Enough, folks. I will withdraw my statements above and publish the full account of the converation on our web site - on a private link, so that clients are not exposed to this any more.

Read for yourself and decide. This is a cut and past of an email string. Read from the bottom up.

Tue Feb 12 2008, 06:56

I'm not sure why you found it necessary to try to publicly embarass the GTAR President.

One thing I have learned in the past 8 years is that one of the most important benefit of using a Realtor is not for their analytical abilities, but their ability to quell emotions and bring the transaction to a mutually beneficial close. Residential Buyers and Sellers can get very emotional.

So back to "Don't trust a Realtor who says..." I wouldn't trust a Realtor who clearly has no grasp of human relations and actually posts a potentially libelous insult about another human being. We're all human and although you do back your analysis with your "historical" data, there are "human" elements that need to be factored in. Irrational exuberance causes people to buy at the top of the market. The same irrational behavior causes many people to sell at the bottom of the market.

If your analyses are so spot on, what was your stance when the market was so hot that people were put in lotteries to buy Pasco County houses at inflated prices? Did you specifically warn your clients that they should not buy or did you just take your "easy" commissions?

If you actually did "warn" your clients, then hat's off to you!

Tue Feb 12 2008, 06:34

"If our President doesn't objects"

Who cares what she thinks now?

" I will publish the full content of our conversation on Home Encounter's web site."

Why there when the conversation is here?

Murphy, your post and comments are nothing more than "National Enquire" marketing .

It is time for you to Put up or shut up, and please stop embarrassing the Irish.

Tue Feb 12 2008, 06:21

" .. Our fiduciary duty is to our clients - not to each other .. "



... Great statement ....................!




-

Tue Feb 12 2008, 05:07

There is a valid business reason for this post.

Our clients expect the truth from us, not our version of the truth. When our President/Association makes statements that we believe to be incorrect, that's something we're obliged to stand against. Our fiduciary duty is to our clients - not to each other.

All of us are fighting a battle against marketplace misperceptions that Realtors are disconnected with reality and with the needs of their clients. NARs/GTARs "positive spin campaign" is only solidifying this in our client's minds.

Our clients are not stupid. They know when they're being politicked, and our present "party line" - that everything is getting better - is politicking of the worst kind. Home Encounter thrives because we are direct with our clients. We treat them like adults. When the market is bad, we say so, and we give them good advice on how to deal with it.

My comments in this public domain are supported by buyers/sellers who are looking for honest representation. We've earned the trust (and the dollars) of clients because of our directness on sites like these. Can you say the same?

If our President doesn't object, I will publish the full content of our conversation on Home Encounter's web site. Then you can decide for yourselves whether or not I've been fair with the facts.

Tue Feb 12 2008, 04:53

It sounds to me as though there is much more to this comment than meets the eye. We migh have only scratched the surface with this statement. Don't you think there are bigger issues here?

Tue Feb 12 2008, 04:51

Christopher, Well stated....

My read on this is that comments by the GTAR President are paraphrased and taken out of context.

BTW.... It appears that HomeEncounters.com (Peter Murphy site) and TheTenantList.com (the site being promoted on another thread started by Peter) are both owned by Falcon Investment Corporation of Tampa.

Deborah

Mon Feb 11 2008, 23:01

Is the choice to post "Don't Trust a Realtor Who Says... ?" a wise posting based on credible wisdom or is it the lack of experience and not knowing the difference between truthful knowledge and common sense which includes professionalism. As a member of the Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS, we, as members, should be working toward enhancing the professionalism and increasing the profitability of all members. By promoting a professional image to the prospects we want to do business with, we show that we take pride in our chosen profession and conduct our business in a professional manner. This type of posting serves no purpose and is demeaning to those of us who have been in the business many years and weathered many market challenges. When one loses confidence in the organization they pay dues to belong to, the time has come to move on to another.

"Wisdom is the sharing of wise experiences and knowledge, but a lot of it is common sense. The difference is how we apply this common sense - we all have the ability to keep going even when we face challenges in our lives - basically it comes down to your attitude. We can have a positive attitude towards life, or a negative attitude. We can focus on the good or we can focus on the bad. Keeping a positive mental attitude is one of the keys to success. The choice is always up to us! ~ Unknown".

Mon Feb 11 2008, 22:20

I don't see that Peter is a member of any association let alone GTAR.

While I don't agree with his possibly twisted account of a conversation he may or may not have had, I can not see where threats are going to help this issue. Mr Murphy is out to create press for his tenant screening and entertainment site, fish for agents and Realtors (Not all Pros are Realtors mind you) willing to pay for leads from another site AND to occupy his idle time while waiting for something to happen. Well Mr Murphy, it looks like you are well on your way.....The waters were chummed, the bait was hit, hook is set now reel em' in! Great job. Any press is good press. The only thing wrong, the press is here on Trulia. Unless this was just a test placement, you missed the mark and wasted a good opportunity. It wont have the same effect a second time around. But, then again, I have been proven wrong a time or two.

Mon Feb 11 2008, 21:07

Gary i will add...... let's all of us press on Trulia as well, and request action!
That said, let's ignore this post, please.

Mon Feb 11 2008, 20:20

WOW! I am floored... I'm a little bit speechless at this time.

I'm curious Peter, are you a GTAR member?

Mon Feb 11 2008, 20:09

The bottom line my dear friends is that Mr. Murphy has been caught attempting to influence us much in the same way that he is accusing the President of the Tampa Board of Realtors. He has taken statements of fact and twisted them to appear as something different than what they were.


If he were to print the "written exchange" for us all to read, then we could all see this to be the case, or I might have to eat my hat. But you see, he cannot or will not because he wil be called out for what he is.

