To paraphrase Forrest Gump:Â Professional is as professional does.
This post was triggered by a link Rick Rabideau, a Telivant colleague, emailed me: The front page lead headline of The Journal News - Real estate licenses rise 23 percent, an article about the reasons for increasing numbers of real estate licensees in New York. Of course the economy, layoffs and general conditions in the job market have sent many searching for new jobs, second jobs or complete career changes. And real estate seems to be a target job.
was followed by a revealing evaluation of why so many choose the “profession”:
“As the economy has changed, people have looked to see where they can expand themselves,” DiFrancesco said. “Real estate, it is the most affordable business you can open on your own.”
In the same article, Farrokh Hormozi, a professor or economics at Pace University, agreed that “one of the characteristics of a recessionary period is that unemployed people or partly employed people try to kind of reposition themselves in another profession.”  So what better “profession” to change to than real estate? Start up costs are actually pretty low compared to other businesses, but not as low as a salaried job would be. Entry is easy; easier in Tennessee than becoming a hairdresser. Just take a course, take the licensing test, pay some fees, find a company to join and you are a REALTOR®, ready to go out and make the big bucks. And if you have that license the companies will really want you to come to work for them, and the local, state and national organizations will be happy to take your dues whether you ever sell any property or not. You will most likely be working on straight commission, so there is a real possibility there that you could make more money as a Wal-Mart greeter than as a real estate agent. And in this we-welcome-everyone-into-the-big-tent “profession” odds are 3 to 1 that you won’t be around to celebrate your one year anniversary.
Self-described as America’s largest trade association, the National Association of REALTORS® doesn’t make a hint at being a professional organization.  Oh yeah, there is a code of ethics, and a huge PR machine, and all the appearances that professionalism is the guiding force in the association. A public article on NAR’s website, Careers in Real Estate touts the advantages and rewards of a career in real estate; suggests pursuing higher education courses oriented toward real estate to prepare for your real estate career; then rolls right into the heading “Professional Requirements for a Career in Real Estate “ which states that you basically just need a license to get to work.  Now that’s professional
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