Monthly Archives: September 2010

While watching the Sunday morning political pundits, I’ve decided that we would all be better off if politicians – both sides – would conduct their business the way Realtors® do.

• Realtors® must adhere to a Code of Ethics or risk being fined or having our license suspended or revoked. Don’t we wish there was a Code of Ethics for politicians?
• Since Realtors® are self-employed, we are all competitors, even if we work for the same brokerage. What is unique about our business is that we must work cooperatively and professionally for the good of our clients when they want to sell or buy homes. Don’t we wish the politicians would “reach across the aisle” for the good of the country rather than being so partisan?
• Our Code of Ethics says that we must not speak ill or disparage another agent. Can you imagine a politician being told he/she should not be critical of their competitors?
• As self-employed citizens, Realtors® have no employer-paid pensions, or employer-paid medical insurance or employer-paid FICA (we pay 15%, not 7.5%) and we’re not eligible for unemployment benefits if we go months without selling a home. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to see the politicians have the same type of “benefits” plan as I do rather than the cushy one they’ve voted for themselves.
• In order to do our job well, we must know our market inside & out and know what our clients do or don’t want. It seems that once the politicians leave their homeland and venture inside the Beltway, they forget about the desires or needs of the people back home. They lose track of reality.
• According to the Ohio Association of Realtors®, the average Ohio agent GROSSES around $35-37,000, with all fees, taxes and expenses paid out of that meager amount. Lots of people in middle America are in the same boat. It would be nice if the politicians understood that we don’t relate to TRILLIONS of dollars.
• If we receive a purchase offer on a listing we’re expected to actually READ IT BEFORE discussing with our clients and making suggestions to them. Is it unreasonable to ask politicians to do the same before signing a bill into law?
• A lot of Realtors® held corporate jobs prior to entering the real estate industry, thus, those of us with that background have a good understanding of how businesses operate or need to operate. Could we ask that one requirement for someone to run for political office be that they actually held a “REAL JOB”? (being a lawyer doesn’t count)

OK … stepping off my soapbox now. I really need to stop watching those Sunday morning shows!

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