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Suitcase Full Of Dignity & A Pocket Full Of Pride

It never ceases to amaze me the stories of lies, deceit & blatant fraud in our industry. What really "frosts my cookies" is the attempt at justification. You'll hear things like, "the system is flawed & my client is in a loophole". "This is the ONLY way they'll ever get a home". "It's not fair". Give me a break! Granted, the system can be flawed. BUT we have a SYSTEM for a reason.

How far people will go & what they will risk to put together a deal is just downright disgusting. Having said that - I'm all for exploring all of my options. I'm all for creativity. LEGALLY! I'm all for brainstorming to get my client a great deal. What I'm not all for is a breach of my integrity, my morals, my principles or THE LAW.

I have been told that one day I may choke on my principles. I wouldn't doubt that for one second. But one thing is for sure. At the end of the day I am comfortable & confident that I have done my absolute best for my clients without ever prostituting my ethics.

Yes, I may give up a few commissions. I may give up a few referrals. I may even give up my right to remain silent, knowing anything I say can & will be held against me in a court of law. What I won't give up is my honor, my integrity, my morals or my real estate license.

I'll take my Suitcase Full Of Dignity & My Pocket Full Of Pride! I hope you will too!

Posted by Sue Nelson, Broker/Associate Las Vegas Real Estate ~Team Rhino~ on 07/14/2007 10:42 AM

Comments (29)

real estate, agents, suesellsvegas, las vegas, belief, attitude, goals, persistence, professionalism, selling, clients, ethics, morals

29 Comments on Suitcase Full Of Dignity & A Pocket Full Of Pride

JUL

2007

Well stated Sue! My sentiments exactly! I hope that someday we will work a deal together...there are not enough Realtors in this town (or any kind of town) with this kind of attitude!

Sue, some of our peers seem to forget that if they lose their license, they also lose their ability to make a living! To say nothing of the ethics they are violating. I guess some married practitioners with two incomes could afford to lose one income - but it seems that many of the worst breaches are made by those with financial need, who could least afford to get caught, lose their incomes, and face ethics charges.

Amen!

let's all just bond together and refuse to do business with those whose business is based on fraud.

to all of them we will just say no (thanks).

Mary: I almost called you on Thursday to give you a referral. I couldn't find ANYONE to take a ready, willing & qualified buyer on Friday!! We will do a deal together & thank you for the kind words.

Brian: You are so right! I've had people say, I can't "afford" to lose this deal. My response... You can't "afford" not to!

Chris: THANKS!

Jay: Do we have to say "thanks"? I don't like that part! <wink> I love the JUST SAY NO part though!

Dignity and Pride go together. I'm proud to be a Realtor, and my business is conducted with dignity and ethics. NO deal, client is worth lowering your standards.

I love my carrer as a Realtor! I have turned quite a few deals away with buyers and sellers wanting me to do something illegal. I have even had a realtor asked something of me. Never!

I have diginty and ethics in my job. Pride is very important to me.

Great job to all who does the RIGHT thing

Sue-you put this so perfectly. Nothing is worse than a client who comes to you and tells you about a horrible experience they've had with an agent. I've had this happen a couple of times over my first year and it may sound naive, but really it surprises me what people will do. We're working with human lives, human hearts and a mountain full of knowledge that we bring to the table. We all need to stand up for strong ethics, integrity, and dignity. And that goes for everybody we surround ourselves with in this industry. Our TEAM reflects the whole process.

Maria: Lowering standards is NEVER an option. Well put.

Deb: Thank you!

Julie: I too have a hard time believing some of the stories. I prefer to see the good in people & hate to acknowledge the nastiness that can go on (particularly in OUR industry).

Excellent post Sue! We should all continue to encourage one another to place our clients at the top of the priority list. Real estate is a service oriented business, we must look at the long term effects of what we do and say and not focus on or be distracted by making a deal work today.

Paul: You Reap What You Sow! Perfect!

We hear of the bad things happening and it bring us a bad name, but most people are honest and ethical. There are bad apples in every industry.

Gita: Agreed. Although twice in the last week I was asked how "flexible" one of my clients would be in the "gray" area. It's becoming more & more of an issue as the market gets tougher.

Very well spoken. If you haven't got your standards, you haven't got anything. Everyone in the industry could use this attitude.

In bad times, people who think they have no options are preyed upon by those dishonest few that offer a "solution" that involves fraud. No matter what the situation, there are always options that are available without going outside the rules. Those few who choose to promote unethical and illegal methods need cooperation in order to beat the system and give our profession a bad reputation. If we DON'T COOPERATE, they will be powerless.

Nathan: Thank you.

Jay: No question about it. We must police our own & not stoop to their level.

