code of ethics: Signs in the Ground and Boots on the Ground Earn Trust - 06/16/26 02:17 PM
Today, I meet a potential out of state vacant land buyer at a relatively inexpensive piece of dirt aka vacant land parcel. This vacant land parcel is 2 acres and is listed for just under $10,000.
Yes, I was wearing my cowboy boots, jeans and a wide brim hat as the temperature was 103 degrees. For my own personal safety, my husband rode “shoot gun” as I did not know this gentleman.
What was interesting to learn from this potential vacant land buyer is when he stated:
 “I’ve been driving around this area a lot and yours were the only signs I saw.”
Boy, internally … (8 comments)

code of ethics: Another Vacant Land Parcel Under Contract Thanks to Signage - 06/15/26 07:49 AM
Imagine my surprise to receive a Saturday evening contract for 52 acres of an off grid vacant land parcel zoned for horses and livestock.  Due to poor cell service on Sunday, I was alerted to a missed call that happened on Saturday. I returned the call on Sunday. The name was the same as was on the vacant land contract. 
I called the individual back, indicated I knew of the offer, but wanted this individual to know I do return phone calls. The buyer laughed, understood and then shared without any asking “Yes, I was driving around Golden Valley and saw the … (3 comments)

code of ethics: In Real Estate There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch - 05/05/26 11:27 AM
How often do real estate sellers, buyers, agents and those other parties involved in real estate among other industries sometime fail to realize that everything has a cost.
Believe it or not, there is an actual acronym for this saying “TANSTAAFL.”
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
All of our choices especially when we hear the word "FREE" have hidden costs, opportunities costs  to even tradeoffs. Sometimes those tradeoffs might be our own internal moral code or code of ethics. 
Of course, some believe that we as professional real estate agents are overpaid and our work is quite simple in that anyone … (16 comments)

code of ethics: Commitment Goes Beyond a Handshake - 04/01/26 11:14 AM
Funny thing how one word has you travel down the proverbial rabbit hole.  As I wrote an article about Due Diligence and the Title Commitment, I decided to research what this word commitment really means.  Over time our understanding of words may change or may initially be in error as in the example of the word “passion.”
Per Merriam Webster Online dictionary, the definitions are as follows:
An agreement or pledge to do something In the future Something pledged Promise to be loyal to someone or something My next action was to look up the word origin and I am often surprised … (4 comments)

code of ethics: April’s Fool Due Diligence Is a One Way Street - 04/01/26 08:12 AM
Being a REALTOR® here in AZ, I receive weekly emails from our state association. Yesterday, there was an article about Due Diligence entitled “Due Diligence More Than Just a Home Inspection.”
The article went on about how important it is for buyers to read the Preliminary Title Commitment Report, any Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions (CCRs), HOA governing documents, etc. What was interesting none of the bullet points referenced the real estate agent reading any of these documents as per of his or her due diligence.
Here is where going the extra mile is important.  The reason is many buyers don’t know what they … (4 comments)

code of ethics: What Is Your Response to this Question: What Do You Do? - 03/25/26 09:37 AM
The other day at lunch I unintentionally heard another real estate agent answering this question posed by someone, possibly a customer: What do you do?
I should have been a psychic because I had a general idea of the answer. The agent responded with "I sell classic homes for those seeking to retire or relocate."  The classic adjective was good, but the answer was actually the how and not the what.
Sales in real estate or most other industries where the transactions are for the most part not transactional is about people not about the how one sells.
Zig Zigar said “Sales is the … (10 comments)

code of ethics: Professional Real Estate Agents Will Read the Title Commitment - 03/21/26 07:56 AM
Yesterday late afternoon I received a Title Commitment for a piece of vacant land here in Golden Valley, AZ or what I call a Preliminary Title Report.  Within this report are embedded links that can be saved as PDF’s and then read. These links refer to a variety of documents such as recorded deeds, plat surveys, judgements (liens), etc.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered three errors:
Purchase price for the vacant land parcel was in error by several thousand dollars. Commission instructions were in error due to the purchase price being in error. The escrow agent failed to read all of … (13 comments)

