Not going back to 'Realtor' (agents, commission, contracts, Realtors)

[Thatguywho]

I started in 1999 and in one year started my own RE office out of my house with my girlfriend.

from late 1999 to that start of my brokerage in jan 2001 it was starvation time as I learned the business.....and that listings is where it is at.

By june 2001 I was not doing well yet, but in july I picked up and sold 7 listings...all in the same month. I caught up on bills and invested in some good advertising.

August I picked up another 7 houses....and then september 12th, 2001 all of them called and canceled their listings. Since my contracts allowed a pullout without reservation that was that.

I was broke again..lol. All that advertising...done.

2002 and 2003 I was also a mortgage broker and both businesses made me a few bucks but never really recovered from that 9/11 thing. Ended up having to sell the house to stay afloat.

From 2003 to 2006 I refused to do real estate as the boom was just not right. I did have one agent working for me...well, a friend hanging a license.

Every single deal from 2003 to 2006 was a nightmare. Each time the realtor was trying something unethical and in some cases the seller/buyer was too.
I won every battle and as it went into 2006 and it was worse.
I went toe to toe with caldwell, exit realty, and other companies who tried to do things that were unethical and more.
Going against big companies was a nightmare, but I won.

I got two jobs from 2003 to 2006 (on onwards) to make money since I was not doing real estate....just fighting the companies for my friend on each deal she did. I spent all of that time and into current day begging people not to buy homes. I refused to help them buy them, I could have made a fortune as I know a lot of people.
All of those people are losing their homes or are saddled with debt so bad they will eventually have to give it up.

so...realtors...realtor association....ugh.
Sorry. I was brought up to believe it was about ethics. It is not.
it is about the mls and that is it.

I have seen and heard so many bad things, many from the largest companies. And these stupid fees and one sided contracts.
It is just not ethical enough for me.


I am getting back into Real Estate and mortgages now, though will still not sell or help buy an over priced home or mortgage....but cannot, will not, join the NAR.

Their BS about the 'time to buy is now' and the eventual 'housing bottom' talk and all their public relations stuff was just horrid during the boom. My local and florida associations treated me like dirt when I tried to get them to add my articles about the coming land bust to their publications or websites..I was right, they were wrong, they helped hurt people.


With no real ethics and just the MLS, I think I can do better.

However, it is hard to not have the MLS....but the internet can make up for that if done correctly...


As for my fellow realtors down here in south florida......just looking at craigslist postings make me sick...

1- you cannot even put sales in sales and rentals in rentals section....can't you even read?

2- renting a house in foreclosure and not disclosing it is unethical you moronic scumbags.

3- advertising improperly is not just unethical, it is against state statute....morons.

4- It is pronounced 'Real-tor' not 'Real-a-tor'....

5- for those being investigated.......you deserve it...you really do.

6- Now is not the time to buy......unless you have a really honest realtor who will research the property and do the math....and understand prices are going to continue to fall (here in southeast florida).

As a warning to mortgage and home seekers....never say you are 'a first time homebuyer' that is like walking into a casino and saying you never played poker before.....the greedy scumbags will absolutely rape you financially and leave you hanging... Do not believe it? Look at the people that are hanging now....


Realtor association?....... kiss my honest real estate licensed butt.

[Rakin]

Sounds like your real estate career has been full of drama. I think I understand why. Please don't call yourself a "Realtor" if you don't join NAR. The proper term would be Real Estate Agent, too many people use it as a generic term.

Hope you do very well. Keep in mind there are a whole lot of very honest & ethical agents in the US just like you.

[2bindenver]

They are not "agents" in Florida. Most often they are transaction brokers.

To the OP: The whole world is bigger that your little corner of it. Brokerages are not the licensees they hire.

My MLS is made up of 7 local boards. I get out of it way more than the time and $450 I pay for DBR/CAR/NAR. I know 6 of 7 the AE's, they know me. Most of my friends are Realtors.

Play the game, but play by the rules. If it puts you in a disadvantage by not being a member, don't do it.

It's business.

[Silverfall]

I'm not a member of the NAR, but I don't go around bashing them either. I choose not to be a REALTOR because I have a choice. My MLS is not a REALTOR required MLS. So I can conduct business easily without being a member. I also respect my peers that choose to be part of the organization.

Your problem is a state problem in that they have some low entry standards and they let someone start a real estate brokerage with only one year of experience. That is insanity in my opinion. Out here it is 3 years of supervised experience. Rather than call your peers morons, step up to plate and lobby your congressman to make it harder to become a real estate agent. If you want to get rid of the "morons" in your industry in your area, it's better to lobby your congressman that complain about their behavior on a forum.

