dothanhomesearch.com

By: Charles Woodall


http://www.dothanhomesearch.com

This post is a response to a post by Greg Swann over on BloodHoundBlog?that was a response to a comment I left on another post.?Due to readability issues, I thought I would post?my latest response?on?this website instead of leaving a comment to his post. Another benefit…I’ll get some traffic as Greg attempts to pummel me into submission!

So, point by point in Greg’s latest post, here goes.

Charles?>> Changing the real estate business in the grassroots effort you suggest would be a slow process as well.

Greg > I know you?re not joking with me, but are you aware of how quickly the real estate industry is changing right now? None of this is happening through the NAR cartel.

I am keenly aware of how much and how fast the real estate industry is changing. Don’t believe me? Ask some of my competition around Dothan to name the brokerage company that takes the lead on adapting new technology and strategies.?I agree with you that NAR is not leading this change.

Charles?>> it would literally take thousands or ten of thousands of people to make it happen.

Greg > Shazam! Here we are. BloodhoundBlog is just a part of the changes taking place, but we talk to tens of thousands of unique souls every month.

Let me rephrase. It will take the mobilization of thousands to make it happen. People reading about it is one thing. Those people acting on it is quite another. Not saying it can’t be done, but?it ain?t?there yet.

Charles?>> We already have a powerful trade organization in place, so getting a few hundred people involved would be easier, in my humble opinion.

Greg > You?ve already talked about how it was virtually impossible for you to make an obviously necessary change. The NAR exists to milk agents, consumers and the taxpayers, in that order. It will not even try to do anything else until it is much too late to make any difference.

It was impossible for four plus years. Then, the right people in the right positions of leadership rallied the troops and got it done.

Charles >> While your thoughts are noble, and I agree on several points, until leadership in REALTOR associations on the local and state level want to move into the 21st century, it just isn?t going to happen.

Greg > It?s not going to happen.

If NAR and the state and local associations are to change, it will be because enough people who want change become involved, move up in leadership, and build the forces necessary to make change. If leadership continues to be the ‘old school’ agents who have been doing things their way for decades, then NAR on down will become ineffective and will fade away.

Charles >> Folks such as yourself getting involved will be required.

Greg > First, people like me will never get involved with the NAR. I personally am deeply philosophically opposed to what I consider to be the criminal objectives of the NAR, but even someone less philosophically fastidious is going to achieve far better results by improving his own mind, rather than wasting vast amounts of time trying to herd mental dinosaurs toward a future they despise and think they can avoid.

I don’t know how to respond to that, other than to say I?am disappointed in your stance. Are you a member of your local association and NAR? If so, why?

Greg > I started this meta-debate because I think that both occupational licensing and the NAR cartel are doing a poor job of protecting consumers from stupid and/or inexperienced and/or larcenous practitioners

I completely and heartily agree with you?that occupational licensing does not protect the consumer. It is entirely too easy to get a real estate license. It?takes 25 times the pre-license education in the State of Alabama to get a cosmetology license versus a real estate license. There’s some bulletin board material for you. It is easy to see that there is too much incentive on the part of NAR not to support raising the standards of entry into the real estate industry. Ultimately however, it is the responsibility of the broker, not NAR, to protect consumers from inept practitioners.

Greg > But even ignoring the criminal objectives of the NAR cartel, I can?t think of a thing it does that it should be doing, nor can I think of anything it does as well as even a mediocre business would do it.

In my eyes, NAR is a trade organization that exists to support its members and promote issues that are important in their members business. In this context, NAR has done a good job.

I want to give you a couple of examples of something good that the Alabama Association of REALTORS has done for my business. First, AAR pushed a bill in the Alabama Legislature this past spring that keeps me from having to buy a business license in every municipality?where my company?or my agents list or sell property. The savings to me as a company amounts to about $1,000 per year. The savings to my agents is somewhat less. In other areas of Alabama,?many brokers are now saving thousands of dollars every year. Subsequently, some municipalities have tried to charge a permit fee for yard signs to recoup some of their loss since this law went into effect. AAR has lead the fight to defeat these efforts.

In recent years, there have been attempts by the Alabama Legislature to enact a tax on real estate commissions in the State of Alabama. Again, AAR has lead the charge to defeat these efforts, saving me and my agents from having to give up even more of our income. I don’t know what the exact dollar amount is that AAR has saved me since I joined in 1999, but I do know that in both of these instances, I could not have procured the same result by myself. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that NAR, AAR, or any other state or local association is the best it can be and doing everything it can and should be doing, but as trade associations go, they get a thumbs up from me just for the amount of money saved through their efforts. And that is not to mention efforts in other areas, such as property insurance reform on?the beautiful Alabama?Gulf Coast or Landlord-Tenant relationships,?that I am certain we will see benefits coming.

That’s all I have. I respect your ideas and your stance, as I?hope you will respect mine. As the saying goes, we’ll have to agree to disagree. At the end of the day, I think our goals are pretty much the same. In our office, we work everyday on ways to out work our competition and deliver exceptional service to our clients and the public. I have no control over what NAR or my competition is doing, and it doesn?t really matter anyway. If they refuse to change, that will mean more business for my company. At this moment in time, I am getting enough benefits from NAR to justify the cost, and yet I?realize that I shouldn’t rely on them to build my business for me. It is up to me to do that.

My condolences to you and your wife on the loss of her father.

Possibly Related Posts