Aloha Sue, I couldn't have said it better. There are those of us with ethics, pride and morals and then there are those who should find another line of work.

Sue...call me anytime...I'm always available! (well almost always!) Have you ever served on GLVAR Grievance or Professional Standards? They need more Realtors like you to help weed out the incompetents! I've was on Grievance for 3 years, been on PS for 2...it's a real eye opener as to how Realtors act!

Brian...it's not always "those with financial need, who could least afford to get caught, lose their incomes, and face ethics charges"...I've seen some pretty high income people get into deep do-do...and why? Who knows!! I could be considered a 'low income' person but hold myself to a higher standard.

Randy: Thank you!

Mary: I attempted to serve on the Professional Standards committee several years ago, but couldn't help but feeling that they were not looking for people that would "upset" their apple cart. At the time, I believe they were looking for "YES" people and I could not be less of a "YES" person. I may reconsider it again.

Sue..I think you have to serve 3 years on Grievance Committe before going onto PS. Check into it. I'm not a 'yes' person. We hear real disputes between agent to agent, or broker to broker, client to agent and/or broker...there are 3 people on each panel, and the majority rules. I've heard many cases in the last couple of years and it's a real 'eye-opener' as to how agents/brokers act out there. Grievance is little different...they are the 'grand jury' and determine if a complaint is 'viable' to go on to PS. Maybe I will do a blog on this someday...I can't repeat the cases heard but I can give an idea as to what kind of cases we do hear.

Mary: I'll probably investigate again. I can't remember which committee they were asking for help with, but I went down to the GLVAR to check it out & was really disappointed at how political it really was. Many of the volunteers at that time were not even "active" in the market. It just seemed like they had nothing else to do! Ugh!

JUL

2007

Sue, Well said! At the end of the day we have to go home and look our families in the eye! How can we do that if we have compromised or morals and integrity? Good post!

You can't put a price tag on integrity.

Steak: When my head hits that pillow at night, I have no trouble getting to sleep with a clear conscience.

Hi Sue,

You know we are the only industry that cooperates with each other.

Sometimes it seems we can do a little extra for whomever we are working with. I had a concern about an agent who was giving my client what I felt was inappropriate attention with her card and telling him to use her mortgage company, call her anytime etc. and I went out on the limb I felt - to tell her that I would appreciate it if she would confine her comments with my client to things she knows about the house I was showing with her, and she was showing it very well. I was pleased that she told me that she was new and did not have anyone mentoring her and she appreciated my comments. That was mature, I thought, and she will develop nicely, I also thought to myself. We build each other up one agent at a time. It is a fine industry and there are a lot of people in it. We may draw many who may not be suited to ethical behavior but possibly Mentoring School could be promoted to help promising people who never thought about a possible option that would build them up in a better light if they gave themselves a chance to try the other option opposite of unethical behavior. I'm saying it seems many times people just have not learned the proper etiquette we definitely need in an industry that prides itself on Co Operation.

Co Operation is the top priority in our industry. I have been selling residential property 22 years and I have worked with some pretty good agents who cooperate ethically but your comments are appropriate need to be said and are well taken. I am sure we have unethical people as all industries do blatant or not I think so many times agents just think incorrectly that all they are doing is SELLING and may even think they are good at it.

Ethical Behavior does need to be taught as people are not born with it and it needs to be taught in a respect for Co Operation. Some will refuse to learn and others will be the better for interacting with you, Sue.

Ethical training for every licensee would be of benefit to ALL. I have confined my remarks to proper etiquette and I realize you are concerned with far more harmful behavior but it all starts on the first rung of the ladder. It is probably the same in Las Vegas as here that to renew your license you must take 3 hours core law.

I do commend you for speaking up. You have spoken on a really important topic - Next is what do we do about it to change it, or manage it, or improve it.

Good Luck in Las Vegas - From Eva in Florida

I was in Las Vegas once and enjoyed that trip very much.

Eva: Thank you for your insight & kind words!

A few months ago I had a selling agent suggest mortgage fraud to me. He laid out his plan for the buyer and asked me what the seller would think of such an idea. We were standing outside my listing on the sidewalk, so I could look straight into his eyes. I said, "So let me get this straight, you want the seller to do this for the buyer and not tell the lender -- which, if the lender knew about, would make the lender refuse to fund the loan, is that right?"

The agent sputtered a bit and then retorted, "See, that's the problem with your brokerage. They won't let you get creative. That's why I don't work there anymore."

I was dumbfounded.

It's a shame he works anywhere.

Elizabeth: Ugh! I had a similar call recently. The agent said I have an offer for you, but it's kind of "illegal". I responded with, we have a response for you & it's kind of a NO!!

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