C
raig Witt, CEO of EXIT Realty, shares his vision for elevating the real estate industry's professionalism in a recent episode of the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast. With over 20 years at EXIT Realty, Witt has seen firsthand how agents come and go, and he believes it's time to raise the bar. "If you're in the right place, doing the right thing, affecting the right people, then it's worth staying," he said.

    Witt advocates for making it harder for aspiring agents to obtain a license, citing the need for more education and competence. He notes that consumers are now demanding a higher level of professionalism, and if the industry doesn't adapt, someone will replace them. "If we don't do a better job, someone's going to replace us," Witt said.

    To address this issue, Witt suggests overhauling continuing education requirements, making it more challenging for agents to simply click through online courses and receive certification. He also believes that brokers should not be responsible for reviewing contracts and ensuring compliance across thousands of agents.

    Witt places the responsibility for change at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which he believes needs to set a new standard for professionalism in the industry. "You have to have leadership at the top at NAR that says, 'We're setting a new standard, and the new standard is this: We're raising the professionalism in our industry,'" Witt said.

    However, Witt also emphasizes the importance of retaining the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), which he believes was long overdue and benefits both buyers and sellers. He also advocates for creating a national MLS, citing the difficulties faced by small communities in sustaining their own MLSs. "It's just way too hard for these small communities to sustain," Witt said.