In the feast or famine world of real estate, it can be easy to myopically focus on the bottom line (closing the deal and your commission). But a recent deep dive into a seemingly unrelated pop culture phenomenon offers a stark reminder that how we achieve success is just as important as the success itself.⁣

⁣A new Netflix documentary, pulling back the curtain on America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), serves as a tragically “perfect” case study for why every business leader (including real estate brokers, loan officers, appraisers, and realty firm owners) should revisit their foundational business ethics courses.⁣

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At first glance, the worlds of high fashion and real estate seem miles apart. However, the documentary highlights the failure of three critical pillars of sustainable business management, courses that I teach to MBA students, and that translate directly to the housing industry: 

1. Business Ethics, 
2. Change Management, and 
3. Leadership/Team Dynamics.⁣

Let’s delve deeper into the business ethics aspect.

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The Harvard lesson that didn’t stick⁣

The show’s creator and host, Tyra Banks, has proudly name-dropped over the years her management certification from Harvard Business School, which is a significant achievement that speaks to her drive and business acumen. She built a platform with an undeniably admirable vision, which was to democratize access and opportunity for women who didn’t fit the traditional modeling mold.⁣ Tyra’s savvy and commendable vision saved a network and became a global success after its first season.

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However, as the Netflix documentary (Netflix’s Reality Check Inside: America’s Next Top Model) illustrates, two things can be true at once. While making history and building an empire, the narrative suggests a disconnect between the academic theory of ethical leadership and the on-the-ground reality. It begs the question for us as professionals: 

Are we so focused on the numbers that we become ethically impervious to the impact of our methods on our team, our clients, our communities, and our reputation?⁣

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The documentary alleges that fundamental business course objectives, such as accountability, effective communication, transparency, and balancing profit with social responsibility, were absent. For real estate professionals, these aren’t just buzzwords; they are the bedrock of client trust and team cohesion.⁣

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Accountability means owning an appraisal faux pas or a delayed closing when you dropped the ball.⁣

Effective communication means clearly explaining complex negotiating terms and strict deadlines to a nervous first-time homebuyer.⁣

Transparency means disclosing all fees upfront, ensuring your client knows exactly what they are signing.⁣

When these elements are missing, even the most profitable deal can cause long-term harm to your reputation, your team’s morale, your community’s homeownership opportunity, and may trigger lawsuits (yes, with an “s”).⁣

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The master’s tools⁣

This situation brings to mind the profound wisdom of Audre Lorde: “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.”⁣

Tyra’s business vision was to dismantle the exclusionary standards of the modeling industry. Yet, based on the accounts alleged in the documentary, the tools she used (fostering insecurity, a lack of transparency, and exerting unilateral control because why does anyone need to widen a gap between teeth!) mirrored the very dehumanizing practices she sought to overthrow.⁣

This is the ultimate ethical challenge. 

In real estate, are we trying to “change the game” by using the same old predatory tactics? 

Are we promising a “client-first” experience while still prioritizing our commission over their financial well-being and fair housing access?⁣

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If our goal is to create a fairer housing market, we cannot rely on the tools of exclusion and opacity. An example includes agents secretly steering a househunter by saying in private, “Oh, that neighborhood (or school district) isn’t for someone like you.” Or, steering neophyte homebuyers to mortgage or refinance products that will cost more with worse terms simply because the commission is more lucrative.

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Impact over intent

As you move through the next quarter, let this documentary serve as a warning for your own practice. Are you balancing profit maximization with your ethical responsibilities to your clients, team, and community? Are you creating opportunities for others without forcing them to endure the same toxic environments you may have fought to escape?⁣

Tyra Banks is an undeniable icon who has allegedly harmed some of those she initially sought to uplift. Likewise, in the world of real estate, where people’s homes and life savings are on the line, we cannot afford to be ethically impervious to the human impact of our business decisions. Let’s ensure that when we post our codes of conduct, the lived reality of those behaviors is actually present in the room with us.

Dr. Lee Davenport is a fair housing advocate and educator.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners. To contact the editor responsible for this piece: zeb@hwmedia.com.