As I wring my hands and worry about readers, I am grateful that Realtors across the country continue to read REM with loyalty and enthusiasm.

I have heard that readership at some of the large mainstream newspapers has been down by as much as 30 per cent due to the Internet. We have held our own a little better but we aren’t taking anything for granted. We have worked hard but we have also been a bit lucky that our readers comprise the real estate industry in Canada. This is arguably one of the most engaged business communities for all things that matter to every neighbourhood and walk of life in the country. We keep in mind that even after all these years, we cannot count on owning this readership for a minute, nor can we fool this industry for one second. We will remain vigilant in producing the most relevant, important and timely information and news that we can.

With that said I bring your attention to the parallels between newspapers and Realtors. Both industries are being attacked by critics who say neither are professionals. They claim no university degrees, technical abilities or scientific skills are required for this work, so anybody can do these jobs. Anybody can write and anybody can sell a house. All anyone needs to be a reporter is a chance to have what they write published in the paper, and all anyone needs to sell a house is a chance to put their property for sale on MLS. Up unitl now, critics say, they have been denied these chances and are demanding that they be handed to them.

The challenge for newspapers and Realtors alike these days is to show that their business is not as easy as it looks. The ultimate insult is that both Realtors and newspapers are supposed to have marketing savvy, yet are unable to counter the critics. How could we have let ourselves down like this?

It seems to me that we are so busy explaining that others can’t do what we do, we can’t see that they are actually right! Others can in fact do what we do. The major difference is that we are not explaining that as professionals, we do these things far better. That’s the message we are not getting through.

We must create understanding among cynics that the investment, learning and experience that we respectively have is real and substantial value. It isn’t free. It has a price that should be paid just the same as any service or product.

Anybody can get statistics from the net and express an opinion. But to write an accurate meaningful report on what those statistics reflect can only be done by a professional writer who checks facts, researches the topic and delivers the information in an objective piece with no hint of opinion. You have to learn how to do that. It is hard work and it has value.

Anybody can sell a house. But to be a Realtor and professionally market the property and maximize the value….I don’t have to tell you of all people, REM reader. My worry is that the reason a lot of Realtors lower their commission is for fear of losing business.

It is similar to all the newspapers in the world that rolled out website versions of their papers and were afraid to charge for access. They were afraid to ask people to pay for news and information on the web even though it is accurate, objective, researched, fact checked and costly. They all made it free because they were afraid if they charged money they would lose customers.

Now there is something of great significance happening.

The New York Times recently announced that it is going to begin charging for its newspaper on the Internet. The cynics are having a field day and are they howling loudly. Sarcasm is flowing. They say it will never work. Yet one of the most iconic newspapers in the world is standing up to declare, “We have value”!

I urge you to follow this issue and what develops here. Because I think the success of The New York Times charging people to read news and information on the Internet will have a direct impact not just on newspapers but a lot of other professions.

I would say Realtors would be one of them.

Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email [email protected].