| The role of a journalist is to seek the truth and | | | | estate agent is representing. |
| report it. The journalist doesn't make the truth, nor | | | | However, there is a point where one may cross the |
| does he/she "make" the news, but rather the | | | | line into "puffery", which defines as: Advertising or |
| reporter is on the cutting edge of where the news is | | | | sales presentation relying on exaggerations, opinions, |
| happening. According to the Society of Professional | | | | and superlatives, with little or no credible evidence to |
| Journalist, there are several key standards to the | | | | support its vague claims. Puffery may be tolerated to |
| profession, on the website it states: The duty of the | | | | an extent so long as it does not amount to |
| journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth | | | | misrepresentation (false claim of possessing certain |
| and providing a fair and comprehensive account of | | | | positive attributes or of not possessing certain |
| events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all | | | | negative attributes). |
| media and specialties strive to serve the public with | | | | One of the key aspects to ethical journalism is to |
| thoroughness and honesty. | | | | minimize harm to the public it serves. Sometimes that |
| In my view, what a professional Realtor does is | | | | means telling people the truth, rather than what they |
| similar in nature to a professional journalist. The role | | | | want to hear. And the same applies to the |
| of the Realtor is to know the market in great depth | | | | professional Realtor. The professional Realtor will be |
| and to report that information to both customers | | | | honest and forthright in dealing with both customers |
| and clients. The Realtor does not "make" the market, | | | | and clients, even when it might jeopardize an |
| but rather is on the cutting edge of where it is | | | | outcome that would benefit him or herself. |
| happening, and because of that understands the | | | | There is so much real estate information and data |
| nuances of it in ways that someone not actively | | | | available now to the general public on the Internet |
| involved could possibly know. It is then the duty of | | | | which used to have as its source the professional |
| the Realtor to reflect the market conditions back to | | | | Realtor. So the question becomes to the public |
| clients and customers. | | | | sometimes: What do I need a professional Realtor |
| Buyers and sellers sometimes believe that a | | | | for? In this analogy, it is to interpret all of that |
| professional Realtor can influence the market and | | | | information and data. Just as there will always be a |
| "steer" the outcome to their advantage. This | | | | demand for the professional journalist to provide the |
| influence can be activities in the form of putting the | | | | news to the public, there will always be a need for |
| best spin on the condition of the home, market | | | | the professional Realtor to provide the guidance |
| statistics, not sharing all the details of a property. The | | | | necessary in order to really understand the depth and |
| slant could be to the positive or negative depending | | | | nuances of buying and selling real property. |
| on who the target audience is and person(s) the real | | | | |