I used to think that I was a good person, always doing what I can to help other people, to be kind & honest & fair. I have tried to be the exact same in my profession of over 20 years.
Only once in my life have I ever charged a 6% commission (that was split with both sides) on a listing. I have worked with clients for literally hundreds of hours to find a home that fits their criteria to finally land a home that worked that we were not outbid on.

I have given hundreds of market valuations for free to friends & family & neighbors over the years – many of them using that information to then sell by owner or give it to an inexperienced family member (who was a realtor) for them to get the listing.

I have answered questions honestly on CB to help people who had questions related to areas of my expertise! Nothing expected in return, just helping a fellow Coug out!

I have had dozens of friends & family reach out over the years to ask for help when they got stuck in a sticky situation with a contract & they didn’t know what to do & it was going to cost them a pretty penny unless it was fixed.

I have helped many over the years get a home under contract or submit offers (all while having a signed contract to represent them) only to have them “back out” but then end up using a realtor that the "mother-in-law" wanted them to use instead, etc. I could have sued for breach of contract, but not once have I done so.

The stories are too numerous to tell of dealing with dishonest sellers.

I am done with it all!

Oftentimes I would go to CB after a particularly rough day to unwind just a bit, only to read about how I am a dishonest, lying, cheat, purely based on my profession of choice. These comments could have been made by someone I helped move out of a home on a Saturday. Or on a Monday when I was the only one who showed up to help, not realizing that I was a member of the “hated” profession. It was my choice of profession that gave me the flexibility to be the only one to show up on a weekday to help them. Many of these comments could be made by people I would consider friends. Or neighbors. Who knows?

I just know they are made all the time. Over & over. It has worn on me.

Clients who expect me to be a lawyer, a contract expert, a master negotiator, a title expert, a therapist, an appraiser, a mind reader, a lending expert, a future predictor, and a market expert. And to be completely organized! And to respond to texts & calls 24/7. And to do it all for free. This has worn on me.

It has always been a comfortable living for my family; not an extravagant one. I have never been a snake oil salesperson type, just an honest, tell people the truth and help them the best I could type of realtor. I have missed on a lot of deals because I told the truth about a home’s value, & a potential client went with a different agent who lied about the value & then didn’t perform like they had promised.

Perhaps I should have been in real sales, like in the solar industry, where my friends currently earn 20-40% commissions on their sales. Imagine that – I wouldn’t need to pay all my annual dues to stay licensed, nor do the hours & hours of continuing education each year! And I could charge a 40% commission instead of the typical 1.5% I usually end up making? And I could have my evenings & weekends back! Crazy! And perhaps I could provide a benefit to my clients since as a realtor I have not done that once in my life, so I am told.

I am sorry I chose a career so poorly. Can you please find it in your heart to forgive me & any others still in the profession? I would think that as despicable of a choice as I have made, the atonement may still apply even to me. I can change & deserve a little bit of forgiveness from you all, Right? Right????

So after all this rambling, I am taking the word of the experts & quitting my job as a realtor. Thank you for enlightening me. This has been a difficult decision. One that has not been taken lightly. I really don’t have any other skills that I can use in the workplace, so not sure exactly what I will do next.

I truly don’t know what to do or where to turn at this point.

I feel like I need to take a break from CB. This will free up 2 hours a day to reflect on what I want to be when I grow up or on gaining new skills. Maybe the quiet will help me figure out if I am done for reals & ready to move on from life!

Go COUGS! Wherever I end up, I will always cheer for you. Even if quietly!