realtors are supposed to be experts and marketing. Sellers pay them 6% of the value of their homes for this expertise — or lack thereof.

Although many realtors are upstanding business people with strong ethics and empathy for their clients, many others are not. Collectively, the association that represents realtors is a dysfunctional, highly-manipulative group. Since I began writing about real estate matters nearly 10 years ago, I refused to capitalize the letter “r” in realtor. Such capitalization would be a sign of respect I don’t believe the association warrants.

In short, I think realtor associations suck.

The association in Orange County sued me once, so perhaps that biases my judgement.

(See: OC realtors seek to silence free speech by accusing IrvineRenter of lying, and OCAr fails to explain charges, demands IrvineRenter’s silence)

It was a public relations nightmare for them, so when they gave up (after I gave them a few black eyes), I won.

(See: OCAr capitulates: IrvineRenter wins epic victory for free speech)

It was a sweet victory.

One of the reasons I dislike the antics of realtor associations is that they focus all their energy on creating false urgency to motivate buyers even if buying is not in the best interest of their clients. It would be marginally less irritating if they were open about their activities, perhaps taking on the title of the National Association of Listing Agents, but that’s not who they are. They are supposed to reflect the interests of buyers and seller equally, but that isn’t how they operate in the real world.

There is an unwritten understanding between buyer’s agents and listing agents. It’s a buyer’s agents job to manipulate their clients into capitulating to the seller’s demands. The buyers agents who do this best are more popular with listing agents, and often get referrals from them. Both agents benefit by closing more deals. The only party who’s hurt is the buyer — one of the parties who was supposed to be represented by their agent.

If buyers were truly represented by buyer’s agents, and if the association supported this effort, the advertising from the various associations would be very different. There might actually be a bad time to buy a home. Can you imagine the National Association of realtors actually saying that?

Seriously, how can it be a great time to buy or sell a home? Isn’t it either a great time to buy or a great time to sell? Only from a realtor’s perspective can it be both simultaneously, and that’s because it’s always a great time to generate a commission, right?

realtor.com® recently launched a new marketing campaign with actress, producer and director, Elizabeth Banks. Building upon last year’s award-winning campaign with Banks, realtor.com®’s new “Own Home” campaign is comprised of TV ads, digital videos and social integrations that cement realtor.com® as the most trusted and comprehensive source of real estate information for home buyers, sellers and dreamers.

Trusted? I think not.

“Our business is stronger than ever and we’re keeping our foot on the accelerator with the debut of this new campaign that educates consumers on what we do best – help people dream of a new home, find a home they love and own their perfect home,” says Ryan O’Hara, chief executive officer for realtor.com® “After an impactful first year, we expect this year’s enhanced message and unique storytelling to help educate consumers about the home buying process and make it more approachable.” With the tagline of “Dream home. Find home. Own home,” the campaign brings to life the home-search process on realtor.com®. The ads are a humorous blend of home ownership fantasies and buying tips that feature Banks crashing people’s dreams as they imagine the perfect spot in their perfect home. Dreaming of a bathroom with dual showerheads, where the razor shaves you and you emerge with the perfect shaving cream mustache? Banks is there to help, bringing her signature humor, smarts and glamour to fuse together the surreal fantasies of the dream with the benefit of using the realtor.com® app to find a home with that perfect bathroom. …

To view the realtor.com® ad spots, please visit: Dream Deck

Dream Bathroom

Like the new silly ads from realtor.com, sometimes realtor ads are funny when they aren’t trying to be.

How does an agent tell the market that their client is motivated without looking too motivated?

Remember the “Got Milk” campaign?

When a realtor uses this slogan, it sounds more like catching a venereal disease.

Speaking of venereal disease…

Or disease can be avoided by self help.

The California Association of realtors recently ran this series. I had to help them out with their lackluster ad copy.

DC Real Estate tried truth in advertising. Kudos to them.

Those beauties above only get honorable mention. The real list of ads and marketing photos follows:

1. Colonel Sanders?

2. #nofilter

3. “Bluetooth forever Siri never!”

4. I’d hire him.

5. This house needs to be at least THREE TIMES that size before I buy it!

6. So are you guys partners?

7. What a view.

8. “I’ll consider that offer.”

9. Wait, wait, wait… You can fly, too?!

10. Beth Smith sells houses now.

11. “I’ll sell you the house and then my heart.”

12. Another member of the Bluetooth brigade.

13. He keeps all his real estate secrets under his hat.

14. “OK Photoshop guy, I want you to airbrush my nose a little. But not TOO MUCH.”

15. Howdy partner.

16. I don’t even…

17. The wife of No. 15

18. “I can show you the world.”

19. Selling you houses… from the ‘other side.’

20. And this guy.

21. realtors know their local markets.

22. Winning hearts and minds.

23. Whatever it takes.

24. Sex sells.

25. It takes a village.

26. Trust is paramount.

27. Always there to help.

28. I’ve got a deal for you.

29. Circle of Life.

30. All’s well that ends well…

[dfads params=’groups=3&limit=1&orderby=random’]

[dfads params=’groups=23&limit=1&orderby=random’]

[listing mls=”OC16121064″]