Over the last few months, I have ran across a number of clients who have told me that they or someone they know has had a nasty encounter with a real estate agent.  Increasingly, agents are lashing out at their clients for who knows what...and it has got to stop. 

Case in point is a client we are working with to close a transaction.  The listing agent acted very inappropriately in her communication with this buyer months ago, even so far as to help him write a better offer than the one she had currently.  Her goal was to have a winning offer and as a result, get paid both sides of the transaction.  The buyer thought better of this agent's plan and backed away.  We know this was the agent's plan because she told the buyer as much in a nasty email! 

In web 2.0, that's like taking an ad out in the paper (oh wait, no one reads the paper), running an ad during the Super Bowl stating how much of a jerk you are.  This buyer could post that agent's email on the internet and that would be the end of her career.  What agents and lenders must realize is that everything you send to a client or another agent is public, especially if it's an email.  Remember also that every conversation can be used against you, recorded, and posted on youtube. 

Your reputation is everything and today, it is all to easy to ruin your reputation with a bad email, foul comment, bad interview or worse.  If you are one of those people who don't care about your reputation, follow these steps:

1. Open your wallet
2. Grab Your real estate license pocket card
3. Using either a paper shredder or a pair of utility scissors, cut your card into little pieces.  Smokers may use a lighter to burn the card into ashes. 

If you need help following those steps call me and I will be more than happy to assist you in destroying your pocket card.  I can also assist you in drafting a letter to your broker explaining that you're quitting the real estate industry effective immediately.