She really didn’t want to sell her home of 55 years and move to a retirement community. Yet, her relatives insisted that she choose among six different real estate agents to handle the transaction, and now she was talking to the fifth. This one was different. He sensed her sadness, and asked her why she wanted to sell her home. Digging at the heart of the matter, he discovered the only problem was that she could no longer mow her lawn. So, the only right thing for him to do was find someone to mow the lawn for her...which he promptly did. Of course, he returned to the office without a listing.

But, that’s not the end of the story. You see, the widow was so delighted about the way she was treated that she told everybody who would listen. And in the next few years, the agent’s company listed twenty other homes to sell as a direct result.

Imagine building a successful company by focusing first on what’s right for customers, based on ethics and honesty. Such was Neil Jenman’s idea in 1987 when he started The Jenman Group, providing systems and training real estate agents to achieve the best possible results for their customers. Today, more than 300 offices and several thousand full-time agents in Australia and New Zealand have adopted the Jenman System of ethics in real estate.

With The Jenman System, it’s ethics before profits. It’s doing right by the customer instead of squeezing as much money as possible from a one-time sale. Focusing on the later does not win delighted customers or build long-term profits.

How do they do it? With a 12-point customer-focused Code of Ethics that’s rigidly practiced. With team members receiving a very good base salary that’s not debited against commissions. With training, more training, and continuous training. With annual awards based on client satisfaction. And by leaders who believe, embrace, teach, and live ethics and customer-focus.

Think about ethics for a moment. A seminar on the topic might be expected fare for lawyers or politicians. But wouldn’t you find it unusual as the topic of a three-day conference for real estate agents? I did, yet I observed 1,500 people listen attentively and respond enthusiastically at Jenman’s ninth annual conference recently.

Clients (generally home sellers) experience The Jenman System in a variety of delightful ways. A pampering process begins with prospective clients, from providing an informative booklet about costly mistakes made by home sellers, to agents who arrive on time and let clients do the talking...without interruption from the agent’s cell phone or beeper. If an agent discovers the client is selling because of financial trouble, they’ll try to get them help rather than see them lose their home. When clients are moving, someone is sent to help them pack. Agents often clean the home for them.

Clients receive a “Survival Basket” to help them through the high-tension time of house-moving. The much-welcomed basket contains an unbelievable assortment of usually-forgotten but most-helpful things including: tissues, coffee, assorted batteries, flashlight, candles, matches, chocolate, light bulbs, headache tablets, soap, a note pad with pencils, post-it notes, and a pack of screwdrivers. There’s even a little Chicken Soup book and a bottle of wine with two glasses.

After all is said and done, clients are definitely not forgotten. One agency features “The WOW Man” and his van...a service provided completely free of charge. The WOW man will help hang the family portraits, adjust doors, fix dripping faucets, and other little useful things. Later, clients receive birthday cards and cards for other occasions, often with flowers. On each anniversary of the day they moved into their home, a delicious and beautiful “Ginger-Bread Home” is delivered.

Why all the attention and focus on customers? According to Neil Jenman, “Buying or selling a family home is one of the most emotional events in life. A family home is precious, therefore our clients are precious. We believe we should make friends for life with these people. And we do. The loyalty is enormous.”

Copyright 2000 by Vicki Lenz. Used with permission.