{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Real Thought Exchange","title":"Ethics as Your Edge: Raising the Bar in Real Estate","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2489,"description":"In this episode of The Real Thought Exchange, powered by NSAR, Roger Boutilier and Sandi Carroll sit down with Don Inouye, CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC), to explore how ethics, ongoing education, and professional designations can help REALTORS® stand out, protect their reputations, and build long-term, trust‑based careers in an increasingly demanding and review‑driven market.\nIn this episode, we discuss:\nWhy ethics is a “perishable skill”—and how the 24/7 world of online reviews, regulators, and social media has changed what happens when a REALTOR® makes an honest mistake.\nHow REIC’s structured designation pathways (including FRI, SRES, GRI, CCA, CLO, and more) differ from one‑off courses, and why formal credentials can be a powerful way to signal competence, commitment, and professionalism to clients.\nThe realities of today’s real estate career: why REALTORS® effectively act as economists, negotiators, advisors, and small business owners, and how incremental “1% better” improvements can meaningfully raise the bar for professionalism across the industry.\nThe link between ethics, excellence, and business performance—including why Don believes you can’t afford to invest in education and credentials if you want a resilient, referral‑driven practice in a crowded marketplace.\nWhat the REIC Verified program is, how it independently checks experience, credentials, disciplinary history, and more, and how REALTORS® can use it to provide transparent proof that “I am who I say I am.”\nHow governance education through programs like REIC’s RSG (Real Estate Sector Governance) designation can strengthen boards, associations, and leadership—especially around risk, ethics, and CEO/board dynamics.\nPractical ways associations and individual REALTORS® can partner with REIC to upskill at every stage of a career—from early‑career agents to brokers, team leaders, and volunteer leaders sitting in the boardroom.\nChapters\n0:00 – Opening story: honest mistakes, online...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/jUrQ3TPj8cOObEJ7VuRwald1g9YZ3QFUNL2A5XzBAbU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xZmUy/ZmY4ZjZlNTk5N2Ux/YTg4YjI3Njc1YmZl/YjhiZi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}