No this isn’t about politics. It’s about one of radio’s most well-known commentators.
Today, February 8, Paul Harvey started one of his radio segments by saying it “isn’t funny, but it is memorable.” He then proceeded to tell of a Realtor® in England who was showing a home, and the prospective buyer asked if there was ample closet space. The Realtor® assured him there was and proceeded to prove the point. But when the Realtor® opened one of the closets, the homeowner was found . . . hanging.
While no specific family names were used, Mr. Harvey was in the wrong to broadcast this vignette. Not only do the owners of the property have to deal with their grief, they must also cope with the possible difficulty of achieving the appropriate dollar value for their home. In the United States real estate world, there are restrictions on passing on this kind of information, because the house is considered to be devalued by prospective buyers, although it didn’t do anything wrong.
Perhaps Mr. Harvey or his staff will say, “Yes, but the papers reported it.” Nevertheless, Mr. Harvey’s broadcast gave broader attention. Perhaps someone will accuse me of the same thing. I accept that criticism. My only defense is that, as a licensed (although not practicing) Realtor® I went to www.paulharvey.com, found the Contact Us screen, and expressed my concerns. Maybe someone else out there wants to do the same.
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