A recent article online at RealtyTimes.com by Jennifer Allen asks the question: Is real estate really a relationship business? She says that it should not be, but adds:

“This means the more people who know you and like you, the more real estate you’ll sell. Selling real estate is about knowing how to sell real estate. Let’s say that differently. It’s about knowing how to manage and facilitate the exchange of real property so that the buyer or seller who hired you is satisfied with the outcome.
Sure, building a real estate business may have everything to do with your relationships, but, as agents, that’s not what we do. Is tax preparation a relationship business? Is dentistry a relationship business? Is dog-training a relationship business? No, we expect our tax preparers to know how to prepare taxes. We hope our dentists know how to fix cavities. We expect a dog-trainer to be a master in dog behavior. That’s their business. Our buyers and sellers have the right to expect that we know our business. This means how to manage and facilitate the exchange of real property, not how to persuade our “dear friends” to provide us with easy paychecks.”
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But what really stands out to me is this telling statement:
“It’s about knowing how to manage and facilitate the exchange of real property so that the buyer or seller who hired you is satisfied with the outcome.”

Really? Is it about facilitation? My answer is an emphatic “Heck no!” A “facilitator” just tries to get along to “do the deal”… and not be an advocate for the buyer. We ARE advocates!

You want a “facilitator”? Go find another real estate broker. You want an “advocate” as a true Exclusive Buyer’s Broker? Then you know who to use! After all, it’s “only” your home and the biggest financial transaction of your lifetime!

“The biggest tragedy in urban education in the United States is forced busing.” That is a quote from a retired school official here in the metro Columbus area, but it doesn’t take a genius for the majority to recognize the failures beginning in the late 70’s here in the Columbus City School District (and other urban districts in the US) due to court ordered busing and inept planning. Instead of the court focusing on the quality of education they focused on transportation… Neighborhood demographics are always identifiable because every neighborhood is unique!

I graduated from Columbus Whetstone in 1972 with a graduating class over 600 and the Columbus CSD had over 112,000 students then. Clear back in 1963 my parents had narrowed down their home choices to two homes – one in Upper Arlington and one in The Knolls off of Olentangy River Road and south of Henderson. The difference in price was less than $250 for virtually identical homes! But here is the key teaching point – they did not perceive a big difference in the quality of education between the two districts! And in fact, other than our football team, we were on par with UA academically, athletically, musically and so on. But all of that began to change with court ordered busing in the late 70’s.

Consider the following points, in no particular order, to demonstrate the frivolity of the current Columbus Board of Education’s recent “examination of win-win”:

1. School boundaries do not match up with municipal boundaries which do not match up with zip codes which do not match up with telephone exchanges! Never have, never will in Ohio.

2. The township areas annexed to the City of Columbus when needing water and sewer services (note: it’s the City, NOT the school district!) have ALWAYS been in their respective suburban school districts – they have NEVER been in the Columbus CSD. There is no “taking back” because they never had that land or the homes or the families to begin with!

3. Neighborhood students and their families transferring between two districts would have to have approval from both school boards and the Ohio BOE. Unless all three would agree it will not happen. End of discussion.

4. Even IF a suburban district wanted to transfer students away to Columbus CSD then the resulting retail, office and commercial tax revenues would also transfer in addition to the students families and their school property taxes. The result would be utter devastation to the suburban districts which would have a drop in students and revenue, thereby needing to cut teachers, staff and programing.

5. The loss of those students and their parents votes would also cause the historical majority of “yes” votes that support the suburban schools bond and operating levies to be
transferred away too! In New Albany, for example, the majority of Plain Township voters and about 50% of the “country club” voters do NOT support New Albany schools. If the “win-win” voters left New Albany Schools so would any chance of bond or levy financing being approved. And this is not unique to New Albany – look at the other school districts too. Historically much of their “yes” votes come from “win-win” parents.

6. Sadly over the years the Columbus CSD Board of Education and administration have proven inept at properly managing the existing students, curriculum, teachers, staffs, and physical buildings and assets which has resulted in the erosion of students and academics. And yet an area of Columbus on the far northeast side is growing and needs a local school. Developers have even offered the land for free and to build the school buildings at cost – yet nothing happens
because the Columbus BOE is fearful. If Columbus schools cant be trusted with what they have how can they be trusted with more?

7. As a graduate of Columbus schools and a life long resident I DO want Columbus City Schools to succeed so that the core of our metro area doesn’t rot scholastically with our young people! I want the Columbus CSD to excel so that people will want to send their children there and those parents that cannot move away are thankful that they DO have a great school system to send their children. “Rebuild a great school system and they will come!”

8. Using the Columbus BOE twisted thinking how about prohibiting ALL children within the Columbus City limits from attending all A).private, B). charter, C). Catholic, D). Christian, E). Jewish, F). Muslim or other church-sponsored educations, and finally G). home-schooled students too? Let’s get every student between 5 and 18 to be forced to attend Columbus CSD if they live in Columbus… just where does it end?

9. Honestly you’d think the Columbus BOE would have been briefed very year by their professional staff to be up to speed in the “win-win” agreement and not clueless. Considering that one district opted out of paying the “fee” and nothing happened transfer wise (other than Columbus CSD missing out on that fee each year) you have to wonder if all the other suburbs decided to opt out then Columbus CSD would lose another $6.3 million and still not get the students!

So while 4 members of the Columbus BOE stir the pot needlessly maybe it’s time for the “win-win” districts to quit paying the ransom that was never earned or warranted in the first place. And finally would someone please help restore the Columbus CSD to the greatness it had by focusing on what it has
has?

Andrew

Co-Chair, The Rocky Fork Blacklick Accord Implementation Panel
Chair, The Smart Growth Coalition
Whetstone High School, Class of 1972
Ohio State University, Class of 1975

Note I live in the New Albany-Plain Local School District with City of Columbus police, fire, refuse, etc services and a Gahanna mailing address