FROM THE READERS: LETTERS
Upside to New London taking
Although not blighted now, the Fort Trumbull neighborhood in New London, Conn., was blighted for decades before the U.S. Supreme Court made its decision giving the city the OK to condemn properties for development (“Resources coming in wake of property rights decision,” August 2005, page 13).
No one likes the idea that the government can take your home. And in Fort Trumbull, many families have lifelong ties to the neighborhood. But take it from someone who saw a lack of basic maintenance by absentee landlords at many of the properties there — it’s not hard to see the upside to remaking this neighborhood.
Michael B. Collins, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Mystic, Conn.
Judge merit, not race
Ms. Madison’s indictment of REALTOR® Magazine as insensitive in its “30 Under 30” selections (“Omissions speak volumes,” August 2005, page 11) is a tiring form of reasoning that must end. The race card rears its ugly head again.
The race of any human being should have nothing to do with justice, civil rights, appointments of job responsibilities, or hiring practices. People should be assessed and compared based on their merits, skills, and whether they communicate with each other fairly while conforming to rules and standards. People frequently rewrite laws in their own mind to justify some perceived and unrealistic notion of the way they believe they’ve been treated. The race card is segregationist bigotry. When it’s played, the player, white or black, is the loser.
David Saks, The Real Estate Mart of Tennessee Inc., Memphis
Upholding ethics starts with you
Since I travel the country speaking and teaching, I have a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening in our business. One trend I’ve seen could hurt the industry.
Members of my audiences, students in my program, and friends in the business recently have been reporting nightmare stories to me about the erosion of ethics between competing brokers and salespeople. Our most precious resources are the values that bind us together in service to the public and our ability to balance competition with cooperation.
The solution begins with awareness and acceptance. We can’t change anything we don’t admit to or don’t accept. In addition to maintaining high ethical standards, here are four things you can do today:
1. Spread the word about this issue to everyone you know in the business.
2. Analyze any past problems with fellow practitioners and learn from them. As the saying goes, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
3. If you notice someone in the business doing something positive, find an audience to tell about it.
4. Make an effort up front to communicate your objectives and concerns, especially in a co-op sale, with your colleagues. There are two sides to every transaction, but we don’t have to be on opposite sides of the table to stay on the side of the people we serve.
Floyd Wickman, StarMakers, South Easton, Mass.
Correction
The contact for licensing opportunities at Northwood Realty Services LLP in Pittsburgh is Ron Maszak at 412/367-3200, ext. 217. This information was incorrectly listed in “Affiliation booms with sales growth” (August 2005, FB4). We regret the error.Letters are edited for space and clarity. Publication of a letter doesn’t constitute an endorsement of the writer’s views by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® or REALTOR® Magazine.
