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| Tina Smith
sales representative
Remax Hallmark Realty Ltd., Brokerage | |
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Passionate about real estate matters ! |
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| Posted on Sat, 30 Jan 2010, 10:22:48 AM in Industry News | | | | Globe and Mail Article "The Battle to Unlock The Housing Market" Jan 30 2010
Welcome to the new potential reality...Steve Ladurantaye real estate writer for the ROB in the Globe just did a smashing job belittling the real estate profession by suggesting that the only thing that stands in your way of buying or selling your home in Canada is the organized and professional associations in Canada and their stranglehold on the MLS system and Realator.ca...
If only the sales history and contact information can be made available to the entire universe of the internet (by the way not all consumers are there yet) there would be no need for the experience the realtor brings to the table. Not the education it takes to get and keep your licence,not the various regulatory bodies that define and protect the consumer from "Bad" agents, not the negotation skills and strategy realtors have between buyer and seller with a very personal asset, not how to list and sell and market during different markets...heated or dead...remember last year this time?
Wouldn't it be lovely if every Tom,Dick and Harry could call you at any time of day or night,whether they could afford your home or not , to ask a bunch of personal,legal and irrevelant questions that you may put yourself in jepordy answering...
Why is there this public perception that we don't work long and hard for our renumeration?
I can't tell you how many well intended people have mentioned how they like decorating and think "getting into real estate " would be right up their ally. I always tell them to investigate what is involved and how really good agents manage to say long term in the business.
Are they willing to work for long hours without a paycheck to begin with? Combined with investing a signifigant amount of seed money to get recognition and experience and pay for continuing education credits and membership dues etc. What if you are sued???
The risks as in any entrepreneural profession are multiplied ten fold in real estate.
Finally, I take it that we need more transparency on listing information for consumers and I have been an advocate for that since day one...back in the early 1990's... but I live, sleep and love talking about real estate and how I can help my clients from start to finish when it comes time to buy or sell. Heck, I have wonderful relationships that do not end at the transaction...service has to be key and it has to be on going...
Thoughts?
The link to this article is: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/the-battle-to-unlock-the-housing-market/article1450088/ | |
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| Posted on Wed, 20 Jan 2010, 11:50:34 AM in Industry News | | | | Please read what Michael Pozer Exec VP of Remax Ontario/Atlantic has to say about our industry and how we need to clean up the perception to the consumer .
2009 proved to be a defining year for real estate, creating two very separate and distinct categories of realtor.
Experienced professionals, who stayed the course, adjusting to new conditions and adhering to solid business plans, were ideally positioned for the turnaround and emerged victorious from the downturn. The fair-weather realtors who were ill-prepared and panicked, who chose to bury their heads in the sand, were not.
I think it's time we formally acknowledge the elephant in the room.
Last year, one in five realtors failed to sell a home on TREB -- the largest board in the world. From what I understand, the same problem exists in smaller boards across Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
No one in the industry, however, has mentioned how this threatens both the consumer and the profession. Our industry is overrun by part-timers who lack the knowledge and experience to service their clients adequately. The ease with which they can hang a shingle and tarnish our profession is astounding.
Personally, I can't believe that no one has challenged this reality. With the exception of those sales associates that are new to the business – and we have some stellar rookies who have already achieved Platinum Club in their first year in the business -- and those that are winding successful real estate careers, I find it hard to fathom that one in five agents sell nothing at all. Fifty-three per cent do not do a deal a quarter yet are prepared to provide guidance to buyers and sellers making the largest single financial transaction of their lifetime.
Just who is looking out for the real estate consumer? Cab drivers? Waiters? This trend is not in the best interest of our clients, and if we, as realtors, want to raise the bar in the industry, this simply cannot continue.
Here are my thoughts on the issue. For starters, at least one-quarter of agents should be barred from trading in real estate…it's time to put the professionalism back in the profession. It's time we raise the bar and set new standards. If we don't, this group of unqualified realtors will continue to have a serious negative impact on the industry.
If this sounds familiar, it's because you've heard it before. One year ago, I talked about how uncommitted realtors were creating problems within the industry. However, at that time, economic concerns loomed overhead, a global financial crisis was brewing, and home sales had slowed to a crawl. We thought that the downturn would clean house, effectively purging the industry of non-producers and part-timers.
But the slowdown proved short-lived. And as real estate gained momentum, everyone jumped in it to make a fast buck. So it's time to get serious. We need to enlist your help and create a plan of action. After all, the greatest opportunity to raise standards is through licensing and we'd like to see stricter rules governing the registration of realtors. What about introducing a minimum sales requirement before licensing? Or an apprenticeship program where new sales associates gain valuable insight before they are licensed?
I challenge anyone in the industry to argue why a part-timer or non-producer should be allowed to trade in real estate. Stand up and please tell us how consumers benefit. Explain why Ontario needs 57,000 realtors.
My commitment to you will be to pursue this issue at all levels of government and associated organizations. I will call upon the leaders and directors of CREA, OREA, RECO and real estate boards in Ontario and Atlantic Canada to support me in this cause. These are excellent organizations, but all have built their infrastructure based on membership numbers. Is that in the best interest of the full-time real estate professional? Join us in writing to the Minister of Government Services, the Honourable Harinder S. Takhar at htakhar.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org and the Minister of Consumer Services, the Honourable Ted McMeekin, responsible for the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 at tmcmeekin.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org to request sweeping changes to rules governing registration and licensing to protect the integrity of the profession and consumer interest.
We'd all benefit from an industry overhaul. We see the impact of those mistakes time and time again. The committed, dedicated professionals that have devoted their lives to selling homes would give their eye tooth to get rid of the clutter and restore honour and dignity to the profession. After all, the lack of commitment and expertise among part-timers affects the entire industry.
We need to send the message, once and for all -- real estate is not a fall-back profession. This industry is not a circus. It's time we rid ourselves of the elephant in the room.
Sincerely,
Michael Polzler
Executive Vice President and Regional Director
RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc.
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