Takeaways:
- There is a perception of Realtors as sleazy salespeople and I would like that to change.
- Political correctness has become increasingly important in society.
- It is a term that asks that we be sensitive to others and not hurt or offend.
We are all hearing how colleges are requesting their students be politically correct in what they say. No one’s feelings should get hurt.
Political correctness has been around for many years, and we first started hearing more about being PC in the 1990s. It is a term that asks that we be sensitive to others and not hurt or offend.
New descriptive terms are suggested, and some words are not to be used at all. Some can be funny, some ridiculous and some have us scratching our heads over.
Recently, I heard that the students at some colleges should not say, “God bless you,” when someone sneezes; the word “gesundheit” should be used instead.
According to a “Bias-Free Language Guide” used by the University of New Hampshire, the word “American” is “problematic,” and therefore, it should not be used because it doesn’t include South America in various contexts.
Of course, I am saying all this — half in jest and half in earnest — because it applies to real estate agents, too.
I mean, is it politically correct to make fun of agents continually? Does it promote disdain, and perhaps even some violence, against agents?
I just read a Dr. Kay Scarpetta novel by Patricia Cornwell titled “Flesh and Blood,” which contained several comments about Realtors.
One such comment described a Realtor with her “overblown, long, brassy blond hair and bright red lipstick” with “high-heeled shoes, the busy successful Realtor who drives a hundred thousand-dollar car, carrying an expensive designer bag.”
It basically made her out to be someone who doesn’t want to lose her commission — at any cost.
The same chapter mentions a horrific murder. It describes in detail how the murderer had easy access to the house and how in checking up on the home, a Realtor was attacked, tortured and murdered.
We know that agents are attacked. We should all be warned, and we are.
We can now buy apps in case of emergencies and even jewelry such as the Cuff, which you can use in an emergency to reach a loved one or guardian. We can take safety courses, too.
One of my favorite lines was by Harrison Ford when he played a police officer and part-time Realtor in the movie “Hollywood Homicide.”
In one scene, he’s in an elevator holding a gun, and as the other people in the elevator looked at him aghast, he retorts, “Don’t worry, I’m a Realtor.”
I guess, on a personal level, I would rather be seen as the person who can handle it all — not as an overpaid, sleazy and cutthroat agent.
About 95 percent of us are extremely sincere, hardworking and nice. So, can someone be a little politically correct on our behalf?
Gay Rosen is an associate broker at Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty in Larchmont, New York. You can follow her at Larchmont and New Rochelle News/ The Rosen Reports or on Twitter.