Reposted from Vendor Alley with permission from Greg Robertson.

“The No. 1 problem of the industry is that we have too many crappy agents,” Rob Hahn tells Vendor Alley’s Greg Robertson in the fourth episode of Listing Bits. “Bottom line, the problem is we have far too many people helping consumers buy and sell real estate who have no business helping people buy and sell real estate.”

So that’s the problem — what’s the solution? Robertson questions, who’s to say on paper, who’s going to be successful and who’s not? Who gets to be that panel?

Hahn lays out his take: Look to Realtors, and specifically, re-read the National Association of Realtors’ preamble to the Code of Ethics.

“Who gets to decide, to me, are Realtors. Not real estate agents, not licensees, not you and me but it’s Realtors,” Hahn says.

“[The preamble] an amazing piece of writing and if you read it, it makes it clear that to be a Realtor, to be a member of NAR, to say you subscribe to the Code of Ethics, it’s that higher calling.”

Hahn points to the preamble’s guidance to:

  • Go beyond ordinary commerce
  • Creating and maintaining communities
  • Civic duty
  • Zealously maintaining standards

Listen in to hear more on Robertson’s invisible hand counterpoint: “Why does NAR, the government, or anyone else need to step in and say — we need to regulate?” he says.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×