Challenging the Status Quo

“I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it. (no longer available)”

If we do not have the courage to acknowledge and examine the status quo – in this case – Agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia, why not? I tell my children that it is incumbent upon them to question everything – and I am asking that of fellow Realtors – why do we not examine Agency? My opinion on Single-Agent Dual Agency is well known, but my intent with this post is pure – What is preventing Virginia Realtors from studying whether Single-Agent Dual Agency is relevant? Do we need or want legislation to force our hand? Where is the Virginia Real Estate Board?

In October I asked –

VAR looked at Agency from 1992 until 1994 and the law went into effect on July 1 1995.

A lot has changed since our Association last looked at Agency (for starters, the Internet has redefined our world).

If you’re looking for more ways to defend the status quo, start with Seth Godin’s post from 2006.

For the general public: in the Virginia Realtor world, Lem Marshall is the staff attorney – and by “the staff attorney,” I mean THE attorney. When there is an issue, Lem has the answer. Why do we ignore the opinion of our esteemed Counsel when we defer to him in all other circumstances?

If you’re an agent practicing Dual Agency and get sued, how long do you think it’ll take an attorney to pull up these documents and the large number of posts warning against Dual Agency? A jury is going to have a hard time understanding why agents still pursue this archaic practice, while everyone is warning against it.

~ Lem Marshall, VAR Legal Counsel “Commonwealth Magazine 2004″

In all honesty, I’d like an explanation here in public rather than in a hallway or a meeting or behind my back – Why is courage to examine the status quo so lacking?