The term for the person I'm doing a transaction with is "cooperating" broker. I do not think of them as "competition." And when I approach them in a cooperative way I've virtually never had issues in dealing with uncooperative agents.

Coffee has not kicked in yet ... yet my initial thoughts are cooperation and collaboration in life will always produce better results than without it Gary Frimann.  

  

Attorneys...there are defense attorneys and prosecutors that need to do certain "cooperation".

You say...other agents are not the enemy.  Maybe not, but they are sure not my buddy either. 

I have had many agents act shocked when I put my buyer clients needs above just closing the deal to get a commission. I do not impede a sale, but I also never throw my client under the bus, or go along with a crappy deal for the buyer.

I have had several agents try to pull the "we have the same goals"  so need to work together and get this deal closed, blah, blah, blah.

Sorry, but I only care about the best interest of my buyer. 

I don't care if the listing agent or seller like me...this is not a popularity contest.  One of the problems that I see is that agents are so worried that if they really represent the buyer, the seller will not like them...and golly gee, they might tell the neighbors not to list with them. This is particularly true if the property is in their "farm" area.

Every transaction for a listing agent is the chance of getting another listing.  Luckily, I do not have that pressure and am free to not worry about what the other side thinks and am able to freely promote my buyer clients interests.

...and seriously if I am at a sit down closing and the LA leaves the room, the sellers are always asking for our business card.

Eve

Cooperation takes working independently to gain good end results. For instance, a property management company must encourage tenants to be cooperative with real etsate agents when the home they are renting goes on the market. Otherwise, it can impede the sale.

it's important to learn to work together in order to have a smoothly run transaction.... 

Gary,

We have never looked at another agent as a competitor.  I really liked the majority of the agents we worked with.  Our jobs were to make the deal happen not to get petty and have hissy fits over it.  A

      When I have a fiduciary with a buyer or seller, that overrides any "cooperation", or "we are all working toward the same goal", or "we are in this together".  No!  My client is the legal adversary of the other party.  As their Broker, I take the side of my client. 

    Sure, I will be pleasant and courteous, my communication skills are exemplary, etc.   But my client's interests take priority over the other party; even over my commission. 

We must/should cooperate in all industries,  don't you think? 

wrestling.

The 32 billionaires who own nlf teams.

Gary Frimann - I can think of the medical profession in which "competing" doctors may pool ideas and treatments which may result in a healed patient. But that is a great question to ask and is something to consider.  We work best with each other for a common goal, but after closing we can all after the same client for the next sale.

lawyers have to work the case together since mose get settle out of court.

My phiosophy is agree to disagree, if necessary, without being disagreeable. It is easier that way.

Just about any might apply; but cooperation is better than competition, especially between different countries.

No real estate is really the only industry that does that. Truly unique.

MOST professions do cooperate with their competition, most better than real estate agents do.

Building a home - every trade must cooperate and communicate to get the best quality home built.
Buying and/or selling home requires the same cooperation and communication between agents. 

Interesting to note that the seller and listing agent pays for the buyer agent and pleases the buyer in the end yet they are independent of themselves

Gary Frimann My first thought as I read your question was congress & senate. No cooperation!

NAR used to have a statistic that from the inception of a transaction until close, we needed to placate 71 people. I learned that early in my career and go out of my way to be a cooperating broker . . . even when other agents are trying to be difficult.

I don't look at other agent as competition - I think that would really drive me nuts if I did.  Like Nina Hollander "cooperative' is much more meaningful and less stressful IMO

Yes

There are many. Attorneys, contractors, and the list goes on and on.

Of greater interest is the need in nearly all disciplines of commerce require a great deal of cooperation to get anything done. Very few enterprises are truly fully independent. 

The greatest of these, in my opinion, are those offering interconnected devices. From the touch pad to the dozens of 'middleware' providers, without the cooperation of everyone the line goes dead.

The issue in real estate where 'competition' gets under the skin, is when dealing with business models that ACTUALLY defer traditional agent responsibilities to the other party.  That's when I would like to 'wring the neck' of the competition. 

In the race to the bottom of the compensation ladder, the enemy is all around.

In regards to getting results, it is good to understand our community is relatively small. You will see everyone again so treat them with kindness.

I don't look at other agents as competition. Good agents (and I work with many) are long time colleagues who I work with long after a deal has closed. Establishing a reputation as being honest, fair and communicating well goes a long way with agents thus produces more showings on my listings or accepting my buyers offer when I'm the buyer's agent. Its our job to work well together not be adversaries.

Lawyers.  That's the first thing that comes to mind.  Tow truck companies will often help each other out too.

Attorneys do a lot better job when they talk outside the courtroom. Doctors need to cooperate too for best results.

It is co-broke and competition for sure, Gary Frimann. 

As Kathleen Daniels mentioned, it's all about collaboration and it's the rare instance that I have a difficult agent. When I do, I just turn up the Southern charm!

The competition should be with yourself.

International Space Station

termite inspectors?

Not thought of it. 

Off hand I can't

There may be some other ones.  

No idea.

Lawyers

Politicans (hopefully but they seem intent to behave like 2 yo mostly)

Attorneys do it all the time, both when trying to settle a case and when acting as co-counsel. Doctors frequently work with other doctors when a second opinion is needed and back in the day when I was a manufacturer's rep, it was not uncommon to work with another ad specialty manufacturer when an order came in that we could not produce. And I know plenty of sales reps in other fields who would give a lead to a "competitor" if they were not able to make a sale. 

It's a shame that some agents are so territorial and other don't understand the need to get along and work together.

We do have to work hard to cooperate with agents that either don't know what they are doing, or just combative.

Oh, yes, without cooperation won't go anywhere.

actually in come cases other agents are the enemy. But fortunately in my market that's a rare exception to the wonderful spirit of cooperation you find here.