“Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”
–Ronald Reagan’s so-called “Eleventh Commandment.”
Why do Realtors nationally suffer from abysmal approval ratings, roughly on a par with used car salesmen and Congress?
Personally, I doubt it’s because the industry is full of hucksters and charlatans.
On the contrary, after 15+ years selling real estate in the Twin Cities, I can honestly say that the vast majority of Realtors I’ve encountered are highly ethical, moral, etc.
Ditto for the agents I’ve met over the years at various national conferences, classes, etc.
Negative Campaigning — Realtor Version
Rather, I think the collective bad rep is at least partly explained by how competitive the business is.
So, it’s not unusual today for prospective home Buyers and Seller to interview multiple agents.
While all those agents hopefully take the high road during their sales pitches, you’ve got to assume that — just as in politics — not a few resort to negative campaigning to differentiate themselves.
The inevitable result is that, over time, everyone is dragged down (also like modern politics).
Taking the High Road
If that diagnosis is correct, the “cure” directly follows: the industry should adopt something similar to Ronald Reagan’s once upon a time “Eleventh Commandment” for fellow Republicans.
Of course, established, successful agents instinctively do that, anyways.
Much better to tout your own skills, track record, marketing strategy, etc. than to trash your competition . . .
See also, “Realtors vs. Politicians”; and “Political ” and Real Estate ” Incumbents.”
