To My Fellow Agent
This post is in response to a comment I received on my blog, from an anonymous reader that is a fellow Realtor. Because they provided no real name and a false email address, this is my only way to respond.
Dear Not Lazy,
Thank you for reading my blog, I’m glad you enjoy the content.
I’m sorry that you found my 3 Lazy Agent blogs “offensive and slanderous to our profession.” While I do not agree with your analysis, I have removed them anyway. I am not interested in taking the chance that you might report me to one of our governing bodies – I’d rather be growing my business.
I enjoy blogging and believe it makes me a better Realtor because I stay current on our industry, both locally and nationally, which helps me better serve my clients. And as you know, our obligation is to always work in their best interests.
My intention with the series was to highlight business practices that are not in the best interest of our collective Clients and Customers, who are also covered by the Code of Ethics. Since the general public is less familiar with the business, and has basically no knowledge of the Code of Ethics, they are not able to judge whether or not their agent is representing them appropriately. They need reliable information sources to guide them during their transactions.
So, we need to continue educating clients and the public as to the service they should be expecting. Going forward, I will create a new blog category, Excellent Agent, that will call out examples of service excellence that I run across. This will put a positive light on our industry and provide examples that Clients and Customers should expect to receive when working with an agent.
A glass half full is always better than a glass half empty. Wishing you the best in today’s market.
Warm regards,
Amy
I wish I hadn’t missed the comment, just to have seen it.
Hope you’re still enjoying the blogging, though. It’s been a nice way to keep up with the neighborhood.
Thanks for continuing to read! I still enjoy blogging
The comment never got published and would have gone away anyway because I deleted the post it was tagged to.
Essentially, the person said I was being unprofessional in a variety of ways, but sent everything anonymously. I’m not really sure how that is being professional…
Amy: it’s in everyone’s best interest that we all speak out when we know that unethical or unprofessional behavior occurs in any profession. That’s the check and balance. The person who complained must have his/her head in the sand to think that it’s not happening.
Matt- I completely agree with your statement and wish there was more transparency in our industry.
This was the first line from the comment…
“Amy, do you realize that the NAR code of ethics prohibits a Realtor from talking poorly about another Realtor…even if it might be the truth?”
The reader seemed to acknowledge that there is incompetence out there, it’s just against our Code as Realtors to talk about it publicly because it hurts the industry and is unprofessional.
Maybe the agent felt that if I saw incompetence going on that I should report it to one of our governing bodies because it was not in the best interest of the Client/Customer? I’m not sure because they didn’t touch on that at all in their comment.
No suggestions were made of how to fix the problem. Just that I was being unprofessional and violating the Code of Ethics.
I don’t think that describing lazy practices is unethical at all. If anything, that calls attention to your colleagues unethical practices. As someone who is totally on the outside of the real estate business, I think that as a potential consumer, I should expect agents/realtors to behave with honesty, as you had indicated (in more words, of course) before.
“Amy, do you realize that the NAR code of ethics prohibits a Realtor from talking poorly about another Realtor…even if it might be the truth?”
This persons quote demonstrates that the NAR cares only about transactions for its customers, which are realtors and not the buying/selling public.
Just more proof that nothing out of the NAR’s mouth is worth listening to: from Learah to now Yun, and most of its “members”.
Disgusting and shame on your profession.
Lars- I understand your frustrations with NAR.
Through this blog I’m trying to create some transparency for real estate transactions, whether it’s through providing local market data or buying and selling tips. There are many agents across the country doing the same thing in their markets.