When I logged onto Yahoo this afternoon I was greeted with a 60 Minutes headline: Real Estate Goes Online - Find out how this couple saved $26,000 by selling their house without the help of an agent. If you've watched 60 Minutes over the last couple of years, you already know what's coming. You don't need to click on the video nor read the transcripts. The usual theme prevails: Realtors are evil; Redfin and the internet are going to save us all.
60 Minutes has produced so many of these stories lately that I can't help but wonder if someone over there owns interest in Redfin or Assist to Sell.
If only it were as easy to fill out the listing contract, stick it in the MLS, and sit back and collect my $26,000!
I for one am tired of being portrayed as the villain. I don't have twitchy eyes, don't own a black mask & cape, nor do I sneak around in the night dreaming of new schemes to defraud the elderly out of their hard earned money.
I work as hard as anyone else. When I am up late at night, I'm dreaming up new ways to market my listings and reach the most qualified buyers. I spend countless hours making sure that my sellers spend as little time possible worrying about the sale of their home. I spend hours pouring over what appears to be the simplest of contracts, inspection reports and disclosure forms in an effort to make sure everything is as it seems. Not to mention the dozens and dozens of phone calls to lenders, the other agent, inspectors, etc. that I make during each transaction.
All the while, I need to take my continuing education courses, keep up with the ever changing county codes and state laws. On top of that, 60 Minutes and the rest of the media keep telling me that the Real Estate Market and all the Mortgage Lenders are about to self destruct leaving us all with no jobs (which is also my fault) - so I should probably add "work on resume" to the list.
Just once it would be nice to turn on the TV and see the other side: The agent that misses dinner for the 5th night in a row because his/her buyer only has 1 week to find "the right home". The vacations at the beach...with our cell phones tucked under the corner of our towel. Receiving emails at all hours of the night from a panicked seller who needs a pep talk. If only they were along the afternoon my mother called to tell me that my grandfather passed away. And then saw me show 3 more houses before I could finally get into my car and cry alone.
Or, if they could see the great hugs we get from the couple that we helped buy their first home. The joy we get from watching them unlock the door for the first time.
I guess that just wouldn't make good TV.
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