NAR Realtor's Image Could we do Better? - Is Fame Always About the Money?

What does the FBI have to do with a Realtor Magazine 30 Under 30 Celebrity?  Mortgage fraud, money laundering, According to the FBI indictment "The defendants engaged in approximately 432 straw buyer transactions, and obtained control over approximately 227 properties with a total purchase price of over $100 million."  Wow!  For many years now I've received Realtor Magazine where they run featured stories on "Rookie of the Year" type stories that espouse youth, success and equate that to money earned.  At the end of reading many of those stories the reader feels like a loser.  It is easy to say to yourself "What the hell am I doing wrong?"  Some of the success stories are posted in a segment called "30 Under 30!" 

Well a few years ago I was speaking to someone while I was speaking at the NAR national convention in Orlando.  It was shared that one of the recipients of the "30 Under 30"  was no longer in the business!  I was shocked!  It was only one year before, I asked why the person would leave real estate if it was so lucrative, and made so much money!  The resonse?  "They just burned out!"   Now if you ask me, that is more of a story than a one trick pony!  Maybe it would make more sense to hold up those that achieved in the business for many years, and not equate it to dollars earned for one year!

So this breaking story on Inman News Story that came out last week about one of the 30 Under 30 recipiants Eva Mazzarella is being indicted on a variety of charges: including loan fraud!   It really makes you stop and think "Is it really all just about the money?   Is more money equated with a better character?  Is it a measure of one's soul?  Some of these high flying agents may reach these goals by selling 1 or a just a few million dollar deals.  There are other agents that may close 100 60K deals and never get a mention!  Is that fair?  Who has more real estate knowledge - the person closing 5 deals or the person closing 100 deals?  My experience shows me the person closing 100 units on the low price side of the scaled does not even get an honorable mention.

Sooner or later it Realtors have to drop this mentality from the dark ages that is all about crunching the numbers club.  To me it is about character and what you walk away with at the end of the day.  Several years ago in Atlanta I knew an "Atlanta new homes agent" that was # 1 in Gwinnett county! She represented one builder and his products alone!  She had closed an incredible amount of deals well into the 15 Million plus range, but the problem?  The agent took home less than 35K in annual salary!  Who is fooling whom?