One of the fundamental ideas in real estate is that if something goes wrong it must be the broker's fault.

This is an absolutist view without merit, but it persists in transaction after transaction. As I tell brokerage students in my ethics classes, if a house is hit by a meteor it's the broker who will inevitably be blamed for failing to mention interstellar hazards.

"What," say the newly-minted buyers, "why didn't the damn broker say something about meteors? He should have known that at any time the place could get hit with rocks from outer space. This is the broker's fault. We would never have bought this house if we knew it was a magnet for cosmic debris. We're calling our lawyer ... ."

The broker, of course, has no more control over meteors than the buyers but that's not the point: In a society which generates a lot of cashflow and psychological satisfaction determining blame, the broker is seen as responsible for everything associated with a home sale.

This brings us to the latest Harris Poll annual survey which attempts to determine the "most prestigious occupations." According to the 1,010 adults surveyed, real estate brokers are at the bottom of the list.

"Six occupations," says Harris, "are perceived to have 'very great' prestige by at least half of all adults -- firefighters (61%), scientists (54%), teachers (54%), doctors (52%), military officers (52%), and nurses (50%). They are followed by police officers (46%) priests/ministers/clergy (42%) and farmers (41%).

"By way of contrast, the list includes ten occupations which are perceived by less than 20 percent of adults to have "very great" prestige, with two of these under 10 percent. The lowest ratings for "very great prestige" go to real estate brokers (5%), actors (9%), bankers (10%), accountants (11%), entertainers (12%), stockbrokers (12%), union leaders (13%), journalists (13%), business executives (14%), and athletes (16%)."

Why is the perception of real estate brokerage so negative? If brokers are perceived as having little prestige, does that mean their services have little value?

I have several concerns regarding the Harris survey.

First, I suspect many of us appreciate individuals rather than entire professions. I find a lot to admire in many professions and trades. The best people in any field do wonderful work. For instance, I had a plumber re-route some drainage pipes and a complex job was done with astonishing precision. It took exceptional engineering, carpentry and construction skills to complete this project and it was accomplished without flaw.

But within professions and trades there's a range of skills. Not everyone is the best, most practitioners in any field are -- by definition -- average. I have known terrific doctors, but I have also avoided some I regarded as sub-par or merely par.

The problem is that when medical schools graduate their students the person with the worst academic performance and the weakest skills gets the same title as the class valedictorian: Doctor.

A similar situation exists with other professions and trades. Thus it is not so much that we admire a given profession or trade, rather we respect the people in them who are really good. My second concern with the Harris poll is that it may reflect a profound misunderstanding of brokerage.

One of the great attractions of brokerage is that you don't need a college degree to get a sales license. In effect, everyone has a shot at getting into the field.

Because the barriers to entry are low there may be a perception that real estate brokerage is somehow "easy" and that "anyone" can do it. But while entry into the real estate field is relatively unobstructed it is terribly difficult to stay or succeed.

In other words, the ease of entry which increases competition and holds down fees -- things consumers want -- may be interpreted by some to mean there are also low standards of performance and excess compensation. While the first part of the equation is true the rest is not.

In a sense brokers are in a difficult position: If a home sells quickly then real estate brokerage is perceived as "easy" but if a home languishes on the market then "obviously" it's the broker's fault because the property -- regardless of the local marketplace -- did not instantly sell. Either way the broker cannot win the perception game and thus brokerage is perhaps less prestigious than other fields. My third concern is that the Harris list of professions seems curiously incomplete. Surely it would be more credible if respondents were asked about the prestige of one additional well-known and highly-visible profession: Pollsters.

Do pollsters put out fires, teach children, grow crops, cure diseases, patrol the streets or minister to a congregation? Are they not professionals? More to the point, do pollsters assist others in the purchase or sale of the most-important asset held by most people?

The lack of interest in this prestigious occupation seems curious. Does no one have an opinion? Perhaps the results were delayed because the polling booth was hit by a meteor. If so, can you guess who was at fault?

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