code of ethics: What’s My Property Worth Begins with Data Integrity - 03/03/26 06:34 AM
Often sellers begin with this simple question:
What’s my property worth?
For some property owners they may begin with clicking the keyboard and then scanning the various Internet real estate sites to secure the answer to this question. Unfortunately, these real estate “estimates” are often not accurate for a variety of reasons.
The foundation for the any and all answers to this question begins with these two words:
DATA INTEGRITY
To begin with, clarification of these two words is essential. The Oxford Online Dictionary states DATA is "facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.” When DATA is inaccurate, this makes any research from listings … (5 comments)

code of ethics: Imagine My Surprise! - 01/16/26 09:16 AM
This week has been busy in traveling to various vacant land parcels here in Golden Valley, AZ.  I am a firm believer if a seller wants me to list his or her rural real estate vacant land property, I must visit the property, take photos, determine the best road access along with the availability of utilities such as electricity and water.
This belief reinforces the REALTOR®’s Code of Ethics that being to “protect and promote.”  Here not only in Golden Valley, but in Mohave County many roads show “right of ways” by the county, but have never been “cut in.” Roads that … (11 comments)

code of ethics: Your WHAT In Real Estate Is…? - 01/10/26 08:28 AM
Outside of your WHY in Real Estate Is, Your WHAT for me is the most important question to be answered.  I believe if more real estate agents would commit their “WHAT” to writing, the general public would have higher confidence in working with real estate agents.
Now you may be asking yourself, what is the WHAT in real estate. Simply speaking, your WHAT is your Values, your moral code, your ethics, call it what you will.  Your behaviors are a direct results of your values.
For professional real estate agents who are also REALTORS®, there exists a Code of Ethics. In the first … (5 comments)

code of ethics: To Be or Not To Be? - 12/15/25 07:44 AM
After reading an article in an AZ business magazine that identified the 10 Top Skills for Real Estate Agents, I was reminded of this famous line from Shakespeare's Hamlet:
To Be or Not to Be: That is the Question
For me, I believe this article failed to mention and list the most important skill or trait and that is positive core values, ethics, moral code, call it what you will.
Either one will be ethical or not be ethical, and there is truly no question here.
REALTORS® swear to uphold the Code of Ethics.  In my 8 years in this particular industry, that swearing is … (9 comments)

code of ethics: Selling Vacant Land Requires These Listing Actions - 11/13/25 10:10 AM
Here in Mohave County, AZ., there is a lot of vacant land.  Golden Valley, AZ is over 300 square miles and well over 50% of those miles are vacant land.
What I have learned as a listing agent in listing vacant land and more importantly in selling vacant land are the following actions.
#1 – LISTING AGENT VISITS THE PROPERTY BEFORE AGREEING TO LIST THE PROPERTY
Often, I receive calls, usually referrals or someone has seen one of my signs, about listing vacant land or what I call dirt. As a consistent standard of practice, I inform the seller that I must visit his, … (12 comments)

code of ethics: Motivational Monday – Doing Things Differently - 04/04/25 10:01 AM
In any role be it professional or personal, doing things differently matters especially when achieving positive desired results.  Years ago, I read this quote by Marcel Proust:
"The true voyage of discovery is not seeing new landscapes, but seeing with new eyes."
How do you see things differently for yourself as a parent, sibling, friend or one of the many roles within the real estate industry?
In my personal roles, I believe consistency beyond being ethical is one attribute that shows I do things differently.
For me, being old school in real estate is definitely being different. I want to:
Meet face to face with … (15 comments)

code of ethics: Going Beyond the Usual Real Estate Agents - 04/04/25 07:49 AM
The annual Gallup Poll honesty and ethics reveals how the public view others within various professional roles. In January of 2023 (most recent survey), nurses retained the highest ethical rating at 29% very high, 50% high and 17% average. In that same survey, real estate agents ranked at 4% very high, 20% high and 50% average.
In other words, 4 out of 5 nurses were ranked at very high and high while 1 out of every 4 real estate agents were ranked at high or very high.
Given many real estate agents are also REALTORS® who swear to uphold a high standard … (6 comments)

