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Is Your REALTOR on Your Side? (Yet Another Realtor Slam)

Is your realtor on your side? - Make sure your agent gets you the best house at the best price.

I came across an article By Stephen Gandel, Money Magazine senior writer, (senior in high school perhaps... judging by his lack of insight) on CNN Money.com titled "How to make your Realtor work for you". Naturally my curiosity was peaked.

man with bag of money

He begins by making, in my opinion, a rather brash generalization about Realtors. "When you're shopping for a house, it might appear that the friendly broker who listens to your needs, drives you around to showings and answers your questions is unflaggingly devoted to you. In reality, however, most agents work for sellers. Now, even more so. These days, see, agents representing buyers are increasingly being showered with extra incentives that may cause them to push certain houses." Gandel goes on to assert that these "extra incentives" are causing Realtors to show the houses in their own interest, rather than the interest of their clients. He then has the audacity to offer the following suggestions to consumers to ensure that homes that they are shown are what's best for them, not their broker.

Go it alone

Finding a house yourself, rather than relying on a broker, is easier than ever. Realtor.com has extensive listings, and you can call listing agents directly to set up appointments.

Once you decide to buy, ask for 3 percent off your final price. Listing agents often try to collect the full 6 percent if a buyer is broker-less.

But you did the work; you deserve the rebate.

Set the fee

If you'd rather use a broker, have him put in writing what percentage he'll get paid and guarantee that it will be the same for every house.

Tom Early, spokesman for the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents, says to sign a contract before looking at houses. Stipulate that any bonus being paid by a seller be used to pay closing costs.

Put it in dollars

Eliminate all conflicts by getting your agent to agree to a set dollar fee rather than a percentage of the sale. That way your broker will have no incentive to show you overpriced homes or discourage you from negotiating the price down, since she'll get paid the same either way.

Well, Mr. Gandel, unfortunately you have made too many broad generalizations with out enough substantiation, something which is typically a no-no for a journalist for a respected publication. Are there unethical Real Estate Agents/ Brokers? Yes, there are. There are also unethical Mortgage Brokers who charge exorbitant fees without justification. There are unethical Physicians who will prescribe certain brands of medication to get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. There are unethical Attorneys who take cases that they know that they can't win in order to rack up billable hours. There are unethical Mechanics who recommend repairs that may not be necessary as a means of increasing profits. What do all of these businesses have in common? They are businesses where a reputation of integrity is (or at least should be) very important. While there are always a few bad apples in every bunch, there are still countless professionals who possess a high degree of ethics which govern their business practices. I guess I should also note that there are also unethical JOURNALISTS that do everything from invading the privacy of individuals and families to publishing inconclusive, inaccurate articles that deceive, ill-inform and misadvise their readers due to a lack of research prior to publication. Does this mean that I should condemn all journalists and/or Money Magazine for your mistake(s) Mr. Gandel?

house

The following are the fundamental problems with Mr. Gandel's suggestions.

Go it alone

There are several problems here. First, Buyers Agents are not just "lock-box" openers. They are professional representatives that work in the BUYERS favor. If a buyer makes an appointment with the listing agent directly, while this is acceptable, the buyer should be advised that the agent is working for the SELLER. This means that the buyers are not represented in the transaction and therefore assume all responsibility for issues that arise. This serious problem if the buyers are not home-savvy. It is not the Sellers Agent's responsibility to inform you that the roof is not as new as you may like or to remind you that the sewer line has not been replaced. They are there to show you the positive features of the home. That's why it is important for the buyer to have an Agent. A good Realtor can spot many things that can indicate a problem with a given property; many of which may not be observed by the lay person. It pays to put that knowledge and experience to work for you.

Secondly, the fact that the buyer doesn't have an agent doesn't automatically entitle them to the commission or a discount on their price. That determination is dependent on the listing contract and/ or the seller.

Set the fee

Buyers can offer a commission to the buyer's agent and ask that the buyer's agent decline the commission offered by the listing agent, but they can't control the compensation of the buyer's agent when they aren't under contract or are offering no compensation. If the agent works for the seller, he has fiduciary duty to the seller and has no obligation to help the buyer buy the home for less.