[Tish Thompson]

OP...was that post an attempt to show how honest and ethical you are in hopes that people who may have been taken advantage of will contact you...and you will rescue them by showing them the proper way to handle a transaction? A bit of constructive criticism...you come across as angry/bitter and even a little scary. You can convey honesty and integrity without hostility.

I've had bad experiences too but I don't blame the industry, I blame the idiots who don't follow the rules.

[Mike Peterson]

All I got out of the post was.

I tried.
I failed.
I am MOD CUT

[MMichelle]

I'm sorry you didn't do well. Self employment is not easy - there's plenty of sharks in the water!

I agree there are many unethical people in real estate - of all types (buyers, sellers, agents, and others). It's difficult to fish out the good from the bad. It's not for the faint of heart.

NAR is a trade org. not a religion. No biz. org. should be held in such esteem that it becomes part of your "person". It's a biz. org. - nothing more, it has it's good points, bad points and somethings I really like about it - other things, I can't stand. It is what it is. It's important to keep groups like that in perspective.

In our area there are 3,400 members of the local board. Are all of them "good" - I don't think so. Personally, I think the education requirements should be 4x what they currently are. They do background checks, etc. but I still think the ethics standards should be much tighter than they are. Penalities should be far more expensive and the local board should expell members for infractions without having to wait for the real estate commission to revoke a license. - That's my personal rant.

Please don't judge anyone by Craig's list. I can't tell you how many ad's I've posted that have been copied by off-shore groups. Fraud is a major problem on that site! In my case they coped my ads (photos, text, everything!!) on a daily basis. The text was copied but they added their own for contact info. They even used the names of the former resident. It was a daily chore.

I don't know if you are an honest person or not. But your disappointment is very clear. It must be very difficult to have failed in business. Try to bear in mind that not all of us that are doing a brisk business are dishonest and we will try to remember that simply becasue your business failed you are not a screw-up.

I hope you are able to make a go of your business this time. Try to be positive - hate never makes anyone happy.
Best wishes & good luck!

[Debi18]

Originally Posted by Tish Thompson

OP...was that post an attempt to show how honest and ethical you are in hopes that people who may have been taken advantage of will contact you...and you will rescue them by showing them the proper way to handle a transaction?

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

[Chuckity]

Originally Posted by Debi18

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

Okay, THAT is hysterical.

I just rep'd Tish Thompson and added that quote (privately) almost exactly.

Great minds think alike!

[c21boquetebocasgold]

Originally Posted by Mike Peterson

All I got out of the post was.

I tried.
I failed.
I am MOD CUT

dang wish I could have seen the 3rd one lol

Originally Posted by Rakin

Sounds like your real estate career has been full of drama. I think I understand why. Please don't call yourself a "Realtor" if you don't join NAR. The proper term would be Real Estate Agent, too many people use it as a generic term.

Originally Posted by Tish Thompson

OP...was that post an attempt to show how honest and ethical you are in hopes that people who may have been taken advantage of will contact you...and you will rescue them by showing them the proper way to handle a transaction? A bit of constructive criticism...you come across as angry/bitter and even a little scary. You can convey honesty and integrity without hostility.

I've had bad experiences too but I don't blame the industry, I blame the idiots who don't follow the rules.

Originally Posted by Chuckity

Okay, THAT is hysterical.

I just rep'd Tish Thompson and added that quote (privately) almost exactly.

Great minds think alike!

LOL me too, but more like RIGHT ON


Great post Tish. Also as Rakin pointed out if you don't belong to NAR, please do not refer to yourself as a Realtor. I am so sick of hearing people use the R word down here that I could scream and when I get a spare moment, there's a real estate publication here that's not affiliated with NAR that calls itself REALTOR Magazine. I plan on scanning/emailing the front cover to them because it's copyrighted. Just have other biz to handle like closings, but at some point I will.

Don't want to be a Realtor - then don't. Personally one is either ethical or not, but when I did practice in the States I was a Realtor and quite honestly was proud to be one. Some don't want to belong to NAR and nothing wrong at all about that - some do and nothing wrong with that either. But as Tish pointed out, don't blame the industry, blame the unethical idiots that don't follow the rules.

JMO, but if I was a potential buyer reading your post I'd be going "WTH, no way I'd work with someone who is so hostile and angry".