It is wonderful to be able to take a few moments to write on this hot dog stand.
Today I received an email from the NAR with an advertisement for REALTORS. The campaign is entitled “That’s who we ®”
After watching the ad a couple of times it occurred to me that is isn’t who we ® but maybe who someone thinks we should be. The REALTOR in the ad is a young man. I have been a REALTOR for over 18 years and like most REALTORS I have never been a young man.
In fact, I was over 40 when I joined. I brought with me a wealth of business, customer service, and sales experience that I gained from my brilliant career in software development.
The typical REALTOR according to NAR data is a woman in her 50’s. Why was the REALTOR featured in the ad a young man? In 2019 33 percent were over 60 years old, and 67% were and probably still are female. That is who we really are but apparently that doesn’t 
make good ad copy.
As a REALTOR I am proud of who I am and I wish that NAR could see my value. I know that people who work in advertising don’t like the idea of old women but trust me when I say we are here to stay.
Young men in suits in all skin tones are often used to represent a group that is composed of mostly white older women. Who we “R” is one thing and what we advertise is another which I guess is the whole point of the ads in the first place.
The first time home buyers he is showing around are the stereotypical young white couple consisting of a male and a female.
When I look at the magazine that shows new construction and other advertising for housing I always see pictures of white couples or white couples with children or occasionally darker-skinned couples or couples with grey hair.
Maybe the people who make those ads don’t want to consider that same-sex couples buy homes and single people buy homes.
People of color can own homes too. I know that homeownership is lower among people of color so maybe that is why NAR doesn’t want to picture people of color as first time home buyers? Shouldn’t all people believe that they can own a home and that a REALTOR will help them?
The ads don’t show who we really “®”. I guess I am not sure what they show or if they will attract younger members to a profession that has always attracted older workers.
I am going to work on a series of ads of my own about who we are. I can publish them right here on the weenie.