Not All Realtors® Are Bad Apples

Goodie! I can write a spinoff of Jeff Corbett's Survey Says...Realtors Suck Jeff said, "....unfortunately, a few GOOD apples don't ripen the bunch". In other words a few bad apples spoil the bunch. (and pardon the title...I was just counter copying Jeff :) I changed the title folks...the word 'sucks' was not ladylike (my mom would freak if she saw that lol)

Well, many good apples should be writing a response! Maybe the few good apples are not a minority ...maybe they are. I found out just how bad the tunnel vision of some individuals are about our industry in the recent past....or maybe it's just closed minded judgmental individuals who classify a whole different country as being a bad apple too?

It's all in the stinking thinking or cognitive perception.

While sipping my morning coffee yesterday, I got a bug...hair....sticker (or whatever you want to call it) up my behind. It kept gnawing at me periodically for the last two weeks and after an hour during my supposed coffee enjoyment time I picked up the phone. I was ready for battle!

I needed to express my feelings on attitudes regarding Real Estate and Realtors®. What got me to the point of expressing my ‘opinion' is due to many situations where I've heard many a degrading remark ....there are the people that:

• Do not have a Real Estate license and ask me "is it possible to self study (and do I have any material?) and then go take the state test for Real Estate Salesperson. HUH? WooHoo! A home schooled (by home schooling self) Realtor®.
• Butt in on a conversation (actually, take over the whole conversation) they are not qualified to give advice on. Real Estate.
• Commence to announce that it is not a good time to buy, the market is bad, the economy is bad and yadda yadda yadda. Anyone who is in the Real Estate Industry (seasoned professionals) will be hanging their mouth open.
• State their opinion anytime they feel (which is true basically) and can't figure out why Realtors® would get offended at their closed minded ‘opinions'. Uh...because we're people too.
• Make statements like.....'that's why people don't trust Realtors®...they don't want to hear others opinions'. Oh, I WILL start a good debate when it comes to trust.
• Another irking comment that pops up is about ‘the commission" and I just about flip at those. Real Estate is NOT JUST A PAYCHECK Did I remark about the money they make? Do they have to pay GET State tax on top of State and Federal Tax? Do they have business expenses?
• Believe us Independent Contractors owe them a lunch, a gift or anything their little heart desires.....because it's a business expense for us.
• Believe we get paid hourly or somehow our time and effort mean nothing.

Bottom line, it's the people like this:

• That don't understand the whole concept of Real Estate and each buyer or seller's individual needs.
• That do need to stay in their nine to five job and work for a paycheck and not try to get a license.
• That pass around rumors with their closed minded ideas and give their so called opinions....and they do not know the whole scope of each market....and are certainly NOT FORTUNE TELLERS.
• That create a larger negative attitude in the community towards the Real Estate Industry and pass around information that may or may not be true because they have only ONE VIEW. Their own.
• They believe it's all about the commission for the Realtor®....so they obviously wanted to get into the industry for....the paycheck.
• Do not care who they are hurting in the process of wanting to be right and only wanting to be heard. What happened to listening to others to make a real conversation?
• Are not open to listening to others opinions and input ...nor do they ask. Because of course...they're right.
• That DO get a license and become a real estate agent because they think they know it all....and carry that attitude into our industry. Help us all.

There are good and bad in all industries, in all countries, communities, jobs, churches, groups and so on. A few bad apples spoil the whole bunch when it's a bunch of closed minded negative individuals who continue to spread around false information and THEIR OPINION.......and push them on others. (darn, seems like half the nation now) It's these that turn into supposed Realtors® that spoil the bunch.

It's with these types of people who run around getting a license so they can peddle their false wares around to make a buck. It's with the whole scenario...that the rest who are GOOD APPLES are going above and beyond (the norm for them) but faced with defending themselves for the other bad apples.

PLEASE........LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL....for who they are.

I am an individual. I am woman. I am Realtor Associate®

Ruff!

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com