What is so shocking about it? Why are you so disenfranchised by the industry? Is it because of the grind, the constant pressure? Or is it something else? I sense a slight inching around the subject of dirty deeds behind closed doors? I for one, having worked in real estate law as a paralegal, am aware of some pretty disgruntling tricks people pull.
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Hey there, it's a lot of things really. The way people working in it let their greed and egos rule their actions, how they see themselves as celebrities rather than servants of the people. Vendors and purchasers are Uberised meaning they expect everything immediately, delivered right to their couch, and have no tolerance for anything but their time-frame and their personal needs, even to their own detriment at times; just as greedy and egotistical as those in the industry really and their actions are sometimes just as reprehensible.
Government seeks to protect the consumer from potential harm by putting on more legislative requirements but fail to educate the consumer (purchaser/vendor) on the legislation which is left to the agents who the public don't believe because they are agents. And so they get a bad (worse) name - And mostly deserve it. It's a downward spiral.
There's a million things really. Greed, hubris, ego, selfishness and elitism sum it up though. Things I am not. I'm surprised I lasted twenty years.
I don't like the way it's all heading. It's an industry where personal values are not highly regarded, where good old fashioned behaviours don't seem to have a place and where apps, Facebook and Instagram seem to have more value than a person with years of experience who actually cares about what he/she is doing.
Nope, it's not for me.
For twenty years I upheld my standards, morals and ethics refusing to give in to the assfuckery of the industry. I didn't go to awards nights though I won awards - none of which I cared about. I worked hard to seek win-win situations and then, when I stopped selling, and began managing I worked hard to influence and mentor sales people and my team towards integrity both professional and personal. It was a losing battle and so I'm done.
The job isn't all about opening mansions and driving prestige cars. It's a grind where hard work, effort, professionalism, integrity, intelligence, persistence, passion and many other things need to combine. That's what I think and did from day one and even then success isn't ensured. These days nah, everyone wants to make a million dollars in their first three weeks and will do anything for it. Anything.
There's more, this is just the light version. To be honest even thinking about it brings negative thoughts though. I'd rather think about hiking, sitting by the fire poking it with a stick, watching the stars overhead, sitting on a mountain top up where the eagles soar or down by the lake leaning up against a tree with cavegirl curled in my lap. Sounds better right?
Honestly, Galen, I am so touched that you value integrity and win-win that much, and that you fought so hard to teach that concept. It must have been heartbreaking for you, and frustrating, to see the industry do its own thing, knowing full well it didn't need to be that way. I am always so surprised that integrity seems such a rare one to find. I feel like times have changed -- it used to not be this way. Back when Warren Buffet was just starting out, things were different. My favorite character out of any movie I have ever seen is George Bailey from It's A Wonderful Life. How he goes to such terrible lengths to make sure his customers get their money back, and he doesn't pull out of the stock market or cash in his chips. He pays them, with his own money, and does everything he can to make good on their pensions.
And then, when he's about to take his life, he is given a tour of all the people he's influenced since he has been on earth.
I'd like to think, even though you may not have had the impact you had hoped, in such a large and looming industry with tall towers and shadowy windows, that your impact might have been more a personal one that will be remembered on an individual basis. And when the time is right, those individuals who mattered will remember what you stood for, they'll remember that this quality exists, that it matters, and that it is achievable.
And more importantly, I bet you would have a whole movie reel of incidents throughout your life where some chain of events occurred to make the world a better place, that you may not even be aware of. And were you given a ledger of that, you might be completely awestruck by the size of it. And your impact is maybe not measured in honest commercial agents doing the right thing, but in the miniature instances throughout your life that add up to the moments that count.
Not that you were taking inventory, or worried about it, but as a note, I bet there is such a ledger, and I bet it is chalk full of tattered and inked pages with splotchy edges and scribbled margins all saying the same thing - keep this guy around. We need him.
Integrity is one of the things a human can truly call their own and choose to apply to every situation. I'm reminded of a quote by Viktor Frankl.
VF was a fellow who survived the Nazi Death camps in WWII in case you didn't know, although I'm sure you probably do.
Integrity is not conditional upon other factors, one choses to have it or chooses not to. I'm the choose to have it man.
Your comment is a bit humbling and I'm not sure if the ledger of G-dog is a clean one. I've had chaos in life and have had to find it within myself to make things happen that have left some scars. I've not been a criminal though, much the opposite in fact, and mostly I can still look at myself in the mirror. So, my ledger has two or three columns I suppose. What is certain is that I've learned many things, have evaluated, adapted, adjusted, overcome ad ultimately moved forward maybe just a little better than I was before.
If I had a ledger it would be as you describe though:
Cut, torn, battered, bruised and blood stained also; a record of the moments of my life - good, bad, bad-but-good and so on. I like to think of those moments as threads, many threads of colour and light, of shades and darkness, torn, frayed and unravelled...But threads nonetheless. It's those threads I weave into life and the tapestry I leave behind. The ledger, well maybe someone will see it, take it and wrap it about them. Or not...When I'm gone it'll not matter.
What matters is now; how I act, react and how I treat others, and myself. So integrity happens.
I'd wrap myself in your ledger. And yes, I am familiar with Victor Frankl and have read his Man's Search for Meaning. It's funny, but the last time I read that was probably 7 years ago, when I was going through something rather intolerable, and the thing I remember standing out above all else was this concept of hope. He talked about how the human frame can tolerate just about anything, as long as they have hope for a better tomorrow. Once that is gone, they give up. The Edema gets them, or the fleas, or the scabies. But they die. Because the conditions are too intolerable in the camp for them to persist any longer without some meaning of some kind.
This is a good point, the hope thing. He's right of course, hope is a great motivator and can bring one the ability for patience, resilience, consistently, work-ethic and an attitude that moves one towards a successful resolution or result.
A good point indeed littlescribe.
I'm hoping hive moons right now. How materialistic of me.
Oh God, you're SOOOO materialistic. I can't STAND it! LOL
Shameful huh?