Why I Believe NAR Has Culpability in Buyers Expecting Immediate Help

Why I Believe NAR Has Culpability in Buyers Expecting Immediate Help

One of the banes of my existence as a real estate agent is having to belong to NAR (National Association of REALTOR®.)  If you want to conduct business through an MLS, you have to join a local association, the state association and the national association.  When I became an agent in 2005, I came into it a woman of thirty fours years old with some definite opinions.  Growing up outside of our nation's capital, the corruption of the entire lobbying system was one of them.  This is why I refused to give any money to RPAC (REALTOR® Political Action Committee) as a matter of principle.  I didn't want my money used to buy politicians for anything  I have a voice and a telephone.  It is my duty as a voter and citizen, to call them up when I need to voice my opinion to my elected officials.  I don't need a lobby to do it.  Frankly, the lobby has no idea WHAT I'm thinking. 

My opinion was solidified midway into the Short Sale years.  Cries from the real estate community as banks created actual standards to be met to get a loan, like having a larger down payment, twisted the collective panties of the real estate industry, but not mine.  Why?  I was on the clean up crew.  I saw damage done when buyers who were never qualified to begin with, lost their homes.  It was a disaster. 

Then NAR comes up with the REALTOR® Party.  What a joke!  Show me two agents that think alike and vote alike. I am all for larger down payments.  And honestly, if the mortgage interest deduction went away, I know the housing market would not crumble.  Why?  People buy homes to LIVE in them.  In my decade of serving clients, only one came to me to buy because of the deduction.  And you know what?   He never bought.  Our country is crumbling under debt.  The money has to come from somewhere to correct the issues of lobbyists making sure no money ever comes at the expense of any special interest, real estate included.

These are all the things I was happy to share with a collections arm of NAR, VAR (Virginia Association of REALTORS®) and my local PWAR (Prince William Association of REALTORS®) yesterday when they called to shake me down.  Once again, I have not contributed a dime.  And after reflecting on the tragedy of Beverly Carter, I have even more reason to never want to give them a dime.  

NAR is not blameless in the Beverly Carter case.  Why?  While online media companies like Zillow and Trulia were in their infancy, NAR did NOTHING to fight them.  Nothing to control our precious listing data.  No. It went with the flow and the brave new world of online availability of everything.    What this did was  create a buyer born of the digital era.  They want to see things NOW.  You don't want to show them?  Click.  They hang up and move on to the next agent, until they find one that will meet them at a property, without any qualifying of who they are, if they can afford the home and so forth.  It sets the stage for disaster when a dangerous person is at the home waiting for you and you think it's just another ants-in-the-pants online lead.

Agents who feel the financial pinch of running their own businesses began to take risks they wouldn't have a decade before.  They want that lead.  They have to get it.  Having done a lot of online marketing myself, I will say, the vast majority of online leads are flimsy for this very reason.  They have no loyalty.  They view you as a door opener, not a valued resource.  They think because they can SEE these listings online  without you, they just need you to open the door so they can see it in person.  They aren't thinking about the value you do bring to the table as an agent.  Another area where NAR has fallen short.

NAR could have fought to keep our listings from online mass syndication where buyers want immediate satisfaction and, indeed, will find someone desperate enough to give it to them.

NAR could fight to show where we do have value, in exclusive representation, knowing the ins and outs of home buying, selling and contracts. They aren't.  

The message NAR likes to spend tons of money on is, "It's a great time to buy."  No matter the market, that is the message.  At some point, that message loses it's impact when it is ALWAYS a great time to buy.

Just as I felt coming into this business, I know I truly have no entity looking out for MY best interest.  That is up to me.  Sure, I will advertise online.  Every once in a while a buyer sees the value I bring to the table and will take the steps I SET in order to work together.  Most will see me as difficult and an impediment to what they want, which is seeing that house NOW.  

I will continue to prosper as an agent because people know who I am and how I do business.  My past clients, friends and family continue to be the number one source of business.  And when it comes to online leads, I will continue to fight the got-to-have-it-now impulses of the buyers NAR allowed to come into existence because above all, I value my life and my safety. NAR doesn't have my back.  I have my own back.