Yesterday while preparing to teach a CE class on contracts I was doing a little research and took a look at our current Real Estate Board newletter VREB Speaking.

The second paragraph on the front page caught my attention.  It went on to relate that although there has been a decrease in our numbers over the past two years the number of complaints that led to disciplinary actions from the Real Estate Board has increased.

Reasoning behind this statement was that during this slow period transactions were subject to closer scrutiny by the public.  Plus some agents had become sloppy when it came to their agency relationships, and failed to make sure their clients understood what they were signing.  Or they provided out of date contracts that didn't protect their clients as they should have been.

As a managing broker I supervise over 60 agents in my office and review each transaction as it comes through.  I have been surprised at how many times I have found offers written for our listings come in on contracts that went out of circulation anywhere from one to five years ago.  Or the proper addendums were not included with the offer.

When I see this I wonder where is the supervision for these agents?  The next question that comes to mind is what kind of training are these agents getting?  Should there be more CE added to renew your license?  Are some of the online courses not thorough enough?

I am proud to be a REALTOR®,  and it distressed me when I read through the pages listing the Disciplinary Actions with names and the violations.  The vast majority stated "Unworthiness & Incompetence".  The sad part is that all of this information with the names and offenses by the individuals is easily found on the internet.  All a potential client has to do is Google any agents name and this information is out there.

I did a little experiment and searched a couple of agents that had been brought before the Real Estate Board and sure enough ususally on the first page of the search their name was listed with the violation and the fines they had to pay.

After performing this little experiment I have now decided to make this a part of my training classes.  Especially for new agents to make them aware how important it is to keep up to date on current forms and do not take short cuts when it comes to protecting your clients interest by making sure that they understand what they are signing.

My recommendation to buyers and seller is make sure you understand everything that you sign.  If you don't understand ask your agent to explain it.  Your agent is a professional and should be able to answer your questions or quickly find the answer for you.  If the explanation is still unclear consult your attorney.