I’m excited to say, that this June will be my 5th anniversary as a real estate professional! Every real estate transaction I have represented in the past four and a half years, I have acquired more knowledge about the trading of real estate I could have ever envisioned while taking the Idaho State exams and, most of all, realized I will never know in my lifetime everything there is to know about the exchange of real property between a buyer and seller.

You see, the buying and the selling of real estate is personal, emotional, and, most certainly, the largest purchase most people will make in their entire life. People have an attachment to where they choose to spend their time drinking coffee and reading the Sunday edition of The New York Times, where they share holiday dinners, and where they hide and cry when times are little tough. Home is where the heart is as well as where our stuff is: mountain bikes, yoga mats, favorite chair, K-9 friend.

I get this! I get that one needs to have unconditional trust in the person advocating for them while negotiating at the proverbial chess table, selling their house for good market value or help them purchase a home on a sturdy foundation, minus the gaping leaky roof and black mold, while YOU are working for the man so you can put a roof over your family’s head without skipping a beat. Just like any other profession, the goal to assist in the exchanging of real property between two entities has been lost on many and the paycheck is forefront, sometimes the only front, on the professional’s mind.

As agents, we are held to an ethical standard that is unsurpassed by most professions outside of medicine. My question to most of my close friends when we get in discussions about their past real estate experiences, most fair to midland, is “did you know you have advocates that will hear your story and take action where action is due?”. The standard answer is “no, what do you mean”? I then proceed to demonstrate how to get in touch with the association and who they need to contact so their story can be heard. They are always thankful for the transparency and the integrity I hold for myself, my profession, and the other people involved.

I have had the opportunity to talk with the administration of the ethics complaint department recently. By the numbers, complaints are up. Sales professionals and Brokers are finding the time to gather their cases and submit them for review. Outside of the industry complaints though, customer and client submissions are exponentially UP! THANK YOU! Thank you to agents educating their friends, family, and their mother’s uncle that they have somewhere to go when they have been wronged by a real estate professional.

I wake up daily with a positive outlook on the life I create and live, a large part being my career in real estate. The days don’t always end on as sharp a note as they start, but that doesn’t keep me from representing my community the best way I know how everyday. I thank my loved ones, acquaintances, industry cohorts and community for continuing to make our Boise community the best place to live.