Real estate has a trust problem — and we’re making it worse 

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The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author.

Real estate already has a trust problem with consumers. 

That is not a secret, and pretending otherwise does not help us. Consumers question our value. They question commissions. They question transparency. They question whether agents are truly necessary or whether we are simply standing in the middle of a transaction collecting a check. Fair or not, that perception exists.

The problem is that instead of consistently proving why professional representation matters, we keep giving consumers more reasons to doubt us. The current public battles happening across the industry are not helping. MLSs fighting portals, brokerages fighting MLSs, agents choosing sides online and industry leaders taking shots at one another in public all create one clear message to the consumer: This industry is divided, reactive and more focused on itself than the people it claims to serve.

That should concern all of us.

Buyers and sellers need guidance, not infighting

Consumers do not care about our internal politics. They do not care about our brokerage rivalries, which platform is mad at which MLS, which portal got cut off or which company believes it has the superior vision for the future of real estate. They simply want accurate information, fair access, competent guidance, honest communication, and confidence that the people helping them buy or sell a home actually know what they are doing.

Right now, we are not exactly giving them a reason to feel confident.

When these disputes play out publicly, the consumer sees the mess. They see agents arguing on social media. They see industry professionals taking sides like this is a team sport. They see influencers chasing attention instead of offering education. They see headlines about lawsuits, data disputes, listing access, commissions, private networks, portal fights and MLS battles. 

We cannot keep acting surprised by the public's lack of trust while publicly behaving in ways that confirm their concerns.

This divisiveness is eroding our credibility

The industry has a responsibility to do better. That starts with remembering who we are supposed to serve. A seller should not have to worry about whether their listing is being used as leverage in a larger dispute. A buyer should not have to search multiple places to figure out what homes are actually available. An agent should not have to explain to a client that their home disappeared from a platform because two institutions are fighting.

That does not make us look innovative. It makes us look unorganized.

The division is not helping anyone — not agents, not brokers, not MLSs, not portals — and certainly not buyers and sellers. Every time the industry airs its internal fights in a public, messy, emotional way, we damage our own credibility a little more.

Real estate's low barrier to entry isn't helping

We also have to be honest about another underlying issue. Part of the reason our industry struggles with professionalism is because the barrier to entry is too low. Becoming a real estate agent should require more than passing a test, getting a headshot, and announcing your new career on Facebook. This is not a hobby. This is a profession that deals with contracts, negotiations, financing, inspections, timelines, legal risk, family transitions, divorce, death, relocation and often the largest financial decision of someone's life.

That should require serious education, training and accountability.

There are great new agents in this industry. There are also experienced agents who should have raised their standards years ago. This is not about age or years in the business, but about competence and professionalism. It is about understanding that the license is only the beginning, not the finish line.

The industry needs a reset

If we want consumers to respect this profession, we have to start treating it like one. That means raising standards, investing in better education and expecting more from agents before they are trusted with people's largest assets. It means leadership that chooses solutions over posturing and agents who care more about being useful than being visible.

Social media has only made this more obvious. There are too many people in this industry trying to be influencers before they have mastered the actual work. Attention is not the same as expertise, and going viral does not make someone competent. The consumer does not need real estate performers — they need real estate professionals.

As for the industry, it needs a reset. Not a performative one, but a real reset that puts the consumer back at the center of every conversation.

It's time to build something better

A consumer-first reset means full exposure, accurate information and transparency should matter. So should education, professionalism and unity. We can disagree on strategy without making the entire industry look foolish in the process.

The goal should not be to win the argument online, but to build a better, more trusted industry.

Right now, the public fighting is giving consumers more reasons to question us, not fewer. If we want trust, we have to earn it. If we want respect, we have to act like professionals. If we want the public to believe we are better than the reputation we already have, then we need to stop proving their worst assumptions right.

We are better than this.

At least, we should be.

Nathan White is a Central Ohio Realtor, team member with the Gibson Group and ABR Instructor. He has served as Chair of the Columbus Realtors MLS Committee and has been active in professional standards, mediation, ombudsman work and industry education at the local and state levels.

Nathan is passionate about protecting consumers, strengthening the role of the MLS, and helping agents build better businesses through innovation, transparency and accountability.