Put it in dollars

Another bad point. Assuming that the buyer is looking at homes priced between 300k and 350k and buyer's agent agrees to be paid $10,000 regardless of the home purchased. Now, suppose the buyer is between two properties, one of which will pay the Agent $8,900 the other of which will pay the buyer $9,600. They are right back in the same situation they are were trying so hard to avoid. Also, probably a better point is that if a set fee established and the generated commissions do not cover it, they buyer would be responsible to pay the difference, in this case, up to $1,100.

trust

The bottom line is that you have to find an agent that you can trust. If you don't know one, ask around. Ask your friends and neighbors who they used and if they were satisfied. If you don't feel that an agent honestly does have your best interest at heart then you probably shouldn't be using them in the first place. Speaking for myself, I just don't have the time to sit down and figure out how much I will get paid from house to house. If I find my clients the best house for them and they are happy, I will make far more money in the long run then I would from stirring them into the wrong property today.

Posted by Chichi Ahia on 01/26/2007 08:20 PM

Comments (68)

68 Comments on Is Your REALTOR on Your Side? (Yet Another Realtor Slam)

JAN

2007

Chichi,

Very good and informative post. Thank you for the link as well Chichi. I will take a closer look at the article. Good Post.

Very good post! I hate when we get slammed like this. Perception is reality ..imagine how many people read this and believe it 100%.

Thanks

Monika

This might be a perfect opportunity to write a rebuttal to Mr. Gandel signed by as many realtors as you can...

I hope you send this post directly to this esteemed journalist. Well written!

We've been seeing a lot of the "direct to the listing agent" buyers lately here in Boise... enough so that it was a topic at our last office meeting. I suspect MONEY magazine isn't the only source of this kind of advice. The widespread perception that the housing market is in the tank and sellers are so desparate they'll listen to anything is another factor. It's a great example of having just enough information to be dangerous (to themselves) IMHO

Awesome post Chichi! It is amazing how little research journalists... I mean SOME journalists do.

Mr. Gandel seems to be saying that agents lack ethics and will put their own interests ahead of their clients. My experience is that agents show properties that match buyer's needs regardless of the compensation offered.

His 'Go it alone' suggestion is laughable. I'm surprised the editors let it go to print. It would be great if they printed your blog as a response. Good work!

Bravo, Chichi, thanks for sticking up for the good guys. P.S. I love when an agent asks me how much I'll be collecting on a certain deal and I tell them I have no idea!

Way to go! This was a fantastic post. I was floored reading this. He (the writer) must have been burned by an incompetent agent. There are SO MANY flaws with his logic, it is almost laughable... But it is really NOT laughable, as he now has put many uninformed buyers in potential harms way, by asking them to go it alone and represent themselves or treat a buyers agent as "hired help" THank you for your excellent rebuttal.

p.s. If you are representing a buyer, the buyer deserves to know what you are getting paid from the Seller/Sellers agent/Builder.

Chichi

Go the good ones ! and out the bad ones :)

Another media myth. They have to sensationalize...

Chichi,

Thanks for setting the record stright and thanks for the awesome post.

Great job, Chichi. Your last paragraph says it big time. I make the same comments to buyers who get concerned that I amy not be able to get them the best price since the highest price yields me the greatest commision. Bottom lline - a few more dollars of sale orice means nothing to me. My reputation is built on the satisfaction of my clients - If they are not happy about how I help them they will NOT refer me. The sale price they offer is their decision not mine.

Jeff

Wow, you seem to have put more effort into this blog post than the journalist put into his article. I find it interesting that nowhere was there any mention of just how difficult it is to get someone to spend hundreds of thousands of their own dollars on something they don't actually want! In my opinion, any agent with that kind of talent probably doesn't have to resort to such cheap tricks to make a healthy annual salary - seems like much more work for a little more money!

When I read the article yesterday I also thought it was full of inaccurate information and poor suggestions.

Gendal doesn't have any concept of agency. It's only been about 13 years since we in Illinois left sub-agency! So, his statements for our state are completely wrong.

And, that's the problem with national publications, they only generalize and sensationalize.

We need to send some emails to the editor refuting the article.l

testing, sorry for the input !

It's amazing how the print media can't get out of its way to print negative real estate articles, yet expects us to advertise at ever increasing rates for ever decreasing circulation.

