Ah, I see where the confusion is, and why you are upset. The “Twisting Stereotypes” section is not a real-world judgement of a profession, but rather a judgement on how that profession is stereotyped a certain way in fiction and film. In other words, often in movies, TV shows and fiction, Real Estate Agents are portrayed as pushy and over friendly, which may be true for some real agents, but certainly unfair to paint them all that way. We suggest people not fall into this shortcut because it can be cliche and lazy writing and instead come up with something fresh. This is reinforced in the second paragraph: Characters cast in this role are always well-groomed and articulate. Why not try a character who doesn’t care about what others think of how he or she dresses, but is exceptionally good at what they do, so much so that rumpled clothing or rougher language is overlooked?

To clarify, here’s a section from our main post describing the main fields of the Occupation Thesaurus:

“Twisting Stereotypes. In fiction, we can often see characters with a specific job be cast in a stereotypical light (which can be unrepresentative and cliche) to further the plot or act as a characterization short cut. We will offer ways to twist these so you don’t fall into a trap that may do a disservice to your story.”

I can see how this was confusing for you though, so I rephrased the first line to: In fiction and film, Real Estate Agents often seem to come across as a bit pushy and overly friendly, and usually only point out the highlights of the property.

I hope you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt as no offense was meant, and this is certainly no judgement on the profession in the real world. 😉

As for the trademark symbol, yes, I missed that and have corrected it.

I hope this helps shed light on this entry, and our intent.

“Significant research” is not reflected in the fact that you missed that “Realtor” is a trademarked term and not just a synonym for real estate agent.

Also:
“Real Estate Agents always come across as a bit pushy and overly friendly, and usually only point out the highlights of the property. Why not have your character’s ethics and values cause them to be overly honest about the property, even if it means costing a sale?”

-is frankly just insulting. I’ve NEVER known an agent who wasn’t ethical to a fault. An honest agent isn’t a fun twist. It should be the norm. Like a writer that does research.

Hi Steve,

I’m sorry you feel that way. I can tell you I did significant research on this topic, but this is certainly not comprehensive and we always encourage writers do their own research depending on the real-world location they are working in. There will be differences depending on the country/state/province/county where you practice as terminology, educational components, regulations, and the type of real estate being sold all supply different variables. And of course, depending on the age of the character and how long they have been practicing will also create differences as the ecosystem they learned the business is always evolving.

Please, by all means feel free to share your own individual experience so that all writers can get a better handle on this profession. 😉

Best,
Angela

I love this! I have met ethical realtors and dealt with many unethical ones. When you find a good one you hang onto them and use them house to house to house, because trust is so important with big purchases. Way to be awesome, Erika’s Hubby!

Aw, thank you for the shout out, Erika! So glad you are finding the site helpful!

have you been to One stop for Writers? There are so many there. It is one of the best sites. I use it almost daily. (It is an extension of this blog)

Glad this helps! 🙂

If there’s an opportunity to characterize and add depth by choosing one’s type of work carefully, why not, right? 🙂