Mr. Murphy, I will again ask you to issue an apology to the President and the members of GTAR. She is an elected official of the board and is representative of all of us. Your slight on her, is a slight on all of us and frankly, magnificently, finally upon yourself.

In the event that you refuse to apologize, here in this same forum, that you chose to make libelous statements, I will use the authorities vested to each and every REALTOR who subscribes to the Code of Ethics, to press a formal complaint to the board of REALTORS. You will have to answer to these charges, most specifically Article 15 of the code and defend yourself. Not a fun place to be, I assure you, having sat on the panel many times in judgment of cases like this.

Your options are limited. Issue an immediate rebuttal or face the panel.

I believe that, reading the posts of your fellow REALTORS here in this forum, you can start to get a feeling of how a panel of your peers will find your misguided statements.

Imagine how a panel of your peers, with a formal complaint written by yours truly, and accompanied by the original emails (which I am certain the President will supply) will rule.

It seems that your options, being limited as they are, are bleak. But they are all that you have at this juncture. I encourage you to act responsibly and promptly as I will be at the Board on Thursday for a meeting, so you can see, "time is truly of the essence."

Mon Feb 11 2008, 18:55

There are valid reasons for believing anecdotal evidence over economic analysis of strategists and MBA's
The MBA's are often crunching numbers that are months out of date. My anecdotal read of my market (Sacramento and Roseville, CA ) accurately called the peak of our bubble in June 2005. I published my call in my newsletter. (off line)

However if you look at the Case Shiller index, none of their 20 cities peaked before December 2005, some did not peak until summer 2007. The national peak was supposedly in December 2006.

The reason why anecdotal evidence trumps the MBA stats is for timing is that an offer made in February 2008 does not record until March 2008. The MBA's take April and May to gather their data and publish it in June. At that time you are getting detailed numbers that are all sliced and diced. However, they are four frigging months old!

The media then disseminates this historical research and frames the news as if it were predictive of future trends rather than a record of the almost recent past.

I believe both academic and "feel for the market" research have their value. I pay attention to both, but I know that judgment calls for combining the knowledge of the past with an understanding of the probable future.

Peter, I hope the others predictions for you future with your association are not as dire as they predicted.
Please consider my way of looking at this issue, perhaps you can patch things up with her if you acknowledge her right to rely on her feelings over stale statistics.

Mon Feb 11 2008, 17:21

1. I exert a positive influence on the marketplace.

2. I wake up everyday trying to create a sale, paying no attention to Inventory, economy, employment, or my diet.
Ofcourse I try to dictate consumer behavior. " Mr & Mrs Buyer, Get in the car and bring your checkbook."

3. I had a "feeling" the Giants were going to win.

4. OK I have been wrong in my predictions, however strangely enough, my wife is always right.

5. I have belonged to the Optimist club since I was 6 years old.
A positive mental attitude works for everything, even my Golf game.

Mon Feb 11 2008, 16:51

I thought that I would post this for you to take a look at. You may have a slight issue here.

I would issue an immediate public apology, not only to the President, but also to the membership who ELECTED her.

This comes from the REALTOR code of Ethics. It is pretty good reading, you might give it a try. I attached the link just in case you are not able to find it on your own.

Duties to REALTORS®

Article 15
REALTORS® shall not knowingly or recklessly make false or misleading statements about competitors, their businesses, or their business practices. (Amended 1/92)


Standard of Practice 15-1

REALTORS® shall not knowingly or recklessly file false or unfounded ethics complaints. (Adopted 1/00)

Standard of Practice 15-2

The obligation to refrain from making false or misleading statements about competitors’ businesses and competitors’ business practices includes the duty to not knowingly or recklessly repeat, retransmit, or republish false or misleading statements made by others. This duty applies whether false or misleading statements are repeated in person, in writing, by technological means (e.g., the Internet), or by any other means. (Adopted 1/07)

Mon Feb 11 2008, 15:40

Peter...... you did it again!
I wasn't wrong when i said you spit in your own dish.
you were not happy enough that you'd to pick on the President itself, wheter her statements are true or not, it's DEFINETELY her job to promote the category and not yours to diminish it.
GTAR probably has refused you as a member, or I hope they will do A.S.A.P along with F.A.R to disciplinate a "PRO"...... of diffamation.
You're probably getting your 15 minutes of glory, enjoy while you can.

Mon Feb 11 2008, 15:26

Peter, I think your getting a bit over the top. Posting data to the site is one thing but to then attack the President of the Greater Tampa Assoc. of Realtors is really verging on libel. I'd be very careful about being so "right". You might find yourself absolutely correct with a $100,000 attorney bill for defending your "Right" statements. You'd think folks would learn their lessons from the guy being sued by the Developer in your state for making a "mis-statement" of fact. Careful Peter.

Mon Feb 11 2008, 14:57

I find it interesting how you mischaracterized the exchange. I find it more interesting how you put quotes around the following statement. 1. She said that her job "is to exert a positive influence on the marketplace". Not to be honest with the facts, not to be accurate in data interpretation, but to be "positive."

Let us look at what was really written. Why don't you post the email, along with your email, in their entireties. Then go take a look at the Florida statutes that cover Slander and more specifically LIBEL.

I think that you may find that you are already in over you head and that erasing this post will do you no good at this point. But an Apology to the Tampa Board of Realtors might.

Lastly, you may realize that your opinion is simply, your opinion. You may have some facts to back up YOUR opinion and I can poke holes in those facts all day long with an equally impressive set of facts. But I would never have the audacity to call you a liar. But then, I don't have to....post the emails!!!!

Mon Feb 11 2008, 14:13