We fight this media stuff more then I care to imagine. Thanks for the post

Outstanding Post Chichi, I wonder if Gandel is one of those individuals who faild his real estate exam over,and over and over >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You did a great job setting this guy straight. People have no business talking about what they no knothing about.

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occh, Hemet CA REALTOR
http://www.johnocchi.com/

JAN

2007

This is quality stuff. I don't see what's wrong about negotiating a fee upfront with a Realtor on the buy side. As you illustrate, Chichi, a contract must be in place first.

Great post, it is amazing how many journalist think they are experts on the real estate industry. I really liked the points you made; every industry have bad apples but that is not a good reason to condemn everyone.

Chichi,

First I would like to commend you for an extremely well written post. Then I would like to agree that your article should be used as a rebuttal, in a competitors publication, complete with the comments since the publication did not provide for that. It is unthinkable that a journalist would do so little research and give so little thought to the harm his article could actually cause to the very buyers he is advising. Does he think our licenses come from a box of cracker-jacks?

Just how fluent in real estate contracts would an unrepresented first, second or third time buyer be? Would they understand the workings and purpose of each paragraph? Do they even know what a contingency is? Or how to work one to their advantage? Would they understand the time lines involved in the contract and the repercussions of not meeting them? Would they know the new contract regulations that change every year, or why? Do they understand that the listing agent, working for the seller, is not representing them, and will not advise them at all?

That's it Mr. Gandel. Let's tell the buyers to completely disregard the benefits of representation, tell them that Realtors do not have their best interests at heart, tell them that Realtors do not deserve to be paid.

A message to the readers of Mr. Gandel's article. When you end up in a law suit, remember who gave you the advice. Also remember the deep pockets rule. Why don't you just go ahead and name Mr. Gandel in your law suit since he is the "professional" that advised you to act so irresponsibly. After all we should all be accountable shouldn't we Mr. Gandel?

Advising buyers to utilize the services of Realtor.com? Mr. Gandel are you aware that Realtor.com is an inferior resource? Are you aware that their listings are stale and not updated? That sold properties sit showing available, sometimes for months after they have closed escrow? Are you aware that Realtors are bailing out of their failing system in droves? You need to pay more attention to your research rather than just banging out what sounds good at the moment. I wonder, did Realtor.com have this article written for a little public relations?

Oh and by the way Mr. Gandel, in the future you might want to run your articles past your company attorney, since your company will ultimately be responsible for your actions.

I will just bet that when Mr. Gandel purchased his last property that he had representation! Or Mr. Gandel, do you still rent?

Long Beach CA Real Estate

Go get 'im Laurie.

On a separate note, I would like to nominate Chichi Ahia for the "coolest name award" ever. That is right up there with Dr. McCool in Fort Myers.

I am easy to amuse. :)

Chichi,

Thanks for the post. We see we have another expert in the field of real estate. I wonder how many real estate transactions Mr. Gandel's been involved in? From the looks of it, not many!

WOW. Awesome work Chichi. Folks as irresponsible as Mr. Gandel are scary. And to think people listen as they take him to be a voice of authority. hmmmm

Laurie, way to go! I could not have said it better myself.

And Chris made me smile. I, too, was thinking Chichi has the coolest name. Wasn't there a show...Joanie Loves Chichi? oh! that was Chachi. sorry =) My age is showing now.

Chichi, good post. That guy really doesn't know what he's talking about.

I do agree with one point though:

If you'd rather use a broker, have him put in writing what percentage he'll get paid and guarantee that it will be the same for every house.

This gets them to sign a buyer agency agreement and puts to rest the possibility of pushing one home because of some selling agent bonuses or because of higher selling agent splits. I never want there to be any question to what my motivations as an agent are.

I find it interesting that he suggests using Realtor.com. I had a client recently who sent me over 10 listings from Realtor.com, wanting to know more about them and all of them had sold. Now when I say they had sold I am not talking about yesterday or last week, some of them sold in April 2006 and most of them had sold back in June 2006. To put this in perspective, my client sent these requests last week (Jan 2007) every one of the listings that they sent were not only sold but had closed months ago.

To suggest that finding a home on Realtor.com is easy is may be true. The trick is to find an "available" home and on Realtor.com that seems to be a little harder.

THANK YOU CHICHI ! ! !

Excellent post. Now that the NAR has been sued by the DOJ, ALL REALTORS are fair game for the magazines that purport to report the news.

