R.E. Professional...What Does It Really Mean...???

If your looking for a post that defines what 'REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL' really means you may be disappointed...BUT...  

If your willing to invest a couple of minutes and decide to read and contemplate the message of this post...you may be pleasantly surprised and rewarded...!!!  

Let me start out by first stating what I've shared in many of my posts...in fact, it may be the main theme of this BLOG...  

'The industry that doesn't 'police' itself will invite 'policing'  

That basic truism may be expressed in many ways...pick the one that best suits you...!!!  

Frankly speaking, over the years, there have been many shenanigans perpetrated in the REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY...an industry which generates the amount of money that ours does usually provides an open invitation for the best of scoundrels and scam artists and downright crooks to ply their craft(s)...  

The fact that the LEADERS of our industry have focused more on income than on PROFESSIONALISM is bearing fruit...  

Real estate agents rank right there around used car salesmen, politicians, and lawyers in trustworthiness...  

You see, the abbreviation 'R.E.' in this title is presumed by most to mean 'Real Estate'...BUT...Leaders with a better vision for the industry could have taken those initials 'RE' to stand for 'RISK ELIMINATION'...  

That would surely shift the focus from income and money to consumer care and customer service...THE HALLMARKS of every successful business...  

Not only that, but it may have been all the shift that would have been needed to bring our industry into the true realm of PROFESSIONALISM...  

It's not too late to adopt a positive and healthy and ethical outlook about our industry...all we need to do is WORK HARD and NEVER FORGET WHO WE WORK FOR...!!!  

On a personal note...Forty years ago I entered this industry because of the monetary allurements...BUT...in short fashion I readily saw that in order to be truly respected as a PROFESSIONAL and EARN and COMMAND 'RESPECT' (BTW, a word which leads our AR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES), rather than think RESPECT can be DEMANDED, it would be necessary to alter my focus...more correctly, I had to allow myself to grow and mature and BECOME A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL in every aspect of the term...!!!  

So, what does it really mean to be a real estate professional...??? Try becoming one and discovering a life rewarding experience...not measured by the income you accumulate, but by the number of people you have helped...!!!