code of ethics: Wordless Wednesday – Duty - 03/11/25 07:28 AM
REALTORS® through these three words, “protect and promote” embedded in Article One  in the Code of Ethics. This is the “Duty” of each REALTOR®.  Professional real estate agents may have their own personal Code of Ethics or the “Values” articulated by their respective brokerages.
This quote by Phillips Brooks looks to duty from a somewhat different perspective.
"Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully."
Professional real estate agents will undertake their individual duty to their clients and do it well.  Those who truly love this profession of making the American dream come true will do it beautifully.
The reason … (8 comments)

code of ethics: Strategic Thinking Countdown – Your Values Day 28 - 12/03/24 06:49 AM
Today the word “Values” is often heard. Within the strategic thinking planning sessions, this activity of writing down your “Values” usually follows the Vision Statement. From my experience, I believe one’s values, those non-negotiable behaviors, are the foundation for the Vision as well as Mission.
Years ago I created a modified strategic thinking planning workbook entitled: Triage Business Planning: Know Exactly What To Do and When to Do Ir, Track the Right Things to Produce the Right Results, Avoid Misdirected Actions & Misguided Decisions.
In this workbook, the Values Statement is captured as follows:
As mortar binds the bricks together in a building’s … (3 comments)

code of ethics: Fully Furnished? What Buyers Should Receive - 10/28/24 02:11 PM
Often residential properties are advertised as fully furnished or just "furnished." The reasons included:
Cost to move the personal items New relocation residential residence may not have room Downsizing to a travel trailer Inherited property and heirs do not wish to deal with selling the “fully furnished” items.   Unfortunately, as the meaning of words are open to interpretation, fully furnished or just "furnished" can be quite misleading especially by potential residential property buyers.
Many agents believe that fully furnished can be just the appliances as noted on the purchase agreement or any other personal items such as a spa.  However, furniture, … (4 comments)

code of ethics: Significant Change Requires Updating Procedures Part 4 of 4 - 08/06/24 05:40 AM
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Wayne Dyer
With all the steps completed or almost completed, this fourth and final part is more about moving forward and planning for the future.
My goal is to have all 13 active listings updated by August 12, 2024.  This gives me a five day window just in case there is a technology glitch or some other unknown obstacle that prevents from securing the desired results.
On August 13, 2024, I will start working on the forthcoming vacant land listings I have in my Listing Funnel which are scheduled … (13 comments)

code of ethics: Are You Expecting to Be Spoon Fed? - 05/21/24 07:53 AM
The National Association of REALTORS® offered at no charge the ABR certification (Accredited Buyer’s Representative) to its membership.  During the last two days, the ABR webinar I attended was joined by over 2,000 REALTORS®. In the first five to 10 minutes of this online webinar as well as during the webinar revealed that many REALTORS® by their behaviors expected to be spoon fed.
#1 Behavior
Failure to download the PDF participant’s manual.  This manual was set out weeks in advance when participants registered.
#2 Behavior
Failure to review (think read) the PDF participant’s manual. Several years ago I read a statistic from NAR … (4 comments)

code of ethics: Hiring a Vacant Land Listing Agent Who Protects and Promotes Part 6 - 05/16/24 06:55 AM
Hiring a vacant land specialist is a major undertaking. The reasons for this have been discussed in previous parts and all intersect with "protect and promote" through this one word – Competency
Part 1 - Does the agent physically place signs on the property?
Part 2 – Does the agent physically visit the property and take “on the ground” actual photos of the property?
Part 3 – How accurate is the information in the MLS that feeds to other real estate websites?
Part 4 – Is the real estate local meaning lives in or nearby the vacant land parcel and surrounding areas?
Part 5 – What … (5 comments)

 
Leanne Smith, The Grit and Gratitude Agent (Dirt Road Real Estate)

Leanne Smith

The Grit and Gratitude Agent

Golden Valley, AZ

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Dirt Road Real Estate

Mobile: 219.508.2859



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