Special offer

Spam prevention
Rainmaker
1,577,943
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Untrained, unethical and incompetent agents....yes of course. But not part time. Just because you are not capable of making a living full time yet does not mean that you are any of the above. 

Oct 28, 2015 09:00 AM
Ambassador
3,727,873
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@Properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

I'd be inclined to include part time agents, but maybe at the bottom of the list, and I'd leave them off it they were attached to a really good full time agent who shared their transactions.

Oct 28, 2015 12:52 PM
Rainmaker
7,836,164
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

The lack of training and experience is more important than the part time issues. We have a surplus of several hundred thousand real estate agents in the country. The low average income reflects poorly on the industry.

Oct 28, 2015 08:47 AM
Rainmaker
1,466,207
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Michael Thornton Of course I do. However, I would not include all part-time agents in this category. I known many part-time agents who could run circles around many full time agents.

Oct 28, 2015 11:34 PM
Rainmaker
3,071,489
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

"untrained, unethical and/or incompetent agents"  huge issue.  Part time - providing their clients fully understand that they are "part time" - not so much

Oct 28, 2015 11:03 PM
Rainmaker
1,513,143
Raymond E. Camp
Ontario, NY

Like any business training is essential. Look at the auto industrybecause of lack of training.

Oct 28, 2015 10:54 PM
Rainmaker
3,416,038
Scott Godzyk
Godzyk Real Estate Services - Manchester, NH
One of the Manchester NH's area Leading Agents

Not just part time but some full time as well. I see the trend as the big companies buy everyone up getting only bigger do not always have a good handle on their agents. They provide training but when it comes to using it in the real world, with some it is lost.  

Oct 28, 2015 10:47 PM
Rainmaker
115,432
Jeanne Feenick
NextHome Premier - Basking Ridge, NJ
The Agent you choose REALLY does make a difference

Yes, absolutely.  In an industry so focused on head count, this is a real issue. My office has exploded in growth and we are not alone - training and mentoring is so important.  Lack of training feeds incompetence.  Lack of ethics cuts deeper and can be a problem at all levels of experience.  I understand Karen's point about part-timers, it is a tough business to make a living. But if part time, then availability to advance transactions/fulfill their role needs to be addressed in some way.

Oct 28, 2015 10:06 PM
Rainmaker
1,027,602
Susan Haughton
Long and Foster REALTORS (703) 470-4545 - Alexandria, VA
Susan & Mindy Team...Honesty. Integrity. Results.

As long as there is no barrier to entry, it will always be so. 

Oct 28, 2015 09:19 PM
Rainmaker
5,216,409
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Great question and the answer is a big "YES"! Sponsoring brokers should be more selective!

Oct 28, 2015 09:04 PM
Rainmaker
2,538,633
Joe Petrowsky
Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT
Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

Good morning Michael. It is the same in every industry, there are many that make the others looks bad to consumers. Over time many get out, which is better for the rest of us.

Oct 28, 2015 07:35 PM
Ambassador
6,393,609
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

It is a pretty low bar of entry and as long as they continue to allow fees for referrals there will always be plenty of people keeping a license just so that they can collect a fee whenever a friend or relative buys or sells.

Oct 28, 2015 02:46 PM
Rainmaker
1,683,912
Larry Johnston
Broker, Friends & Neighbors Real Estate and Elkhart County Subdivisions, LLC - Elkhart, IN
Broker,Friends & Neighbors Real Estate, Elkhart,IN

Yes, If a Seller thinks their home is not selling, because the agent is a part time agent, it could cause a generality with all part time agents.

Oct 28, 2015 10:45 AM
Ambassador
3,164,294
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I hear that crap all the time, yet in my experience I only rarely come across an agent who isn't up to par in doing their job.  Where are all this bad agents?

Oct 28, 2015 10:15 AM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Michael Thornton yes, that DANGER report mentions about the part-timers.

Not sure about untrained (it's possible as we do not learn in Real Estate training school what we practice),

Unethical? I think every business has a few.

Oct 28, 2015 10:01 AM
Rainmaker
3,988,007
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

It has always been that way since I started in 1980. There are many full-time agents that are untrained and unprofessional. It is relatively easy to get into and because of that it attracts many that are not serious or never do anything with it.

Oct 28, 2015 09:58 AM
Rainer
67,369
Evelyn M Epperson
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Johns Creek, GA
A Tradition Of [Excellence, Trust & Service]

Hell Yes!  I am wondering were do these agents find brokerages to work for?

Oct 28, 2015 09:49 AM
Ambassador
1,452,869
Susan Emo
Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON
Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

I agree with all of it except for the Part-time part!   This business has always been the same and I doubt it will ever change.

Oct 28, 2015 09:41 AM
Rainer
231,224
Mike Rock
Complete Design - Granite Bay, CA
Granite Bay Luxury New Construction...For Less

glass half full or half empty. i have bantered about this for years... without those incompetents, you would have greater competition. with those nim kum poops , your average client thinks RE agents are all like that. pick your poison.

Oct 28, 2015 09:33 AM
Ambassador
2,178,603
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Those articles could have been written yesterday or 30 years ago.  The answer to your question is YES, of course!

Oct 28, 2015 09:08 AM