Every so often, I write a controversial blog on my homebuying website, which I am contracted by the New York Times to do for About.com. Being a little bit of a troublemaker, sometimes I provoke people. But when I do, they don't respond. When I don't, they go wild. Some of the responses astonish me. That's because the blogs I think are controversial hardly get any responses at all. Sometimes I am practically begging for controversy but those blogs get ignored. And the blogs that are fairly straight forward and innocent, whammo, some of those get attacked. The comments can be vicious.
If comments are obscene, spammy or mean, I delete them. But otherwise, I leave the comments for others to discuss. Interaction is good. But the reason I am writing about this particular post this morning is because the interaction has been somewhat bad, to say the least, and it doesn't really showcase agents in their best light. I'm bringing it up because I know that real estate agents read my personal blog, which is this blog.
I am hoping a few agents who read this can lend credibility to the profession and perhaps a bit of enlightenment. Nothing says it better than coming directly from some agent other than myself. I'm guessing some agents who are reading this have experienced the same hostility and might not have been in a position to defend. So, here is your chance.
The blog is about the Top 10 REALTOR® Closing Gifts. It was designed to give buyers and sellers some kind of clue about the types of gifts agents would like. It ranks #1 in Google for "REALTOR® GIFT." Some readers took offense over the fact that clients would ever give their real estate agent a gift. But clients do give gifts. Clients are appreciative when we do a good job. And we all know the best all-time gift is a referral. Yet, clients often want to go one step further.
However, this blog about agent gifts has digressed to attack the honesty, ethics and integrity of real estate agents. If you've got something to say, here is your opportunity to say it. I know the smartest and best real estate agents in the nation post on ActiveRain. Just click on the above link and have at it.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
