For a guy who spends most of his time at work immersed in rules, I couldn’t resist referencing Yeager’s remark. It’s so typical of a guy who lived his life on the bleeding edge. Yeager was the first person to go supersonic in a tin tube attached to a full-on rocket. His feat was all the more amazing because he did it while suffering the extreme pain of several broken ribs caused by a fall from his horse a few days before. He didn’t want to miss his chance at becoming the first person to fly faster than sound, so avoiding the flight surgeon, he visited a veterinarian and had his chest bound with tape that allowed him to lever himself into the cockpit without fainting from pain. Larger-than-life, Yeager has always been a hero of mine. History gave him a pass for his rule-breaking, one supposes, because bravery in the face of great danger is still something that stirs the soul.

Understandably, flying a plane safely requires more than passing attention to a lot of rules. I had an introduction to this in 2019, when on a trip to England, I bought an hour’s ride in a 75-year-old two-seat Spitfire. It was the most fun I’ve ever had. But the pre-flight rules, from wearing a flight suit and parachute to agreeing to detailed instructions on how to get how to use the equipment were numerous and detailed.

For example, “This is how you get out if there’s a fire or we’re in a final dive: undo your seat harness (but not the parachute straps) jack up the seat, pull the toggle overhead to jettison the canopy by sliding it back, fold down the side of the fuselage (if it won’t fold down, just hit it with this hammer) and push yourself out, taking care not to hit the tail wings as they go by.” This was followed by, “Don’t forget to pull the parachute cord on your way down, but not till you’ve cleared the plane.” And the overarching rule: “Sign here. If you die, it’s not our fault .”

You don’t want to forget rules like these.

But we’re not jet jockeys, so for us, rules aren’t about life and death, but they still can’t be glossed over.  

Lately, it seems as though we’ve all been strapped into seats at one end of a wind tunnel and subjected to a 500 mph windblast of rules, edicts, and new forms. (Yes, I know, your board is responsible for some of these, and our regulator and provincial and federal governments for others.) As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, rules are often a reaction to a pain point or to something someone perceives to be wrong. They’re intended to address situations that are not liked by members, regulators, and governments, and they are often informed by public sentiment of the time. Right now, that sentiment is mostly about housing affordability, as evidenced in the recent civic election campaigns and political promises. This has led to much public scrutiny of the entire real estate/home ownership ecosystem and the professionals inhabiting it, including the relevant rules and regulations.

“Will it ever end,” you ask? Who knows? I suggest the focus on us won’t end until the majority of homebuyers are either able to buy a place without going bankrupt or they give up on the notion altogether.

In the meantime, please don’t make up your own rules. If you don’t know, ask your broker, who is, by the way, expected to give you the advice that regulators aren’t allowed to give you. Take your time before deciding what to do. Think things through and don’t let a client or another member pressure you into making a rushed decision. Have a look at the BC Financial Services Authority’s Knowledge Base. Go to rebgv.ca. There’s lots of great regulatory content there, including at least 25-years-worth of Professional Conduct Committee disciplinary decisions. They’re a good guide to what your committee and colleagues expect of you.

If you’ve ever taken a self-defence course, you’ll remember being told to pay attention to any uneasy feelings you may have in particular situations. Like feeling fearful when meeting someone alone who’s makes you uncomfortable. That’s the prehistoric part of your brain at work, warning you that something is potentially amiss and to be careful. Don’t dismiss these thoughts. A million years of evolution shouldn’t be ignored. The Canadian Real Estate Association has published a booklet on REALTOR® Safety which, if you haven’t read, would be something to put on your to-do list.

Pay attention to this safety course.  And if you want to find out what could potentially happen if you don’t, read former realtor Chevy Steven’s book, Still missing, about an open house visitor who kidnaps a Realtor. The idea came to her while working alone in an open house years ago.