Sex and the Single Seller
OPINION
by Tim O’Dwyer M.A., LL.B
Solicitor
Consumer Advocate
watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au
Do real estate agents score more sexual favours during home inspections than solicitors do at conveyancing settlements? Do agents experience more sexual harassment during inspections than solicitors at settlements? And how do DIY sellers fare?
I raised these not-often-asked questions with American lawyer / novelist Mark Gimenez at the 2008 Brisbane Writers’ Festival after he participated in a public discussion about his best-selling novel The Colour of Law . Mark said he’d be happy with my posting this piece on The Blog about a (sexual) real estate aspect of his novel – as I had done previously with one of crime-novelist John Sandford’s: Fictional Drug-Dealing Property Investment – How Close To Reality?
5 Comments
So THAT’S why agents get the flash cars!
what is it with you guys and real estate agents, I detect a certain amount of jealousy perhaps form your blogging, do you really think you offer a balanced view, blog service? Look forward to your response.
Hi George,
Have you read through some of the material on this blog George? Does any of it disgust you? Have you noticed that most of the crooked conduct perpetrated in the real estate industry originates with estate agents?
We don’t make this stuff up George, estate agents do it, and we report it. If you think any of the estate agents, lawyers or conveyancers featured on this site have been unfairly treated, please let me know. But if you feel embarassed because you are an estate agent, it’s because your brethren have let you down.
Hello Peter,
I own a real estate agency and I must say that from time to time we “discover” some sales people doing the wrong thing. Often this is due to poor training from within their own agency. These people are exposed by their peers quite quiclky and don’t last long. My town is too small for anyone to get away with doing the wrong thing for too long. In fact, anywhere is too small for anyone to get away with doing the wrong thing for too long.
I would like to say that my office and all of my employees are very well trained and extremely ethical, to coin a Jenman phrase.
Lets focus on the legal industry for a moment shall we. It dissapoints me to see that the legal industry has been tainted by this Neil Jenman style of “fear peddling”.
Make no mistake George, these lawyers love to frighten the hell out of people. It’s all in aid of one thing, to direct more business towards them and their industry. Why do they target real estate agents? because buying & selling real estate is a big deal for most people and the lawyers know they can make more & more money out of people by sending contracts back and forward with extra conditions attatched and requirements earmarked. It’s in the interest of the legal industry to have consumers scared of real estate agents.
If we really want to talk about an industry with crooks lets look at some lwyers. Notice how I said “some”. The majority of the Australian legal profession is dependable, honest and hard working… just like the majority ofthe real estate industry and the the majority of any industry. My point is every industry has the good and bad. So why do real estate agents cop it so much? There are 3 main groups real estate agents cop it from:
1. T.V. (Today Tonight etc etc) Tabloid T.V.
Tabloid T.V. makes money out of fear so they prey upon peoples real estate concerns.
2. Neil Jenman- this guy has made millions of dollars running real estate down. He prey upon fear and uses it to his advantage, and runs down honest people in the process.
3. Lawyers- these guys need you to be frightened of everything. The fear of the law makes sure these guys get paid. They’ll have you beleive that the sky will fall in if you do so much as fart without their advice.
Peter, how much is Neil Jenman paying you to peddle this stuff? You and Neil are hurting this industry for your own personal gain. It’s terrible.
See George, Neil Jenman (look him up) and these guys on this blog would have you beleive that all agents are crooked. They want you to be frigtened of us so you think you need them. Neil Jenman and our mate Peter here pretend to be champions saving you from the evil empire of estate agents. They build up fear in the community and then prey upon it by devouring every last dollar you have.
If we really want to talk about ethics why don’t we talk about this topic? Hmmm wonder why it never gets mentioned, because these guys are out to make a dollar and the people like me are too busy trying to run a honest business to bother with running down our opposition or to be thinking up ways of exploiting people.
Hey George, Neil Jenman hasn’t sold a house for years. Instead he just peddled inflammatory propoganda to promote his own ideas. Did you know he has hundres of agents around the country paying him thousands of dollars just so they can peddle the same message as him. Gee, who’s the crook.
George, don’t listen to these guys. My advice for what it’s worth is to get yourself a real estae agent you trust, and find a good lawyer who works in your best interests.
Forget all of this bull dust.
Hi Alan,
I have to regularly tell my clients that they must be on their guard against estate agents who illegally draft special conditions and sneak them into contracts.
Why do should I have to warn my clients about the illegal conduct of estate agents Alan? Why can’t I assume that my clients will be safe when they’re in the estate agent’s office?
If I don’t warn my clients about the illegal and often criminal behaviours they will encounter, I could be accused of professional negligence. Alan, why must it be this way?
What I state in public is what I tell my clients as part of the legal advice they pay for. My clients invariably report back to me that the estate agent did exactly what I warned against, and the clients thank me for having “saved” them. Alan, why do I have to “save” my clients from estate agents?
What I put on this blog is my day to day experiences in this rotten industry.
This corrupt industry could be turned around Alan, if people like you and George were prepared to take some initiative and responsibility, instead of trying to censor the bad news.