patrick.net

The venom is warranted, in most cases.

I don't think they are evil people as a whole, but the real estate
system as it is today creates a conflict of interest for the realtor.

The higher the price their client pays for a home, the higher the commission
is for them. Some may think that this is fine, this is america blah blah blah.

I don't think this is o.k as most people don't view realtor in the same
manner as they do used car salesman, but that's really what they are.
Most people think realtors are actually trying to help them !

Realtors are scumbags, that's why there is venom towards them. Break up the cartel and maybe people will ease up a bit. Right now it's forceful extortion performed by a group that are comprised mostly of self-serving, lying, piece-of-shit morons.

If we simply killed every Realtor, aka used house salesman, who told prospective buyers that real estate doesn't fall in value during the bubble (or last week...), or that "we're at the bottom so now is a great time to buy" at any time since 2007, perhaps they'd be less than totally untrustworthy on average, and in any event 99% fewer in number. (DISCLAIMER: Not legal advice, I am not suggesting you go out and kill a Realtor, even if our society would be better off if you did.)

Nomograph says

Realtors are highly trained and educated professionals. They should be considered in the same category as astrophysicists and neurosurgeons. A six percent commission is too low, and should be raised to 15 or 20, although they will probably refuse the extra money out of modesty or donate it to charity.

Yea, I wanted to be a realtor but wasn't able to make it through a six week course. So I got my Bachelor's Degree instead. The problem as I see it is that realtors don't do a whole helluva lot, and a person could educate themselves on the process and save that comission - or at least half of it. The buyer pays more for the house because of the realtor or the seller receives less money, and the incentive is for the realtor to get a higher sales price so they'll get more money.

If they must be involved, they should get a flat fee and that's it. They're helpful if they're honest and help people who move in/out of town. Otherwise, they don't do anything that the buyer/seller couldn't do without 'em. If there are questions, hire a RE attorney by the hour. At least they're required to actually know their stuff and have a bit of education behind them (sorry Nomo, I realize you're a huge fan of realtors).

Realtors are only a part of the problem. It's the system. American society is build on the foundation of public debt. Govt,banks,realtors and many more benefit from higher public debt. It's the debtor who becomes slave. If something goes wrong(bubble pops,deficit increases,insurance-health care cost increases etc.) then pass it on to public as well. America needs a revolution to change the system.

elliemae says

If there are questions, hire a RE attorney by the hour. At least they’re required to actually know their stuff and have a bit of education behind them

Such a sad testament to the current state of our RE industry. Per-hour realtards make more than RE attorneys, yet they are nothing more than glorified crooks.

robertoaribas says

Well, my telling clients that home prices would drop has almost killed my real estate business over the past 4 years…
Oh well, thank goodness I’m also a college professor.

If your day job starts incentivizing you to screw over your students (not literally screw, though there is nothing wrong with that;), then our college education system would be completely fucked. Real Estate is one of the most crooked businesses that exist. On all levels.