BRIAN BURNS
Real Estate Exec: Dyson & Dyson Sotheby’s International Realty

Imagine two identical homes for sale on the same block. Each home is occupied by a Real Estate professional showing the home to a potential homebuyer. The results of the two showings are polar opposites: One of the homebuyers leaves the property frustrated, while the other leaves with the ecstasy of owning a new home. Why?

The difference in outcomes can be explained by differences in Real Estate professionals. One REALTOR® put the sale ahead of the customer’s needs, which means he had a difficult time connecting with the customer. He showed the customer a revolving list of homes that were independent of the customer’s stated goals. On the other hand, the more effective REALTOR® listened closely to the client’s needs, and was therefore able to show the client the home that fit her needs perfectly. The client felt completely at home, and happily closed the deal.

Listening skills are arguably the most important traits for professionals in the Real Estate industry. As evidence, consider Brian Burns, broker/salesman at Dyson & Dyson Sotheby’s International Realty. Brian is a Real Estate professional whose listening skills border on empathic—or so says one of his many happy clients, Helga Ferreira.

After trying two other agents who repeatedly showed her homes that were not what she was looking for, Helga was introduced to Brian. She immediately felt at ease. According to Helga, “When we walked into a home, he didn’t stand by the door and wait for me to look around. He walked right with me and read my reactions and actually learned what I was looking for.” As a result, after two months of searching fruitlessly with other REALTORS®, Helga bought a property within a week of meeting Brian. When asked about the sale, Brian responds, “All I did was listen to her.”

Brian learns the nuances of his clients’ needs by first setting the clients at ease and then encouraging them to open up. Setting clients at ease means assuring them that the home-buying process will progress smoothly and end happily. Brian accomplishes this by reminding his clients of what they already know in their hearts—namely, that “the perfect property is out there, and we will find it. Maybe not today, but we will find it.”

In advance of showing his client a home, Brian encourages the client to communicate openly. He asks the client to tell him every like and dislike about the homes he shows. By listening to the homebuyer’s comments, Brian is able to refine his understanding of the client’s needs, which helps him find the perfect property. “For instance,” he says, “if the client says ‘I love to cook’ then I know that a nice kitchen is important.” The key is to find a home that meets as many of the customer’s needs as possible, even if the customer doesn’t explicitly list all of those needs.

Two more of Brian’s clients, Dan and Mercy Larson, noticed that Brian was paying attention to their conversations. Although the couple weren’t initially sure what kind of home they wanted, Brian’s deeper level of listening helped them to narrow the field. According to Dan, “Because Brian had taken note of our comments, he was able to evaluate each property for our needs and narrow the field.” Thanks to Brian’s attention to the details of their comments, Dan and Mercy added themselves to Brian’s list of extremely satisfied customers.

Brian’s level of customer service is indicative of his brokerage, Dyson & Dyson. In fact, Dyson & Dyson’s nuanced customer relationships caught the discriminating eye of Sotheby’s International Realty, who invited the brokerage to join its exclusive ranks in 2007. Brian couldn’t be happier. “I really like Sotheby’s,” he says. “I’m proud to be affiliated with them.”

As expected of all Sotheby’s affiliates, Brian believes in going the extra mile. For client Ann Tracy, Brian’s extra mile saved her thousands of dollars. When a developer was poised to make an error when applying a credit to Ann’s settlement statement, Brian caught the mistake and found a solution. “I am so glad I had Brian with me at closing,” says Ann. “I call him ‘Saint Brian.’”

Ann considers Brian part of her family now, and she isn’t the only one. Brian understands the necessity of maintaining close relationships with his customers long after the close. “A lot of clients become friends,” says Brian. He therefore keeps in touch with them on a monthly basis, either by telephone or greeting card or informative e-mail.

In addition to the monthly hello, Brian often meets his clients-turned-friends for dinner and a round of golf. A lifelong golfer, Brian values the game because it serves as a conduit for conversation. The more time he spends with his clients, the better he gets to know them. For Brian, golf is a great way to strengthen relationships.

Although many people have helped Brian along the way, he counts experience as his chief mentor. He was born in Winchester, IN, but grew up in Southern California. After earning a degree in communications from California State University at Fullerton in 1988, he began his professional life in the advertising industry. He found himself increasingly unsatisfied with the work but wasn’t sure of an alternative.

Fortunately, Brian had a friend who was a successful REALTOR^®. In 1989 his friend encouraged him to enter the Real Estate profession, and Brian immediately felt that he’d found his calling. Not only does he get to know a great number of people on a deep level, but Real Estate also affords him flexibility in his lifestyle and the freedom to be the captain of his own business.

From California, Brian followed his love of mountains and the outdoors all the way to Breckenridge, CO, where he sold properties in the Rockies. He often took advantage of the hiking, snowboarding and skiing opportunities the mountainous location offered. Then, in 2005, he changed scenery from mountains to desert. He moved to Las Vegas and joined Dyson & Dyson.

From California to Colorado to Nevada, Brian has learned the whole spectrum of Real Estate. He continues to learn more with each new client and with each layer of depth in his existing relationships. Not only does he love working with clients, but he also enjoys the lifestyle Real Estate affords him. Both his relationships and his lifestyle are amplified by the pride he takes in customer satisfaction—all because he knows how to listen.

Brian can be reached by calling (702) 360-1414.

Photography: Britt Pierson