I will always remember Gary and Enid.

Not just because they are pretty great folks, but because when I helped them buy a house years ago, it took for-freaking-ever.

I don't remember how many we looked at, but I'm sure it was more than any other client I've ever worked with.

Fifty maybe?

Possibly more.

One day, we were in Indian Trail looking at a house I was sure they would buy. This was at least our third and possibly 4th trip to this house, and it checked off almost all of the boxes.

When they didn't buy it, I remember Gary saying, "You know, if you didn't want to work with us anymore, that would be OK. We would understand - I know this is taking up too much of your time."

I appreciated the honesty.

And I was honest in return. "Gary," I said, "I've got so much time invested in you at this point that I'd stick with you guys until the end! Maybe someday I can recoup all this gas money, and since you're looking at pretty nice houses, I might even make a dollar or two in profit!"

I was kidding around, of course, but there was some truth to what I'd said; I did hope they would eventually buy a house.

But, until then, I would keep doing what I was doing. That is, looking for houses that fit their criteria to show them. Then, help them evaluate those houses against their criteria to see if the fit was good enough for them to spend a giant pile of money on.

That's the job.

But not every broker would agree.

Working primarily as a listing agent over the last decade, I will tell you that most don't; they're just looking for the sale.

This PSA posted yesterday in the Charlotte Realtor Facebook group, illustrates the more typical approach:

"Just a reminder to all buyers' agents out there: It is just as much your job to sell a house to a buyer as it is the listing agent."

I wanted to respond with, "That's a big crock of bullshit right there," but instead, I said:

"Hard disagree.

As a buyer's agent, it's not my job to sell your listing. It's my job to help my buyer achieve their goal.

I've had many other agents show houses for me, usually another agent on a fee-for-service basis, which I use frequently, but occasionally the listing agent.

A lot of times, my folks come back in love. Then I remind them what we're looking for, they realize they got over-excited and were about to jump the gun, and they pull back.

Fine by me. I'm in it for the long haul, and I don't care if we have to look at dozens of houses.

I've had plenty of repeat clients who were repeat clients not because of the house I helped them buy but because of the one I didn't let them buy."

With the NAR's help, the real estate industry has positioned itself as composed of consumer-oriented experts to whom the public can turn for assistance with what, for most, is the most significant financial decision of their lives.

But the real estate business is a grimy, ugly place chock full of people with minimal oversight and almost zero meaningful training who are in for one thing and one thing only: what they see as easy money.

For those folks, buying a house isn't all about you, as it should be.

It's all about them.