Commentary January 26, 2012

What is it About Real Estate Agents and Dogs?

MaxThis is one of those topics I have been meaning to write about for a dog’s age (sorry) and I finally have the time and inspiration to do just that.

It is my view that an inordinate percentage of real estate agents are dog lovers. Canine devotees. Poochophiles. And they aren’t just dog owners, they rescue them  adopt them, and give them foster homes. When I peruse Facebook, I can bet that the people who are posting about a dog that needs a home are real estate licensees.

My very non-scientific observation in my 44 years is that a higher percentage of real estate people are dog people than any other occupation I know. Their dogs were always in their print and home magazine ads, they are on their web pages, in their cars, and often in their offices. They love their dogs. Actually, I should say WE love our dogs because I am one of them. We own a rescued 90 pound purebred German Shepherd who is a big goofy loveball, thinks I am the cats meow the greatest guy in the world, and adores the children. Before Max we had two yellow labs, Logan and Bella, and Logan was also a rescue who was nursed back from heartworm and near death.

I was around dogs when I was a kid. That’s my excuse. Do dogs cause people go go into real estate, or is it something else that causes the canine mania in so many of my colleagues?

I actually think that the dog things does go hand in hand with a love of homes. Dogs make a house a home. They bring love and warmth, companionship and warm fuzzies. And when you are all about a home, a dog is not a far leap.

But I think it is deeper than that, and I think what I am about to say should make our profession proud. We have compassion. By and large we are a benevolent group. Sure, there are some crummy, mercenary shazbuts in our ranks but overall we’re a home loving (often dog loving), softed hearted crowd. If we weren’t we wouldn’t be so devoted to our furry family.

Reading so many blogs and listening to my own team of agents, we lose sleep over our clients. We mother hen. We worry. We SO want them to win. We invest our selves and our efforts in a happy outcome for them. We literally bet our income we can make a difference for them. The public might think that all we see is a commission, but that’s the minority. When we look at our clients, we see a noble mission. Is it any wonder that so many of us see the same when we look into a dog’s eyes?

That’s my theory- any other ideas?

Duchess, around 1978