Whenever I hear REALTORS, or anyone for that matter, beating their chest that they subcribe to a “higher” standard I think of this famous letter from Abraham Lincoln:
My dear,
It has been my experience that those with no vices have very few virtues.
They just haven’t lived enough to have enough true virtues.
For living, truly living, means encountering vices which hold you so dearly that you never leave them. And continuing to live with those vices is what develops true virtues.
A man cannot be considered strong unless he’s been battle tested. And a person cannot have true virtues unless they’ve been tested with vices they cannot resist.
This is what I know.
Falsely yours,
Abraham Lincoln
[Emphasis mine, not Abe’s.]
People will deem you trustworthy by your actions, not by the pin you put on your lapel, the collar around your neck, or your address on Wall Street.