90% failure rate of agents.

Set expectations before they take the test. Smack the W2 mentality out of them; it's a 1099 business, not a job. I guarantee you 50% would never take the test. Proper expectations and prep: financially, educationally, mentally and geeez-set boundaries. Close at night and take a day off, plan vacation-live a life, real estate is a career, it's not a life.

Biggest problem? Dumb and incompetent agents.

• I would fix it by making all brokers pay for their agents medical insurance. That would eliminate the dead wood as no one would actually want to PAY for a dumb agent.

• I would also include brokers in ethics complaints and make them  responsible for answering any ethics complaints that their agents have.

• Then I would make stronger agency disclosures and make all agents take a class and pass a test on agency.

• I would than hire retired attorneys to hear all the complaints against agent and rule on them.  There are too many dummy agents on the panels.

Eve

Too many syndication sites. Agents have lost control of their data which I believe is skewing the data available to the public.

Too many agents are not representing their client's best interests.

How would I fix it? Penalize those who are unethical and abusing the system. Licensed agents need more training and hands-on experience before they are allowed to help the public on their own.

Uncontrolled syndication from outside, unlicensed web services.

I'd like to upvote Mike & Eve Alexander comment.  At the end of the day there are just too many dumb and incompetent people in the business and those folks sit on boards and make bad decisions ... or play the good old boy and girl club cards protecting their buddies from the really bad things they do and get away with.

The consumers get confusing and bad information on the Internet and that is only likely to get worse as more data is dumped. I have no solution.

OH, I'm SO with Nathan Gesner on this!  Our data is so diluted, inaccurate or outdated by these syndication sites. 

The agents need to be a more accountable for representing their clients. Tougher requirement to become an agent need to be implemented.

Low standards for agents

Low barriers to entry. We still have functionally illiterate people with zero common sense handling way more money than they should be entrusted with.

Fix: Hell, I don't know. Even colleges turn out complete houseplants. Perhaps double licensing hours with contract writing/communication skills training 50%.

Real Estate has been "healing un-naturally" since the crash --> The Fed owns $1.8T in MBS - seems like a Big issue, and manipulation to me.  (or, maybe they're trying to keep the Chinese from buying MBS?)

By keeping the interest rates artificially low, we don't have true price-discovery in Real Estate; with sales prices rising too fast. 

When/if they get us back to more historically realistic interest rates AND the Fed off-loads their MBS holdings, will we have that proverbial "Soft Landing?"  Think I'll hedge a bit with Au and Ag.

The bubble atmosphere that has resulted from home values increasing so substantially without incomes and wages that follow --- too many people stretch themselves too thin to buy.  We're back to the point where many people have to choose between foregoing home ownership altogether, or making a poor financial decision to achieve home ownership ---- that's not a choice many people should be forced to make, but that's where we are.

real estate agents who do not do their job properly....  fix it?? don't hire them.....

I think there are Many Big problems but if you are looking at it from the perspective of the agents. Then the database NEEDS to be made into an intranet AGAIN! Personally if NAR won't make some move in that direction perhaps its time for an overhaul there.

increase the standards to become an agent

I agree with Nathan Gesner 

Thomas J. Nelson, Realtor, CRS,  Mike & Eve Alexander and Les & Sarah Oswald have my top three answers, with Mike & Eve's "dumb and incompetent agents" (or as I call it "Agents who couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of an ocean") being my #1 issue.

Dump Zillow giving high prices of what homes are worth.

Nothing I can do about whatever the issues may be.

Non-professional agents. Not sure how you fix stupid!

We have a national surplus of several hundred thousand agents. They need advice on alternative career paths.

Low entry barrier into the profession. I would raise standards by a huge margin.

Les & Sarah Oswald nailed this one!

Inventory and build more housing

I agree that it is the unauthorized syndication of litings. They ar ethen taking anyone who clicks on it , and then try to sell the leads back to the listing agent for 25% referall fee. I am not sure what the best way to fix it, but may not be fixed until listing agents stand up for their rights. 

Inventory, enough said!

Greed is hard to fix....

Uncertainty of the market

The biggest problem.....

How to fit it......

WOW!

The biggest problem is the greatest segment of owners and buyers are 20 years younger than the average real estate agent. A great abyss seperateses the desired service the buyer and seller wants and what the industry currently provides. We all haver read the report and we so not change.Our excuses are many beginning with the encumbrances imposed by our associations and betrayal by the franchise. Add to that current agent who rest in the status quo and actually say, "It's supposed to be hard!"

The fix rests in the vision and courage of a great broker who we will ALL hate until we are compelled to change.

Artificial intelligence destroying the middle class. Manufacuting taken out by robotics. No money no housing that can be bought.

The lack of equity that many have in their properties !

In our market, lack of inventory.  I'm not sure there is a fix.