We just have to grin and bear it and continue the good practices that make us successful.

Now, what are the chances that this post will be read by Mr. Gandel???

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com

Chichi - Great Post. This article you speak of adds to the confusion that is already out there. We are telling are clients one thing, and the media and info. sites like zillow are telling them something else! Another problem I see is that some people think they have it figured out because a family member or a friend gave them the "secrets" to real estate negotiations. When in reality, they are completely wrong!

Letters to the editor are warranted. The consumers do look at those letters. I don't think there is any DOJ violation by simply stating what the "facts" are. There are a lot of things in this article that do not reflect realty.

It was interesting to see how people on the outside (with little education about the inside) view us. Ethically, we have to represent our client to the best of our ability. But more than that ... our reputation is our business!!! We only have our good name. I think it was very unfortunate that a journalist would ask his readers to put their biggest investment in his hands. What people won't do to sell papers! It is our job as Realtors® to explain the pitfalls of this crazy advice. Also, it is up to our boards to address people who mislead the public like this. It was good for a laugh though. Be good to each other.

Jarrett - Your Toronto Realtor®

Jarrett Hunter REALTOR®

www.Jarrett.ca

Chichi, You wrote this so well. I will bet that your clients KNOW you are more than a lock box opening, taxi service. I wish you would send this to the journalist who wrote that article. Then you need to come back to AR and print his response.

The media knows how to get the public attention. Unfortunately we have been fighting the stereotypes for a long time.
Truthfully- there are unethical Realtors out there that may fit the generalization above, BUT- I prefer to aknowledge the professionals I work with daily. There are bad apples in every profession..

Awesome post Chi Chi. I believe a rebuttal is in order. we need to let the public know the real truth about our professionalism and what we actually do for the money we get paid. The public needs to know they cannot believe everything that they read.

ChiChi: I was pleased to read your professional response to the article. It sounds as if Mr. Gandel had a bad experience with an agent (certainly not a REALTOR®), and has a vendetta against the industry.

Now, are we taking the steps to send this rebuttal to Money Magazine?? All in favor, say YEA!

Seems that Mr. Gandel has certainly stirred up the industry.

Check out another article on his writings at:

http://www.spencerbarron.com/archives/57

Thanks for a great post, to avoid this problem I simply disclose to my buyer that I will receive a bonus if one is applicable. Then I just move on and work to see if the home is right for them. They appreciate my honesty and willingness to let them know of the possible enticement and it becomes a non-issue if they like the house.

Steve

I read this also. While what he says is SOMETIMES true, like you point out, he would lead the reader to believe that the MAJORITY of realtors work in such a manner. I don't think that is correct....

ChiChi... where you been you been gone too long!

Well, first of all, thanks to everyone for the responses. Its nice to see that I'm not the only one fed up. Perhaps we should send it to the editor and see what happens.

A funny thing happened today. Ironically enough, one day after writing this post, I was out showing some houses and my phone rang. I answered it and it was a mortgage person that I do business with. She informed me that one of her clients is putting a bid on a house in the area and does not want to use a REALTOR because she is intending to ask the Listing Agent to forfeit the other half of the commission to reduce the sale price. (I had to laugh to myself at this point, finding it hard to believe that this concept has already spread to the public.) Anyway the mortgage person called to ask me if, for a few hundred dollars, I would be willing to review the contract for the buyer after the Listing Agent prepares it just to make sure that she doesn't get "burned". This really put the whole concept into perspective. OK, so if I take the couple hundred and explain the contract to her and go my own way, then what? Am I to believe that if this deal went bad and ended up in court 6 months from now that I would not be dragged into it? It really is a dangerous situation for the buyer to put themselves in, but moreover, if this situation is any indication of the coming trend, its is a situation that any wise buyers agent should wash their hands of.

Thanks everyone for the great feedback!

Chi Chi,

Perhaps you can do that buyer a favor after all. Instead of reviewing the offer and putting yourself in the line of fire, why don't you send a copy of this post, complete with the comments for that buyers review.

