For real estate to be a true profession, we must first raise the bar
Agents help clients with one of the most significant financial and legal transactions of their lives, yet the industry requires minimal standards for licensure.
Key points:
- Real estate licensing and continuing education requirements in many states are far from robust, especially given the stakes involved in home purchase and sale transactions.
- A related field — home appraisal — involves far more rigorous training and could serve as a model for the residential brokerage industry.
- If we want to earn professional-level trust and respect, we need to stop defending the status quo and start raising expectations. Both consumers and practitioners deserve it.
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The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author.
If real estate agents and brokers genuinely want consumers to trust us more, we need to stop asking for professional-level respect while maintaining standards that don't meet that bar.
Agents help consumers navigate one of the most significant financial, legal and emotional transactions of their lives. Yet in many states, obtaining a real estate license requires relatively little education and passing an exam. That should concern all of us.
A model worth examining
But one doesn't have to look far to find a potential model for licensees. In the appraisal industry, practitioners are held to significantly higher standards before they can independently serve the public. They complete extensive education, work under supervision, accumulate thousands of hours of experience and demonstrate competency before advancing. Their profession is built around mentorship, experience and accountability.
When you compare that to the pathway many real estate agents take, it is fair to ask why the standards are so different when both professions play critical roles in protecting consumers during a real estate transaction.
A real estate license is just the beginning
I am not advocating for fewer agents. I am advocating for better-prepared agents. Imagine if newly licensed agents were required to complete a structured apprenticeship before representing consumers independently. Imagine meaningful mentorship requirements, transaction experience benchmarks and practical competency assessments before someone could fully operate on their own. A license should be the beginning of a professional journey, not the finish line.
We also need to take a hard look at continuing education. Too often it is seen as a box-checking exercise rather than a true opportunity to improve. Continuing education should focus on the skills that directly impact consumers, including contracts, negotiation, risk management, communication, finance, construction knowledge, fair housing and conflict resolution.
If we expect consumers to trust us, we should be willing to invest in becoming better at our craft every year.
Be transparent about production, experience
When choosing representation, consumers also deserve to know how much experience an agent has. It can be difficult for a buyer or seller to distinguish between an agent who personally closes dozens of transactions a year and one whose marketing is built around team production numbers. Consumers should know how long an agent has been licensed, how many transactions they personally handle and what role they play in the process.
This is not about punishing newer agents — every experienced professional was once new. It is about providing consumers with honest information so they can make informed decisions.
A similar level of transparency should apply to awards, rankings and recognitions. Our industry has become flooded with badges, honors and titles that often mean very little to the average consumer. If an award is paid for, or if a recognition is based on marketing participation rather than performance, consumers should know that.
Transparency should not be selective.
More accountability needed
Most professions have systems in place to address incompetence, unethical behavior or repeated violations of professional standards. Real estate should be no different.
Consumers should have confidence that bad actors are addressed consistently and fairly, regardless of their production level, popularity or influence within the industry. One unethical or incompetent professional damages the reputation of every agent who is trying to do the right thing.
At its core, professionalism is not about awards, social media followers or production numbers. It is about competency, ethics, accountability and service. When hiring a licensed agent, consumers should expect honest advice, clear communication, strong advocacy, ongoing education and a commitment to putting their interests first. Those should not be exceptional qualities. They should be the standard.
If we truly want to rebuild trust, we need to stop defending the status quo and start raising expectations. Consumers deserve it. Our profession deserves it. And frankly, the agents who have invested the time, effort and education to do this job well deserve it too.
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.