As a fellow Realtor I am disappointed that you post such negative news

20 Responses

1. Robert Mickalson

   October 24th, 2007 at 6:30 pm

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   Jay,

   Well said! I can’t stand when Realtors, Brokers, and other heads of the association feel the need to sugar coat the facts, or fail to disclose them “at all”. The fact is, Realtors like you and I will do fine in a market like this one, because the clients we deal with will apreciate the fact that we aren’t blowing smoke up their rear end about the realities of buying or selling a home now. So in turn we get their business because they feel more comfortable with us, instead of feeling like we are just out to make a quick buck.

   I was recently quoted in the Los Angeles Times, in a story regarding For Sale By Owners, and my own Broker wanted me to candy coat the truth of the market - making sure I didn’t say anything “too negative”. Needless to say, I didn’t provide quotes that would make me look like a Realtor who has his head in the sand and knows absolutely nothing about the curent market conditions.

   Buyers aren’t stupid, they can pick up on the Realtor BS.

   Till next time…

   - Robert Mickalson

2. Drew Meyers

   October 24th, 2007 at 6:38 pm

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   Great post - I love the fact that you are a straight shooter. If I’m ever in the market to buy a home in Phoenix, I’ll be sure to let you know.

3. Norm Fisher

   October 24th, 2007 at 8:23 pm

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   As a fellow REALTOR® I am disappointed that some agents are still willing to sacrifice the credibility of an entire profession to bulls#*t the public. I get the same kind of crap where I work and I just brush it off. If the consumer can’t count on you for the truth, they can’t count on you for anything.

   NAR’s reputation is in the tank, partly as a result of their foolish spinning. Did you catch Glenn Beck on CNN hanging some NAR fool for his ridiculous comments? I was embarrassed and I don’t even work in the US. I see no reason why you should take your career in the same direction.

   Jay, it’s people like you that give me some good reasons to feel proud to be an agent. I know you’ll keep speaking the truth and I’m thankful for it.

4. Sandy

   October 24th, 2007 at 8:57 pm

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   Fabulous post. In Seattle we were lucky for a long time that the news is mostly good, and now that things are changing I think we owe and absolute duty to our clients and the public to tell them the unvarnished truth.

5. The Property Pundit

   October 24th, 2007 at 10:55 pm

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   Haha- great post Jay. Too bad anonymous isn’t willing to put his name to it. I’m afraid his clients would appreciate his opinions.

6. Clifford

   October 25th, 2007 at 7:07 am

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   Good call on your part. The best thing to do is present the facts and let your readers draw their own conclusions.

7. Dave

   October 25th, 2007 at 7:58 am

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   Some people just want to shoot the messeger, Jay.

8. Eric W. Gage

   October 25th, 2007 at 9:04 am

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   What’s funny is it’s anonymous post. Secondly, a blog post is a viewpoint of the authors…this is what you are experiencing in your market as a realtor. You are right..why sugar coat the truth! You will come out in the end as a realtor on top than that “anonymous” realtor because you are speaking the truth and your views…your clients will appreciate that!

9. Max

   October 25th, 2007 at 11:17 am

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   Of course with no name and an email address of email@email.com, I’m not in much of a position to clarify what has Anonymous so dismayed.

   Jay, just run his/her IP address against all the comments you’ve got in your database - I’m sure his/her name will come up
   P.S. on the other hand there are a lot of agents frustrated right now because their clients do not have the confidence to buy… and media, in many cases makes things even worst than they are. I don’t wont to be the devil’s advocate - I’m not even a realtor…

10. Dining Room Set

    October 25th, 2007 at 11:23 am

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    Great response! Way to go.

11. Jayson

    October 25th, 2007 at 3:16 pm

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    Jay,

    Great post and very true. Although I try and keep things positive as much as possible I do appreciate the truth. I believe the media has a small part in “keeping people on the fence” but there are definitely other factors at play. I also believe that for many people, it is a great time to buy - if not the best in the last several years. I would much rather buy when the prices are low and the selection is great than when the prices are high and the selection is non-existent. For those with bad credit and/or are looking to quickly flip a home it might be best to wait for another day but for home buyers with decent credit looking to purchase a family home - it truly is a great time to buy.

    I personally think that less permits is good news, (not for many unfortunate construction workers) I’d be terrified if permits were at a 14 year high!!

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    October 26th, 2007 at 9:47 am

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13. Gary Younger

    October 26th, 2007 at 1:29 pm

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    Great response. It’s the same the world over - we get the same ’spin’ here in New Zealand from some quarters. I’d rather tell, and hear, the facts and then make my decisions and I know the same goes for my clients.

14. Tim Wallace My Arizona Home Team

    October 27th, 2007 at 12:18 pm

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    Wow, Jay, I can always count on you to shoot it straight. I love what Gary Keller says when agents ask him about the market. His reply is that “it just doesn’t matter; it’s the only one we’ve got!” So what it comes down to is just like you said. What are the circumstances that an individual seller or buyer find themselves in? If it makes sense in the total picture, then it is a great time for whatever one is trying to accomplish. I recently had a client that had been trying to sell for 6 mos to no avail. Long story short, we got the listing, priced it right, told the client the unfortune truth. And they came to the signing table with over $30K, were happier than a pig in slop and thrilled that someone told them the truth.

15. Joe Cuchiara

    October 27th, 2007 at 1:01 pm

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    Jay,

    It’s refreshing to hear a fellow realtor move away from the NAR (and realtors who neglected to stash something away for the lean times) mantra of “now is a great time to buy.” In certain markets it “may” be a “good” time to buy but most of my realtor buddies think the “great” time to buy is future in our market and likely for your market and many others as well.

    Imagine a world where realtors actually counsel a buyer to wait to buy. That’s just not natural but sometimes it’s appropriate! Of course this is a foreign concept for the realtor who is commission focused as opposed to customer/client focused.

    Now more than ever we as professional real estate brokers must trash the pap, speak the truth and give wise counsel and advice. It’s high time we come to the realization that it’s not about us or our commission goals but it’s about serving the public with honesty and integrity and their best interests at heart. They’re trusting us to do the right thing!

16. monika

    October 28th, 2007 at 6:34 pm

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    As a REALTOR I do try and keep it positive but I’m a firm believer in keeping it real. Real estate is very local and my area has picked up but not by much. You keep telling it the way you see it Jay!

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18. Mike Taylor

    October 29th, 2007 at 8:22 am

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    Great post! I too think it is he who is doing the Realtor community a disservice by ignoring or misstating the obvious facts. Also, I think it goes without saying that NAR is completely out of touch with reality, it members, and the general public. Its constant rosy claims only solidify its poor image and serve to discount any thing they have to say.

19. Costa Rica Real Estate Jack

    October 30th, 2007 at 7:24 pm

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    Crass remarks are inevitable! Let us just deal with it. But great response! Cool!

20. Las Vegas Guy

    May 11th, 2008 at 4:16 pm

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    Sorry to bump an old post, but I think honesty is the only way to go, especially with consumer confidence at such a low point. As a consumer, I appreciate someone being honest with me.