I had heard about the ABC spot through the rumor mill and then Curbed laid it out for me in its full glory: [Corcoran Gets Real, Offends REALTOR®](http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/03/28/corcoran_gets_real_offends_realtor.php)

[What Your Broker Won’t Tell You [ABC News]](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1759949) is more of a [promo for her series on Good Morning America [BarbaraCorcoran.com]](http://barbaracorcoran.com/home?/see_me/see_me_on_tv/) but I think that the message in the piece is just plain wrong. Who does it help? The consumer? Thats really not fair for BC to frame the piece this way, even to the cynical and it only appeals to the lowest common denominator. But then again, its the sensational stuff that draws viewer eyeballs. -sigh.

>Barbara Corcoran’s segment on Good Morning America piece essentially stereotypes ALL real estate brokers as liars.

In fact, the [comments in the Curbed post](http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/03/28/corcoran_gets_real_offends_realtor.php) were mainly pile-ons and broker-bashing. Granted, brokers can be an easy target because of their visibility, marketing intensity, the dollars involved and the emotional aspects of real estate. Admittedly, I get annoyed when I see the Code of Ethics shoved in my face in the [NAR’s recent advertising campaign](http://matrix.millersamuelv2.wpenginepowered.com/?p=487), but its all about the people and most brokers I have met are nice and decent people.

Barbara Corcoran came to the New York real estate market, she innovated the real estate brokerage profession, conquered it, was well compensated and moved on. She is effectively out of the business but continues to try to stay relevant by “stirring it up” as she was known to do throughout her career.

I have been critical of the NAR of late, especially in the way their public relations machine handled the phraseology associated with the cooling housing market. For example: [Housing Expansion](http://matrix.millersamuelv2.wpenginepowered.com/?p=230), but in this case, I find myself _agreeing_ with the NAR (kind of). [Here is the NAR take on this matter](http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2006032701?OpenDocument).

>Although you have to admit, Curbed’s curiousity about whether NAR President Thomas M. Stevens would actually would say: ‘”registered trademark!” after every time he utters the word “realtor?” Because that would be pretty damn weird.’


One Comment

  1. Robert Schwartz March 29, 2006 at 8:50 pm

    I will stop bashing brokers when you pry this keyboard from cold dead fingers.

    When brokers start competeing on price and service, maybe they will start being respected.

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