A Lesson in Honesty (In Black and White)

January 24, 2008 |

It has been 1 month since Episode #1 of Real Estate in Black & White. That episode generated some discussion. I took all of the comments and suggestions and let them ruminate for a while. Now, I am happy to share with you. . .

Real Estate in Black & White Episode #2– A Lesson in Honesty (or Why I Love my Dad):

Now for the rest of the story. . .

The game footage in the video was taken early in December at a game I worked at Fork Union Military Academy (that explains the attire of the crowd). During the game, Kari was taking footage of me so that I could review the tape after the game for evaluation (another reason I love her). She took the impromptu footage of my parents.

What You Should Know About my Dad

My Dad is a REALTOR, too. He is a property manager here in Charlottesville. So, when I use my Dad as an example of what a REALTOR should be, you can rest assured that he is representing the profession well.

My Dad is a good man. Part of that is because, above all things, my dad is an honest man. For as long as I have known him, I have never known him to tell a half-truth or spin anything. That’s not to say he can’t be diplomatic, but he never does anything at the expense of truth and honesty. This is true in everything he does, be it professional or otherwise, as the video clearly shows.

If you ask my Dad a question, you can rest assured that you are going to get an honest, straightforward answer. Hence the reason why you now know that my Dad believes the best referee is Norm Drucker, whether or not his son is wearing stripes.

You gotta love Dad.

REALTORS Could Learn a lot From My Dad

Honesty is a lesson that REALTORS would do well to learn and practice. This is more true than ever, given all the questions that our clients and the public have about the state and future of the real estate market. We have a duty to our clients to be honest and forthright with our answers, regardless of whether or not the truth is pretty.

Sometimes, I think honesty suffers in our profession because of the desire of REALTORS to please people. Look, nobody wants to hear bad news. Sometimes, however, bad news is exactly what people need to hear when it is the honest truth. As REALTORS, we have a duty to our clients and the public to be open and honest. Being honest on the individual, personal, level will do more to enhance the public perception of our profession than any PR campaign could hope to achieve.

Honestly, REALTORS should be more like my Dad.

Posted by Daniel Rothamel | Filed Under Blog, Industry Issues, Officiating, Real Estate in Black & White, Video Posts 

Comments

5 Responses to “A Lesson in Honesty (In Black and White)”

  1. Jeremy Hart on January 24th, 2008 11:22 pm

    Need a honest answer to a very important question …

    Why does a referee where black and white stripes?

    [Reply]

  2. Chris Kubler on January 25th, 2008 8:01 am

    I’d say advocating for honesty is a no-brainer. I don’t know if Realtors have an obligation to prognosticate about the future of the market. Give out the facts and let them speak for themselves. I always tell my clients, “I threw out my crystal ball a long time ago.”

    [Reply]

  3. Real Estate in Black-and-White… « 4realz.net on January 25th, 2008 1:35 pm

    [...] 25, 2008 by Dustin …takes on honesty in the 2nd [...]

  4. Breckenridge on January 27th, 2008 2:46 am

    A referee’s outfit is black and white because he or she is the one who distinguish the most between black and white. Honesty is best but it just happens that a good number of people cheat into making themselves look as honest as possible.

    [Reply]

  5. It’s NOT About YOU (in Black and White) | The Real Estate Zebra on February 28th, 2008 7:55 pm

    [...] latest episode of Real Estate in Black and White, entitled, “It’s NOT about YOU.” Episode #2 was a true video-style presentation, but for this episode, I went back to the roots of Real Estate [...]

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