Real Estate Agents Continue Reputation as Bottom Feeders

One consistent event on July 4th is that some real estate creature will plant little American flags, with their calling cards attached, up and down the parade route.  Once again coming out of the library, little American Flags had sprung up like dandelions on the Village parkway.

Upon closer inspection, as if that was needed, I noticed the calling card of C-Star or Caroline Starr attached to the flag, wishing everyone a 'Safe and Happy Fourth of July'. Strangely missing, however, was her contact number and business address. Of course this was an attempt by Ms. Starr to not use the flags for blatant advertising, while still using the flags for advertising.  She was the one that planted flags in the same location last year, with her fully informed business card attached. 

A quick internet check and surprise C-Star or Caroline Starr is really C-Starr Properties, a real estate agent for Coldwell Bankers. 

I decided to call and ask Ms. Starr about her advertising strategy to use American flags on public property during the Fourth of July parade. Ms. Starr was ready for my question and quickly said that her cards did not contain her business information. She lived in the neighborhood and she planted the flags out of the goodness of her heart for her neighbors and veteran friends. Ms. Starr must live in several neighborhoods as her flags were all over town.

First, if anyone can find a real estate creature that does anything out of the goodness of their heart please contact me. Next, this is worse than attaching a fully informed business card.  Ms. Starr is trying to have it both ways. Ms. Starr is well aware that using the American flag to advertise your business on the Fourth of July is pretty low. So she tries to squirm around the line by saying that her business address and phone number were not attached, so it is not advertising. This is of course silly since I quickly located her number, got her on the phone and am pretty sure she would have sold me a house. Also a tax audit would probably quickly turn up a 2014 business expense write-off for little American flags.

My problem is that I highly doubt family and friends who fought in wars was not for Ms. Starr to use the American flag as an advertising prop. And even without her business number and address attached she was still using the flags for advertising purposes. To her credit she listened politely and said she would consider my comments. 

Let's hope so, but don't hold your breath because old habits are hard to break around here.