When most people think of real estate agents, certain words come to mind. Greedy, arrogant, dishonest, sneaky…just to name a few. I’m pretty sure that on a national level, we’re considered to be just a hair above a used car salesman when it comes to rating the profession.

So why would I want to take up residence in a pack of money hungry hyenas?

Simple. To stand out and make a difference. To work with integrity and uphold my clients’ interests. And to try and impact the public’s perspective.

As a real estate licensee, I am not required to make that pledge. But as a Realtor, I am, and I do.

I recently attended a three hour long course on the Realtor Code of Ethics. Did you know there is such a thing? It consists of 17 articles outlining our duties and standards of practice to Clients and Customers, to the Public, and to other Realtors. Here are a few lines to give you an idea of what it means to practice real estate as a Realtor:

“shall not mislead”
“obligation to present a true picture”
“become and remain informed on issues affecting real estate”
“willingly share the fruit of their experience and study”
“uninfluenced by any personal motivation”

Make no mistake – this is serious stuff. Violating the code can mean fines and loss of credentials, not to mention loss of reputation (which is any agent’s livelihood).

So, to sum up, the expectations set before a Realtor are high – but no higher than what each customer deserves. And I’m glad I get to help set the bar!

Zach Koops, Realtor
540-746-8753
[email protected]