I recently read the following letter to the editor in REALTOR Magazine which is a publication sent to all members of the National Association of REALTORS.  In response to REALTOR Magazine’s “30 under 30″ article highlighting achievements of the newest generation of Realtors, the letter writer said,

“As Pat V. Combs says in ‘A nod to youth’… we live in a youth-obsessed culture- which is reflected in REALTOR Magazine.  Every year, you publish ‘30 under 30.’  Why?  How hard is it to start out when you are young, probably don’t have too far to fall , and are already techno-savvy?  It’s much harder when you’re older to start over in a new career, learn new skills, and catch up on technology.  However, I’ve never seen an article in REALTOR Magazine that even gives a ‘hello’ to that notion.”

FIRST, I will say that I am eligible for the “30 under 30.”  I completely object to the thinking the writer subscribes to.  I agree with the second portion that attention should be paid to the achievements of more than just the “under 30″ crowd, but I think this reader/letter writer is confused…

We DO live in a culture of youth obsession.  But that’s Hollywood.  It’s important to be a 14 year old with the body of a 21 year old- if you are auditioning for a role in a blockbuster movie.  A high price is put on the value of youth in social arenas and at some point, we all become self aware of that varicose vain that wasn’t there last year and we go buy microderm abrasion cleansers to make sure we don’t age.  I agree that especially women are subjected to these standards because of magazines read and the teeny boppers next to you on the treadmill at the gym.  But that’s Lindsay Hilton Spears, NOT the board room.

In the PROFESSIONAL world, the opposite occurs.  A high value is placed on age.  Walk into a room of professionals and the biggest paychecks go to the 45+ year old men.  That’s called corporate America, and most of the readers here are either Realtors or members of the corporate rat race.  The “youth obsessed culture” the letter writer addresses is inapplicable to the world most of us live in from 9am-5pm (or 7am-11pm if you’re in Real Estate). 

I object to the letter because those who have been successful in the corporate world that haven’t hit their 30th birthday SHOULD be celebrated.  As a member of that group, I will tell you that my biggest professional obstacle is NOT my sex, my background or my vocabulary level- it is my age.  Most of you know I’m not a licensed Realtor, but as an Asset Manager, I rub elbows with buyers, sellers, builders, lenders and other Realtors every day.  Over the phone, people are always impressed with me, but the challenge becomes overcoming the objection of my age in person.  “Oh, I thought you were older.”  In the professional world, being young is the equivalent of being a puppy- you have to know A LOT of tricks and be able to outshine all the others in order to succeed.

I agree with the letter writer that the younger you are, the shorter the fall but that is no reason not to celebrate those who have NOT fallen, because many many many DO.  I would argue that youth doesn’t equate tech savvy.  I know many people my age who can barely check email, while in my mind, 90% of the Real Estate bloggers are over 35.  Just because I haven’t hit my 10 year reunion doesn’t mean that I was born with a microchip containing “tech savvy” implanted in my cerebral cortex- just ask the most successful voices in the Real Estate blogiverse who have embraced Web 2.0, (Greg Swann, Jeff Brown, The Bergs, Larry Cragun, etc) all of which are over 40.

I personally have enjoyed surprising people with my age and I don’t need the arm floaties that most my age do when swimming with the older, bigger sharks of corporate America that have roamed these waters since before I was born.  Without looking at a resume or even saying words, if you sit a young lady like myself up against a 45 year old professional (male or female), you will decidedly have more faith that they are more intelligent and experienced.  The culture that matters in Real Estate is the professional culture, and those under 30 face great obstacles and must constantly prove that they are intelligent, capable, and most of all- worthy of clients.

So, REALTOR Magazine, when you read this, please DO highlight other age groups, or maybe the “started late” Realtors.  To the letter writer, don’t be fooled- Hollywood is where boobs and youth matter… in the professional world, it’s your age/experience which puts those under 30 at an extreme disadvantage which is why so many fail in Real Estate and move on. THAT is why they (we) are featured.