Illegal, unethical, immoral, or against the rules?

I just let the buyers buy and the sellers sell but I give guidence to each side I represent.  I have talked sellers out of selling because their motive to sell was fear of the future.  Being fearful over what if's is never a reason to sell.  I have talked buyers out of buying because the home was not right for them.  Example an old lady widow wanting to buy a home with a lot of stairs up to the master bedroom when a ground floor master would have suited her needs better.  But in the end I let them make their own decisions right or wrong but I lease I told them IN MY OPINION.

Dare I say it, well, yes I will.  Just like the IRS, too much government, too many rules and regulations.  Is it any wonder we all are confused at time!  Those half answers we get from attorneys makes you wonder too, if they are confused as well.  I subscribe to the belief that most real estate agents really try to do their best but sometimes it feels like we have to do our best with both hands tied behind our backs and a piece of duct tape over our mouths. Don't get me wrong, reasonable rules and regulations are absolutely needed along with good common sense, but too much regulation sometimes feels like we are set up for failure and can be a serious obstacle to serving our clients best interest when I know that it's all designed to actually better serve our clients best interest.  I guess it's one of those unintended consequences, we hear so much about these days. 

Well put Richard on your answer to comments. We bare told not to act like attorneys, and like the movie Rashomon, multiple people can see an event and the recollections don't match up. I havealways said that truth extends to the end of my nose and I should never assume that everyone agrees with me.

Richard, I say there are always two sides to every story. Often we don't get to hear the other side of the argument. Jumping to conclusions always results in wrong assumptions.

Good Post, Richard. Our opinion of a situation is based on our different experiences & education and is just that: our opinion. Remaining open to others opinions is an education in itself.

If we stay away from unethical, we will be less likely to fall afoul of the laws as well.

Do unto others as you would like for others to do unto you aka the golden rule and how you judge you will be judged are good principles to live by especially if you are so inclined to believe the good book. Richard, your points are well-said and worthy of another read (came over from Eric's reblog).

Thanks for the article. Really good stuff to think about . Not everyone thinks alike or has the the same ethics.

Of one thing I can be sure.

Write a post advertising Buyer Rebates or Buyer Bonuses and some agent who doesn't, will write about how unethical Buyer or Buyer Bonuses are.

I rarely hear those terms thrown around.  

Hi Richard, I'm a new reader of your blog. Expect to see me back.

They say the  law is the law, but ethics depends on whose ox is being gored.

Bill Roberts

Dear Richard,
Love to read your thought-provoking posts. You always give me things to ponder.
Have a happy day -
Lynn

My brokerage recently implemented a change that the agents to a transaction can't prepare a Personal Property Bill of Sale. Personal property isn't covered under our E&O. So now, if a buyer wants to ask for personal property as part of the transaction, we can't prepare and add the Personal Property Bill of Sale to the contract. It's going to make it messy since other brokers aren't taking this stance. It's just one example of a rule that one brokerage may have and another doesn't.

Right / wrong.  Good / bad.  I wish is would be that easy.  It's not, so when the rules are broken, more get written.  Doing the right thing sure does solve a lot.

It's very hazy out there regarding these terms.  People are quick to say something is such-and-such because they are angry or frustrated.  But it doesn't mean that someone is actually guilty of such-and-such.

It can all be very confusing. And it's easy to confuse illegal activities with immoral or unethical ones. Illegal activities can be more black and white, while those that are not ethical are often in shades of gray.

Some agents are jealous of other agents and proclaim one of your definitions above. I wish I would have thought of some of the ideas that propel some to greatness...

Doing real estate investing as about 50% of my business you would not believe all the talk I hear about this is illegal or that is illegal. "You can't assign a contract." "You can't do a double closing." "You can't take over the payments of an existing mortgage."  What they are typically saying is that they are ignorant about creative real estate and how to make real money in the business. 

Hi Richard,

There ought to be a category for stupid or ignorant, those are usually what comes up as opposed to illegal or unethical.