyone else was praying.

Who you believe the creator to be and the values you want to live to is a personal decision for everyone.

Everyone has a right to there opinion.I don't have to agree with it but I certainly DO NOT have the right to CRAM my point of view down someone else's throat and hammer them into submission.

I am more AGAINST religion and more for a PERSONAL daily relationship with who I beleive the creator to be.I get more out