Comments on: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

By: agentgenius.com- national real estate opinion column » Blog Archive » You Can’t Handle the Truth….From a Certain Point of View

Thu, 01 May 2008 23:31:56 +0000

[...] reports should be required reading for all agents. Recently Jonathan Dalton wrote a post called Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics. In the post he discusses how individuals have perhaps, slanted statistics to serve their own [...]

By: Jonathan Dalton

Jonathan Dalton — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:21:26 +0000

Bob – that’s the beauty of this business, my friend.

Bill – Only 37 years? Clearly you’re unqualified to comment.

Chris – I agree with you. When I was reading yet another tired argument about disintermediation, I ignored it. I’ve actually ignored most of what was written because it’s as predictable as a Hardy Boys novel. Blogger writes something sensationalistic, dares anyone to enter the “conversation” and then dismisses any counter-argument without the slightest bit of introspection.

And for just a few hundred bucks, you too can learn to write from a position of moral certitude even when you’re absolutely wrong.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:53:15 +0000

Jonathon – its aways a local thing.

By: Bill Lublin

Bill Lublin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:27:00 +0000

Barry; I’m celebrating 37 years in the business, and 25 years of operating a business knowing that those quotes need to be kept in mind when analyzing any numbers or reading about anyone else’s analyses – I appreciate your good wishes, and will continue to grow the business as I have in the past
Chris – I’m feeling the love for the Royals – after all I’m a Phillies fan, something that carries its own unique burden!

By: Chris Lengquist

Chris Lengquist — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:21:06 +0000

Back off my Royals!

Anyway, the author of that post has made quite a splash in the blogging community of late. But then again, the National Enquirer generates quite a readership to. I just don’t bother to pay attention to either.

But that’s just me. He can do what he wants. I’m fine with it. Whatever works for him. I just choose to handle myself differently, that’s all.

By: Barry Cunningham

Barry Cunningham — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:20:42 +0000

Bill..run your business on thos quotes and project your earnings on them. Hope they work out for you.

By: Bill Lublin

Bill Lublin — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:13:25 +0000

Johnathan – Great Post, as I said earlier, and clear in your point – Which is that statistics can be used to prove any point and are only worthwhile to the person commissioning the research for specific purposes (and understanding that the stats , or poll, or survey, are limited by the scope fo the data gathering, the methodologies of collection and interpretation) – So plainly put – generally people use statistics to prove a point – and usually there are other statistics which prove the opposing point.

Barry; Not everyone writes for traffic as you said earlier – Johnathan made that point earlier, and I wanted to reinforce it (I just write because after 32 years of marriage it was a pleasure to have someone ask me for my opinion! – I’m not doing it to drive traffic anywhere)
And since you wanted a survey or poll regarding statistics, I took a survey of a number of respected international figures – I hope this data is sufficient for the purposes of this discussion, since, statistically, 100% of the participants polled felt that statistics were unreliable.

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. -Benjamin Disraeli (1804 – 1881)

Statistics: The only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions. -Evan Esar (1899 – 1995)

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they’re okay, then it’s you. -Rita Mae Brown

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. (Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.) -Mark Twain (1835 – 1910)

Statistician: A man who believes figures don’t lie, but admits that under analysis some of them won’t stand up either. -Evan Esar (1899 – 1995)

I could prove God statistically. -George Gallup

Like dreams, statistics are a form of wish fulfillment. -Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929), French semiologist

He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts-for support rather than illumination. – Andrew Lang (1844-1912), Scottish author

Out of the air a voice without a face
Proved by statistics that some cause was just
- W.H.Auden (1907–1973),Anglo-American poet

By: Jonathan Dalton

Jonathan Dalton — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:42:32 +0000

It may be a local thing, Bob … builders don’t put new homes in the MLS and only a portion of their spec inventory as well.

By: Bob in San Diego

Bob in San Diego — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:57:50 +0000

Glenn,

The builders that coop with agents tend to list their inventory in the MLS, so the numbers are probably not that skewed.

By: Jonathan Dalton

Jonathan Dalton — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:42:20 +0000

In this age of transparency, some things are more transparent than others. You don’t need to be a svengali to see that.

And since this is my last comment, it’s not the data I’m questioning. I’ve said that several times now.