Ethics and conflicts of interest, from an ex-Seattle Real Estate Agent

I use to be a real estate agent in Seattle, that is why I started blogging to promote my website UrbanTango.com. There was a lot of talk about real estate agents representing both parties, the buyers and sellers. This was discussed in my real estate classes from day one.

I totally disagreed with the majority and common accepted view that it was ok and ethical for a real estate agent in Seattle and Washington state to represent both parties. How can one serve two masters? Well, the best answer I got was from the teacher of the real state class. He said, he felt no conflict of interest as he was honest to both parties. I don't care if you are honest Sir, I care about who's interest you have in mind.

Most state bar associations and lawyers have very straight rules about not being able to work with a client, and their competitor, or against a previous client. This is based on a attorney client privilege, doctors and psychologist have the same exact thing. But real estate agents in the State of Washington and in Seattle can represent both a home buyer and a seller? How is that? Any advice for someone going through this?

Why write about Seattle real estate now?

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifWhy would anyone want to write about Real Estate now, especially Seattle real estate at this point? I would, because the numbers are getting bad to worse, and as i write the Pending Home sales June to July down 12.2% from June. Check out the latest at http://realtycheck.cnbc.com. Year to year trend is down heavily, and the numbers are likely to be driven by fear. The west was down 20%, meaning west is always the latest.

Where is the bottom? I think we are at the close to the bottom. The Fed now needs to help the real estate market. So what is the deal with Seattle Washington real estate? Here is an article of the real estate market from Associated Press yesterday.

Here is the link to the article, I received this along with Keller Williams North Seattle real state agents in the office I use to work in. I am so confident that the real estate market in Seattle. "Washington state led the nation with the number of cities in the top 20 for appreciation with five. In order, there are: Wenatchee (up 23.54 percent), Longview (up 13.6 percent), Seattle/Bellevue/Everett (up 9.89 percent), Tacoma (up 9.34 percent) and Spokane (up 9.3 percent). And, the state had no cities in the bottom 20, which were located primarily in California and Florida.

Washington state ranked third, with appreciation at 9.12 percent, behind Utah at 15.28 percent and Wyoming at 12.84 percent."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2003860505_webhomeprice30.html

yes, I have been blogging about Seattle real estate market bubble, on my real estate blogs for the last 4 years.