Don’t be a Donaghy
September 14, 2007 |
That’s the infamous Tim Donaghy to the left. Most of you probably didn’t have any idea who Tim Donaghy was until this past summer, when he was investigated by the FBI and eventually pleaded guilty in federal court as a result. I knew who he was, and I found the whole thing appalling and despicable. As a fellow basketball referee, I have strong opinions about what Donaghy did. I could write a lengthy post about the issue by itself, but this is a real estate blog, right?
The result of the Donaghy situation is that he has single-handedly managed to destroy the credibility of his fellow officials simply by his own stupid actions. From now until the foreseeable future, fans of the NBA, and probably basketball everywhere, will look at the game a little differently when the big call doesn’t go their way. Heck, I am sure that people will turn his name into a verb, proclaiming “we got Donaghy’d” when they think their team has been unfairly treated by the officials.
Credibility is a fragile thing. It is something that sports officials live and die by with every single call, but most people don’t really think about it on a day-to-day basis. This seems to be true for a lot of REALTORS out there.
In the latest edition of a local real estate publication here in the Charlottesville area, I saw a number of ads with a banner at the top that was created by the NAR that read,”Rates are low, inventory is high. Now’s a good time to buy.” The banner has a picture of the REALTOR logo and “National Association of REALTORS” across the bottom. It looks pretty official to me, so I did a search of REALTOR.org, but couldn’t find it anywhere, or I would have posted it here. At any rate, the banner bothered me.
It bothered me because of its message. It bothered me because “it’s a good time to buy” was the same thing that NAR was pushing when rates were low and inventories were even lower. It was “a good time to buy” in some of the hottest markets in the country. Now that those markets have cooled significantly, it is still “a good time to buy,” apparently. That doesn’t ring true, if you ask me. I think that it creates a credibility issue for REALTORS in the eyes of the public when they see things like this. How is the public supposed to trust our profession if we tell people it is “a good time to buy” regardless of the market conditions?
One builds trust through honesty and transparency, not buy touting. I fully understand that the current market statistics aren’t exactly the most pleasant things to look at right now, but they are what they are. I also understand the knee-jerk reaction to want to counteract negative news with positive talk. I just think that the real estate industry as a whole should resist that reaction. The public is smart. The public is living the reality of the current market.
What REALTORS should be focusing on is preparing customers and clients for the reality of the market, and advising them honestly and openly on how to succeed in the market. That is one reason why the blogs over there in my sidebar are over there in my sidebar. Those are places you can go to for good, honest, transparent and credible information about real estate. No sales BS on those blogs, just agents who are trying to do the best job they can and help people succeed. No Tim Donaghys on that list– guaranteed.
That is also why I do what I do here. Giving people accurate information and the best insight that I can is one of my main goals. Like the header says, “I call it like I see it.” And damn the Tim Donaghys of the world.
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, tim donaghy, credibility, basketball officiating, marketing, advertising [/tags]
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7 Responses to “Don’t be a Donaghy”
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Disclaimer
My name is Daniel Rothamel. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the National Association of REALTORS. As such, I adhere to a strict code of ethics and all laws with regard to equal housing, which is reflected in the content of this blog. My broker is Strong Team REALTORS, 86 Joshua Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963; (434) 589-5800. My VA Real Estate License number is 0225 077325. All of the opinions in this blog are mine, unless otherwise noted.
Excellent thoughts Daniel … you made me think about how we were approaching the current market conditions with our clients. I personally do think it’s a good opportunity to buy, for those folks who are ready and prepared. But there’s nothing to replace lost credibility, and you made me rethink how we were portraying current market conditions. Really great job, thanks for the reminder. And glad to see we’re still on that blogroll!
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[...] Rothamel talks about credibility. Required [...]
[...] Daniel Rothamel talks about credibility. [...]
Daniel-
This is a fantastic article on many levels. I 100% agree that transparency and honesty is the way to succeed.
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Thanks, Drew.
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Good piece Daniel. I have worked within the industry for awhile (equals over a decade) now and have questioned ads, mottos and mantras that repurpose their content for the sole purpose of a sale, regardless of the customer’s circumstance or the current market factors that need to be considered for each customers circumstance.
This might just be a great time for some buyers to purchase a home….but for others, maybe not so much. A true real estate advisor will evaluate the individual’s situation and give advice accordingly. Maybe those banners should talk more about the agent’s ability to help a buyer choose when it is the right time to buy. An individual choice made with personalized guidance, expertise, and sound advice.
Rebecca D. Levinson- http://www.Connect2Agent.com
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[...] a lot of people don’t believe this, but referees really do not care who wins the game. Even Tim Donaghy, who was giving inside information to gamblers, showed no indication of intentionally kicking calls [...]