Being a Realtor is not an easy job

It’s not as easy as you think!

This profession of “Realtor” isn’t as easy as just taking a three or six week course at a realtor school, and getting some business cards printed.
We have to take all kinds of courses on everything from finance to contracts, to fair housing. We have to update our education regularly. All these courses, our computer access to MLS, forms, our yearly dues etc. cost a great deal of money and time.
If we want to be take seriously, we have to seek designations such as GRI, (Graduate of the Real Estate Institute-- a North American designation which is a graduate level degree in real estate) and ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative,)
I am also a Certified Real Estate Specialist (CRS), and carry the GREEN designation, for realtors who have completed a lengthy course in environmentally responsible real estate. I am a certified negotiator, and a Certified International Property Specialist, an Accredited Home Stager, and am a member of Arizona's prestigious Master Of Real Estate society, indicating hundreds of hours of education and transactions in my portfolio of credentials. In addition, I'm also taking a Risk Management designation to help you have a worry free real estate transaction.
And to top it off, we now have to watch out for dangers such as thieves who use the date rape drug on realtors holding open houses, so they can rob the house, and finding out about Meth labs which are set up in houses to manufacture drugs for sale. Meth is very harmful, even in small doses, and if we walk on a rug in a house where the fumes have permeated, we can then spread it to other houses, even our own, on our shoes. If a small child plays on that rug, cases of mental impairment could result.
So, being a real Estate Broker these days is not just a couple of weeks in a classroom and some new business cards. Look for a realtor who is committed and has years of experience and education, like Mary Maxie, not your relative who just took the course or the first person you see at an open house.
I love my work, and I am in it for the long haul, not just the heady times of 2005. I have seen ups and downs and I will be here for all the ups and downs in the future too.