Those of us who grew up in the Rhodes house learned from the best—our dad, Tom. And while some lessons were learned the hard way, the “rules” we learned then still guide our entire team now. In fact, we rely on them every day—in business and in life; good times and bad. So much so, that we decided to share them in this series in the hopes they might resonate with you and your family, too.

Always tell the truth. 

This rule leads to the best results in the end—and people respect you more for it.

Sticking to honesty seems easy in theory, but is much harder in practice. As Tom says, “Talking someone out of a deal can be as important as nudging them forward.” Translation: Honesty means a lot more than not lying.

Get a copy of the Rhodes Rules booklet by shooting us a note.

It means you keep your word. Don’t overpromise, or say you’ll be somewhere and fail to show up. Make sure important information is communicated—even when it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable. Sometimes the truth might hurt, but it still has to be said.  Be clear about your expectations. People can’t give you what you want if you don’t tell them what that is. If you don’t know the answer, say so. Don’t hold others to standards you’ve haven’t met yourself.

True honesty first prevents difficulties later—in business, relationships and life. Our truthfulness has led clients to thank us for valuing them over our commission. After all, it’s never about one deal for us. It’s about being trusted for the next one. Honesty and trust are critical to getting customers for life.

What rulebook does your agent follow? Not sure? Drop us a line.