You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “Working for YOU, Posted by Charles”.
You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “Working for YOU, Posted by Charles”.
I agree with the Leaderships’ direction on housing stimulous and would add that we need to pay special attention to items in the stimulous package which do not directly relate to the intent of the Bill. I believe it’s called “pork.” I for one would like to know exactly what “we” the people are paying for in lieu of what we “think” we are paying for.
Real time information regarding issues and tools needed in our business and the needs of our clients are crucial to a Realtor’s success. I applaud our Leadership for acknowledging this and prioritizing efforts to insure its timely delivery.
I agree with the Leaderships’ direction on housing stimulous and would add that we need to pay special attention to items in the stimulous package which do not directly relate to the intent of the Bill. I believe it’s called “pork.” I for one would like to know exactly what “we” the people are paying for in lieu of what we “think” we are paying for.
Real time information regarding issues and tools needed in our business and the needs of our clients are crucial to a Realtor’s success. I applaud our Leadership for acknowledging this and prioritizing efforts to insure its timely delivery.
Having just read your “Working for You” Post, all of your admirable efforts will be for naught unless our industry can legitimately justify our fees in this new economy. In order to do so, I believe, we must reinvent ourselves and become HIGHLY professionalized, including a college degree with continuing education, and require Realtors® to be committed to a FULL TIME Career.
In this new economy the public (our customers) owes more for their house than it’s worth; has lost 40-50% of their retirement funds; has been asked to become more responsible for their healthcare; can no longer afford higher education for their children; does not makes enough money to live comfortably; and, will soon be asked to give up a large part of their social security (or, as Washington now calls it: “their entitlements”). Trying to stimulate housing is admirable, but I think you’ve ignored a much bigger problem: How do we ask this (new) public to pay 5-6% of the value of their home to a Realtor® who can obtain a professional license in a week.
I heard on Good Morning America, just the other day, a report on new housing statistics from various medias. When reporting on the NAR numbers, they prefaced your numbers by defining NAR (solely) as a “lobbyist organization”. We know the public’s perception of a “lobbyist organization”. Like most lobbyist organizations, you’re focused on your “dues paying members” (like me). We dues paying members are drowning, not because of your lack of effort, but because the public has relatives, friends and neighbors, all who have easily obtained a real estate license, and know little to nothing about real estate, except the lucrative commission. The “new public” (our customers) can no longer justify this.
Last night our President said he was going out to the people, not to show Washington to the people, but to show the people (and their crisis’s) to Washington. I’d suggest we rethink our priorities, if you and I are going to have a future in this new economy.