I read that article as well and was dismayed at the sensationalism the author was trying to stir...anything for a little recognition

After reading all of your responses (of which I could not agree more!) I have to share about the agent I tried to use last year. He is a new agent, and also a neighbor. I am an experienced investor and very RE savvy, but not stupid enough to buy a house on my own. Anywho, I wanted to see a particular house and he refused to show it to me unless I guaranteed beforehand in writing that I would buy the house. Now having bought several houses to this point I thought this odd. I mean how can I guarantee to buy a house I have not seen inside? When I asked him he told me that the Seller was not paying the full commission that he WANTED to make, and so I would have to pay the difference (about 2500). I was like - huh? Um, Im an investor, I dont pay OVER price for a house. So, we dropped him as an agent needless to say and went back to another agent we had used in the past. She gladly showed us the house, we bought it and she took the low comission without any argument. My neighbor was hot as hell but hey - he would not show us the house so what was I supposed to say?

Chi Chi,

So, are you looking for a new mortgage person, since this one is obviously dangerous?

Good Post Chichi, I agree that this article was irresponsibly written. The buyers taking the advice of this journalist will be sadly disappointed in the end. At Bridgewell Realty we use a Buyers Service Commitment as well as the Buyer brokerage agree to ensure our clients know what to expect. Yes, there are homes that have broker incentives, however in my experience a buyer will not purchase a home if they do not like.

Well Mike, I really don't blame the mortgage person. I blame the consumer. The mortgage person is just the messenger and she is the one insisting to the buyer that a buyers agent is definitely the smart way to go.

And Karen, I would assume that if your neighbor isn't out of the business yet, he will be very soon. =o)

JAN

2007

Great subject matter that provoked equally thoughful comments...

Another attempt to offer transparency to serivce/sales related industries that hinges on sensational maketing.

Disclosure will not offset the provider's value to the consumer...just another way to evaluate it.

I read that article also, and I thought the comments about Realtors bordered on being libelous, if not actually so. I also thought that the article was beneath the standard of a national publication such as Money Magazine.

I honestly can't say I agree with the article and I even got quoted in it! Steve seems to start with a premise and builds it into an article without determining if the premise is correct. It's pretty poor reporting. It's a pretty poor concept especially if anyone out there actually believes he's being accurate. I just talked to a seller who happened to have the article on the coffee table. They were consulting it for tips on how to go about their home buying process. Pretty scary since now they're looking for help because they don't feel they could trust the listing agent but still don't want to pay a buyer's agent. They're currently working with the listing agent who they don't trust. Sorry, you gave up your right to seller paid buyer representation, can you pay out of pocket?...didn't think so. Go it alone? Good job Mr. Gandel, that advice will lose your readers far more than they'll ever save. If someone wants to attempt whats in the article fine with me, but don't come crying to me. No more free advice to homebuyers, I believe the saying is 'casting pearls before swine'...not the I'm calling anyone swine.

I got more about my conversations with Stephen Gandel via email and phone on my blog http://www.spencerbarron.com

JAN

2007

Thank you for dropping by Spencer.

Question for the listing agents out there. What is the purpose of offering bonuses and/or inflated commissions to the buyer's agent?

Great response! I read this article in Money Magazine and was furious and considering cancelling my subscription. It was certainly a slam and any uneducated buyers would take it as gospel hence giving us a bad reputation and adding to the idea that we are overpaid and only have our own interest in mind which is far from the truth.

Chichi...Interesting and informative post. I'm not a Realtor, but I do have some personal experience with questionable journalists and magazines. In my case, after a heated discussion with the editor (just this side of me threatening him with personal violence because a libel suit wasn't enough), he candidly explained the game and gave me a valuable education (when I calmed down enough to digest his words). He said, "We're in business to sell magazines. We're not here to tell the truth. The truth is often personal, situational and subjective. As long as our sources are public documents, documentable anecdotes and using them won't get us sued, we're going to go with them."

In the case of Gandel's article, if his theme had been, "most Realtors are ethical but a few bad apples are hurting the industry," the article would have had about 6 readers.

Chichi, I suggest you think about another approach. You will NEVER beat the media by opposing them. I'm sure you already know that. How about writing Gandel with the theme, "Thanks for outing some bad, unethical practices that occasionally occur in the real estate industry. They account for about 3% of all transactions. All of us ethical Realtors hate those practices as much as you do. But consumers should know about them so they can do a more informed job of selecting an ethical Realtor. Here are some guidelines:" And then list them. Get quoted along with your contact information.

