A Blogger's Open Letter To REALTORS®

Dear Fellow  REALTORS®:

I am increasingly awed and appalled at the slick spin machine at the National Assn. of  REALTORS®.

REALTORS® now number 1 million. NAR takes that magic number and says to Washington, "Here we are, 1 million strong, and this is what we want," before serving up an issue on Capitol Hill. Sadly, many of those issues are NOT going to benefit the rank and file membership of NAR. NAR lobbyists and their cohorts and legislators are using words like "fairness" and "reform" to describe their initiatives. The "fairness" component favors well monied special interests these days, not the rank and file  REALTOR®. The "reform" aspect of this legislation is ludicrous (i.e. tort "reform" and bankruptcy "reform").

We all have busy schedules and certainly lots of the news we receive comes to us in snippets. NAR is very adept at framing their positions carefully; it is important to hear two sides of an issue before committing to a position one way or another.

NAR and Washington need to know that there is serious and growing dissent in the ranks.  REALTORS® are capable of looking at issues and making educated decisions, even when they do not agree with the mighty NAR. Please do not take NAR's position at face value and respond too quickly to their "Calls to Action".  At the risk of sounding "feisty" I liken NAR to a wolf in sheep's clothing.

We enjoy the right of free speech. We have an opportunity to exchange ideas in a free society. We cherish that right. My father was a young Marine on a bloody beach in Iwo Jima 60 years ago. He and his comrades made great sacrifices in the name of freedom. Two generations later soldiers are still dying for that same right. It's up to each and every last one of us to use it wisely.--Frances Flynn Thorsen REALTOR®