The past few weeks have seen a rash of strange and sometimes shocking behavior from real estate professionals out in the wild. Consider, if you will, the story of a New York City Compass luxury agent accused of biting a child in a scuffle over a free T-shirt this summer.
Or, even worse, the outrageous story of a Florida agent and her firefighter husband, currently up on charges of possession of child sexual abuse material and bestiality.
READ: Massachusetts broker arrested for embezzling $11.6M
Of course, not every story of real estate agents’ bad behavior is as shocking as those. Sometimes, agent crime is confined to more run-of-the-mill chicanery, like in this case of a now-former Rockland County, New York, real estate agent who has been found guilty of deed fraud.
Former agent convicted of swindling woman out of her home by Lillian Dickerson
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that Oscar Dais, who had most recently been associated with Buy NY Realty LLC, had pleaded guilty to forging the signature of his client, Monique Hill, on a deed in order to take ownership of her property, which was under foreclosure.
“No New Yorker should have to fear that the home they own will be stolen from them,” James said. “I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to fight deed theft throughout our state and bring scammers like Oscar Dais to justice.”
It’s more important than ever for the vast majority of professional, well-behaved agents and brokers to counteract the blemish a few ne’er-do-wells have put on the industry. By highlighting integrity and accountability, it becomes easier to rebuild and maintain trust with consumers — and distance yourself from the negative headlines.
This week, Inman contributors talked about the kind of behavior that undermines professional reputations and how to do things the right way, right now.
How the ‘bro climate’ is failing new real estate agents and their
Is your ego killing your pipeline? Calling yourself an expert means more than making superfluous statements, Birgit Biehl writes. It means actually knowing your craft.
Enduring elegance: Leadership lessons from Giorgio
The designer showed us that greatness isn’t loud, rushed or accidental, Darryl Davis writes. It’s carefully crafted, relentlessly consistent and fueled by deep love of the work.
No filter: Your personal opinions on social media can get you
Trainer Rachael Hite says real estate agents must focus their digital presence on real estate, rather than their personal opinions.
The Download is a column in which Inman’s Christy Murdock takes a deeper look at the top-read stories of the past week to give you what you’ll need to meet Monday head-on.
