I just read a post by Midori Miller on looking at other Realtors as "competition" and while I generally enjoy Midori's blog, I have to say that I disagree with her on this one!

While her points on how being cooperative during a transaction are valid, I liken it more to what goes on in a prize fight with the referee is giving the boxers their final instructions.  Generally, the ref says something like,

"I want a good clean fight.  When I tell you to break, break cleanly!  But always remember to protect yourself at all times!" 

The facts of the matter are that we are in competition with one another if we are working in the same market.  This being a fact doesn't preclude us from working together when it benefits both of us.  This is one of the neat things about our business!

Unfortunately, not all of us play fair or even agree on what "playing fair" constitutes.  About a week or so ago I read a post about an agent who drove up to an appointment for a property showing to find her client talking with another agent that she recognized.  It turned out that the agent and the client were long time friends who hadn't seen one another in quite sometime.  The other agent asked the client why they hadn't called her?  She also gave the client one of her cards.

To me, this went over the line.  But to a lot of folks, she was well within her rights to give her card to the client on the if/come that they might call her on another deal.....that as long as they didn't attempt to usurp THAT PARTICULAR transaction, that she was within her rights.  I don't know if there were buyer's agency agreements in place or not, but that's not my point here.  My point is that different agents approach our business with widely differing views on ethics.

This being the case, I think that it's a wise idea to never forget that while that other agent probably shouldn't take a pot shot at you while you're breaking...that they might!  On top of that, they might view this simply as an acceptable business practice!  

I believe that this happened to me a few weeks ago.  A couple of weeks after I listed a property, I got a call from my seller asking to be released from the listing agreement.  My general policy is that as long as they list the home with another Realtor, that I will release them.  So, I did.

When I went to pick up my sign and lockbox, the husband apologized to me stating that his wife had been "guilted" into listing with this agent.

Made me think that she had gone behind my sign?????  I'll never know, but this is one of the reasons that I never forget that this is a dog eat dog business.  My not having forgotten this doesn't mean that I won't ever work with that agent again or even that I'll lower myself to her level by doing something similar to another agent.  It does mean that, to me, selling real estate is not a social activity.  I'm not here to make friends.  I'm here to make a buck and to build my business.  

If along the way, I make a friend or two who happen to be real estate agents, then cool!  They're my friend, but that doesn't mean that they will stop being my competition!

R.B. "Bob" Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.