Sitting on the Fence Post

Here it is, almost two years since I have actively participated in real estate.  Been paying monthly to keep the doors open and not making any effort to recapture any of the mounting expenses.  Is it fear that has kept me from being active in the industry, no.  Is it increased competitiveness that has made me sit on the sideline while the battle for business continues, no.  For me it is the nature of what has been happening in the business.  I first entered into real estate after serving in the Army so that I could work hours that I wanted to work and not have a limit on my income potential.  I worked with one of the highest producing small agencies in the Denver-Metro area and garnished many accolades along the way.  I enjoyed watching people achieve their dreams of purchasing luxury real estate and ranch properties.  Along came the market correction.  Not the end of the world, but what turned out was the reason I have been sitting on the fence post waiting to get back into the game.  I have seen too many overly aggressive buyers and too many sellers losing everything to try and get out of a situation they couldn't otherwise sustain.  I have seen the perception of real estate professionals go from dream facilitators to glorified used car salespersons.  Is the market correction the cause or is the method that real estate sales people used to push the envelope of price and income to blame?  Both can be argued and usually it is the opinion of the buyer/seller vs the real estate professional that are on opposite sides.  I will say that all too often I made concessions in my commission to get a transaction to the closing table and I always have the best interest of my client or customer in mind.  The problem is that the trend of greed in the marketplace started long before the market correction and it was not the real estate professional's greed that was at the root.  Buyer's and Seller's greed is what caused me to move to the Fence Post.  This circumstance has caused many real estate professionals to alter the manner in which they conduct business or go after new business.  I am sure that real estate professionals are not compromising their business ethics in the process, but the end product is creating an environment more similar to the battlefield and less of the business office.  I look forward to the future of our industry and the improvement of the public perception of the real estate professional.  When that day returns I will be back amongst my peers eager to share the responsibility of the best interest of our clients and customers in the spirit of respect for all parties of the real estate transaction.