Is giving up a Rolls-Royce an example of suffering?
When I first started writing about residential real estate more than 10 years ago, real estate agents were making big money.
Home sales were brisk, and housing values were skyrocketing. Selling homes moved from a nice part-time job to a lucrative full-time career.
This has all changed today, of course. Many of those same agents who were buying boats and flying off to Paris have since taken on new careers. The real estate business isn’t quite as lucrative as it once was. And it now takes hard work, endless networking and creative marketing to make a decent salary.
Maybe that’s why a story on the Web site of MotorTrend rankles so much.
The story chronicles the “sacrifice” made by Manhattan real estate broker Sharon Baum. The tough economic times have forced Baum to give up the Rolls-Royce that she had made her own personal symbol. The ritzy vehicle even appears prominently in the brochures she hands out to prospective clients.
Baum, according to the story, may begin using her Audi station wagon for work purposes.
It’s hard to feel sorry for Baum. And, to be fair, she probably isn’t looking for any sympathy. She’s still making a living selling real estate, which is better than most of her colleagues can say.
Still, Baum’s story first gained attention when she appeared in the New York Times with her Rolls-Royce. It’s a great story for the Times; It’s quirky, funny and it’s sure to rile up a good many of the paper’s readers.
But it sure doesn’t seem like a savvy publicity move for Baum. I know that I wouldn’t want to appear in the country’s most famous newspaper with one of the world’s priciest cars when most people out there are struggling to make it through this dismal housing market and economy.
