You got a license for that, buddy?

It is a common theme in many families: Children, as they finally cross the crucial threshold and become teenagers, find themselves emboldened, adopting a sense of invincibility that, now as an adult, is difficult to conceive. Among the many choices and activities that go along with proving such a feeling of empowerment is giving in to the allure of the family automobile resting idly in the garage. Flying up the driveway on a banged-up bicycle and seeing the magnificent station wagon unoccupied is a great deal more than a lot of teenagers could stand.

These teenagers invariably get the notion in their heads that it might be a good idea to take the family car out for a spin, maybe just around the block or to the schoolyard. For years they had observed their mother and father drive the car to and from school for practices, from Michigan
down to a family vacation in Florida, seemingly everywhere — surely they had gathered enough know-how to take the car down the street! Granted, they knew their mother and father would be none too pleased to find out about this little joyride; they would certainly say that such
a bold move required training enough to qualify for a certified driver’s license before it was legal to get behind the wheel and take to the open road.

Of course, these lessons are always learned best in hindsight. A downed fence, a mailbox, and a shrub later, the joyride often loses much of the luster it had moments earlier. This lesson learned is just one of many instances in life that highlight the necessity of preparedness and accountability. This necessity is founded deep within the fabric of our society.

As REALTORS® our business is incumbent upon being professionally prepared and one step ahead of the curve. To be known as a licensed REALTOR® in the state of Michigan carries with it a great deal of professional expectation on behalf of our clients; not only are we licensed and regulated by the state of Michigan, but we are also subject to an additional set of professional standards as members of the Michigan Association of REALTORS®. To work as a licensed REALTOR® in the state of Michigan, we must make the highest efforts to protect the integrity of
our profession, and I see those efforts in action on a daily basis. Through both mandatory and voluntary continuing education, Michigan REALTORS® work to keep the real estate industry in Michigan ahead of the curve.

There are individuals within the Michigan real estate industry, however, who play by a different set of rules: those who never took to the lesson that there is value in certain rules and regulations. I am talking about the unlicensed practice of real estate. It has grown from a limited anomaly into a much larger game of cat-and-mouse between regulators and those who would practice real estate illegally. These unlicensed practitioners mock the state of Michigan’s licensing policies, deride our professional standards, and weaken the strength of our industry.

Sadly, these unlicensed practitioners have become emboldened by relaxed enforcement by the State of Michigan.

The Michigan Association of REALTORS® has recently developed a relationship with the State of Michigan Office of the attorney general in order to report instances of unlicensed practice in the state. While the Office of the Attorney General is working with MAR towards deterring
unlicensed real estate practice in Michigan, a helping hand from individual REALTORS® statewide would benefit the State’s efforts immensely! Within our communities it is important to be watchful for unlicensed practice and to report it when you see it happening. You are all familiar with the rules that we must abide by as licensed real estate professionals, so if you find yourself in a situation or transaction where you suspect that the unlicensed practice of real estate is occurring, it is important that MAR and the Attorney General are notified. There is no room in
our complex industry for unlicensed individuals. The high level of professionalism that licensed real estate professionals have sought to uphold is directly threatened when unlicensed activity goes unchecked. Our clients depend on us to protect them from such reckless behavior.