This post has been floating around in my head for quite a while... if you read my blog regularly, you might have noticed that I've been dancing around this for more than a month.  While my son is still groggy from his nap, and content with The Backyardigans, I'll see if I can toss out my dime...

We should all be well aware that a REALTOR(R) is a member of the National Association of REALTORS(R).  I say should, because I occasionally see posts where real estate agent and REALTOR(R) (with or without the (R) at the end) are used interchangeably... by real estate agents and REALTORS(R).  They aren't.  We need to remember, and set an example.  But, we are only a small portion of the picture.  

The general public (you know, the 42% of people that don't seem to have a RE license) largely DOES think the two terms are interchangeable.  This is a result of a HUGE success by the NAR, as well as a huge failure.  The success is that the term REALTOR(R) is just as ingrained into the culture as Kleenex, Q-tips and Xerox... all of which are such powerful brands that they have transcended themselves and become the definition of their market segment. 

The failure is deeper, and a bit disturbing.  Even further than buying a Q-tip, when our prospects go to the "store", they are so strongly convinced that all real estate agents are REALTORS(R), that they don't even think to ask... but, when they are buying a cotton swab, they know there is a difference in at least the packaging between a Q-tip and a Wal-Mart brand swab.  If nothing else, they can see the various packaging on the shelf.  

Not so with us.   

Part of that is the because the NAR has been so successful at converting real estate agents into REALTORS(R).  I don't know the percentage, but it is a pretty small percentage of licensees that don't join their local association or board.  In many places it is because the MLS requires membership to access (so I hear).  In others, it's because the brokerages are closed shops... all licensees are required to join the NAR in order to have their license in that brokerage.  Simply put, the NAR is composed of the vast majority of real estate salespeople and brokers.   

One would not think that it would be a bad thing.  But, I think it has become one, or is at least trying.  We have the DoJ lawsuit, which I think is actually quite flawed, but the NAR may lose anyway.  And, we have hit a level where the NAR seems more concerned about the number of members than in the quality of members.   The NAR fights against making licensing more difficult, or otherwise raising the barriers to entry, and actively engages in activities which would be to the detriment of bad agents, while not affecting the better ones.  Even the required ethics classes are more show than go.  It is a few hours and an easy test. 

The result of some of these practices are twofold.  First, there are just too many real estate agents... and REALTORS(R).  And they fail spectacularly, and often.  I can't find the statistics, but we were told in our orientation class that 80% of new agents fail in the first year, and 80% of those that make it through the first year fail in the next four years.  That means that 4% of new agents make it five years.  Secondly, there is no mechanism to make sure that REALTORS(R) are really up to the task of representing clients.  The 75 hours of classroom instruction don't do it.  So, the result is that there are a lot of REALTORS(R) that are out there performing poor jobs for their clients.  Even when they aren't REALTORS(R), but rather just licensees, they still reflect poorly on the rest of us.  There are loads of stories about how our profession viewed less favorably than used car salespeople and lawyers.  

until next time... <rant off>