After recent continuing education, we discuss the wide spectrum of competence in real estate today. From negotiation skill to marketing integrity and responsible use of AI tools, we explore what separates true professionals from surface-level performance. Real examples show how experience, judgment, and adaptability still drive better outcomes.

The House Einstein Podcast is available wherever you podcast. Hosted by Osman Parvez and Hamish Crabb.

Recorded Date:  12/17/25
Published Date: 12/19/25

Opening Story or Quote:
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with limited knowledge or competence in a specific domain greatly overestimate their own abilities. Conversely, it also describes how high performers tend to underestimate their relative excellence, assuming that what is easy for them must be easy for everyone else.

It was first detailed in a 1999 study by David Dunning and Justin Kruger, inspired by the bizarre case of a bank robber who covered his face in lemon juice, believing it would make him invisible to security cameras (because lemon juice works as “invisible ink”).

1. The “Double Curse” of Incompetence

The core of the effect is what Dunning and Kruger called a metacognitive deficit. Two curses: 

• The First Curse: A lack of skill leads you to make mistakes and reach poor conclusions.
• The Second Curse: That same lack of skill prevents you from having the “meta-knowledge” required to recognize that your conclusions are poor.

Essentially, you need to be competent in a subject to accurately judge how incompetent you are. Without that baseline, you are “unskilled and unaware of it.”

2. Common Misconceptions

While the effect is famous, it is often misrepresented in popular culture:

• It’s not about general intelligence: It refers to specific domains. A brilliant surgeon might be a victim of the Dunning-Kruger effect when trying to fix their own plumbing.

Topics:

• WELCOME

• • Declare Mission: Entertain, Discuss Real Estate, Help You Better the Market
  • Bios (who we are)
  • Disclaimer
  • Call to Action (Contact Us)
  • Review Topics Du Jour

• THE CLOSING TABLE | The Spectrum of Competency
  • Anecdotal:  Man from Nantucket
  • Continuing Ed: Our own experiences
  • Changing Technology
    • AI Tools
    • Real Marketing vs Fake Marketing
  • Anecdotal: Positive Stories of Competence (i.e. Reverse 1031’s, Complex Negotiations)

• TALES FROM THE TRENCHES 

• • US36 Listing
    • Example of Seller Doing Everything Right
    • Curveball:  Bidding War During Snowstorm
    • Curveball 2:  Ex-Wife Represented the Winning Bid
    • Seller is amazing at staging, launched a staging business afterward

• MARKET CONDITIONS
  • NAR Predictions
    

• (LESSONS FROM) SALES OF THE WEEK
  • 721 9th St
  • 4740 8th St
  • 105 W William St
  • 4251 Peach Way
  • 3630 Silver Plume Ln

• IN THE NEWS
  • Hanukkah on Pearl
  • Darkhorse Death Delayed
  • Google Tests Listing on Search Results
  • Zillow “Popular” Metros for 2025 Study Released
    

• CARVE OUTS
  • Importance of Ankles and Feet, i.e. This Sucks or i.e. I’m So Grateful
  • Holiday decorations and Mr balls vet visit
    

• WRAP UP

• • House Einstein Newsletter (Call To Action)
  • Check Out Social Media (YT, Insta, FB, X. Bluesky)
  • Visit House Einstein.com
  • Thank You For Joining Us
  • Feedback