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Real estate agents have ranked just above advertising people and car salesmen in a new online survey that measured the public perception of a number of Australian-based professionals.
Nurses, doctors and pharmacists topped the Roy Morgan Image of Professions Survey 2021, which is unsurprising given the nature of the pandemic that disrupted most Australians’ lives for much of the year.
The Image of Professions Survey looked at the percentage of Australians aged 14-plus who rated 30 varying professions as “very high” or “high” for ethics and honesty.
Just 5 per cent of respondents classed real estate agents as “high” or “very high” for ethics and honesty, down 2 by per cent on last year’s report, and a new record low for the group, according to Roy Morgan.
It puts the profession just 1 percentage point higher than advertising people, at 4 per cent, and 2 per cent higher than car salesman, of whom 3 per cent of Australians consider to be rated “high” or “very high” for ethics and honesty.
In contrast, nurses scored an ethics and honesty approval rating of 88 per cent, while doctors came in second place, with 82 per cent of Australians deeming them to be rated “high” or “very high” for ethics and honesty.
The real estate agent score placed the profession marginally below federal MPs, state MPs and insurance brokers, who all scored just 7 per cent ethics and honestly approval.
It’s not much better news at the big end of town, with business executives also sitting on 8 per cent for their ethics and honesty, while the directors of public companies are seen to be highly ethical and honest by just 14 per cent of Australians.
According to Roy Morgan, 29 of the 30 professions considered in the survey have a lower image now than what they did pre-pandemic, in 2017.
The one profession that has improved its ethics and honesty standing? Union leaders, who have this year received a 19 per cent “high” or “very high” ethics and honesty standard.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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