The playing field is never level. The Gandels of the world always have the pen and their publication on their side. Use it to your advantage. Don't mean to sound preachy. You probably already know this. But your post brought up some old memories. Great job.

Larry,

In todays market we are inventory heavy (many more listings than available buyers). Listing agents advise Sellers to offer bonus's to Selling agents to increase traffic to the property. More traffic increases the possibility of the property being sold. Approximately 80% of the inventory in todays market is not selling, so extreme measures are warranted.

I hope this helps.

Thanks, Laurie. This would seem to confirm exactly what the writer was saying in the article, that many agents are more likely to show high-compensation properties. While it may not be against the rules, the fact that ethical listing agents are advising sellers to offer higher commissions and/or bonuses suggests that it must work on more than the 3% of bad apples as suggested above. While we all like to hold ourselves up as ethical and unswayed by our reward, the reality is that of the million-plus realtors out there, probably many more than we would like to admit make showing decisions based on their possible paycheck. While it does reflect badly on all of us, it is, unfortunately the truth. The writer of the article, in my opinion, hit very close to the truth.

If all of you holding torches in the lynch mob mean what you say, I'd like to see you start giving your bonuses paid to you as the buyer's agent back to your buyers, all of them. I do. I tell my buyers exactly what compensation is being offered out before we even see properties. They know they can trust me because I hide nothing. Actions, not words.

Great post. When I saw this article a few weeks ago it blew my mind. The audacity of these journalists!

JAN

2007

Excellent post. Informative in so many areas. Thank you.

I am not even going to reiterate the irresponsibility of this journalist for the "information" he provided. Customers should always follow the rule of thumb....you gt what you pay for.

FEB

2007

Great story--I always get a little hot under the collar when I read those "how to get your Realtor in line" stories. They assume we are all less than professional, ethical, and perfect. I'd like to write a story just like that only use the theme of my local, state and national politicians. Wish I could get them to behave.

FEB

2007

This "journalist" is a grade A jacka$$. (Sorry for sugar coating it)

FEB

2007

Well written article ChiChi...as others have observed however these days "journalism" is often more about selling papers/magazines than it is about truth or objectivity. It's a shame to see this kind of article in a magazine like "Money" which purports to be an authority on saving readers money. A very unbalanced and poorly supported set of assertions.

Perhaps readers should be asking themselves "is this journalist...and by extension Money Magazine 'On Your Side'"?!

FEB

2007

Since 2001, REAL Trends and Murray Consulting have been doing highly objective quantitative research through Harris Interactive,the parent company of the Harris Poll, a highly respected quantitative polling organization on the real estate industry and the housing consumer. Consistently, these have shown that more than 70% of buyers and 65% of sellers are satisfied with their transaction. 81% of buyers and 75% of sellers would recommend their service provider (this includes the people who used limited service, discount, fee for service, and FSBO modesl as well as traditional. 69% of sellers think of their agent as a trusted advisor, and 64% of sellers who used a traditional agent felt that their agent's compensation was fair.

This information is so respected that the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and others are now relying on it versus non existent information from the Consumer Federation's Steve Brobeck who gets his information from talking with his next door neighbor and making up the rest.

Journalists too often decide what they want the story to be (what is saleable to the public) and then create facts to support it - most from anecdotal information. There is solid quantitative data available, and we are happy to share with any journalist or other person who really cares about the truth.

Oh, any by the way, the consistent 6% broker commission is a myth. The last time it was reported was 2005, and at that time, nationally, it was 5.1. So, just in case you never took math, you can't get to 6.% as the required number if the national average is 5.1.That 5.1 was among traditional brokers, so if you looked at the total, with 19% of sellers using non traditional methods including FSBO, is probably lower. Competition is alive and well in the industry.

MAR

2007

I just ran across this when doing a word search in the network and wanted to note how well this post reads Chichi. I just wrote a similar thread from the mortgage broker's perspective which can be viewed here if you are interested. The bottom line is that people make assumptions about realtors and mortgage brokers that they do not in other professions as if somehow we have more bad apples on average than other professions including the ones you noted (i.e. mechanic, attorney, physician, etc).

The importance of having a real estate agent when buying a property...

I just love the internet. Google, Stephen Gandel, the first 3 or 4 pages are littered with articles disputing his claims on this article. I hope they follow him for his entire career.