The end is nigh, prepare to meet thy doom.

The last in a very special series of exclusive articles for The Property Chronicle, in which Australian property legend Norman Harker reflects on his extraordinary 50-year life in real estate. He will pull no punches partly because, as he freely admits, Norman has a limited life expectancy of five years from December 2018 due to a diagnosed terminal blood cancer, which he has cheerfully accepted in preference to (in his words) “kicking the bucket without notice”. We are honoured he has chosen us to publish these brilliant, funny and incisive reflections of a lifetime in property.

Despite all bets, I’ve made it to the end of the series. 

Albert Einstein said, “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Of this, I am part of the obvious truth.

Stephen Hawking said, “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist… Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.” Again, I am living proof that this great, but medically unfortunate man was right.

Then there’s me. I’ve said too much or too little, too often throughout my long and sordid life as a valuer and property professional. I still struggle with problems.

Good news! 

I’ve come to the end of the series.

Bad news!

• The Property Chronicle is after the record of publishing the worst book ever and will be publishing all 24 sleep-inducing episodes as an e-book in the near future.
• Since I missed out so many anecdotes, The Property Chronicle will be publishing “Further confessions of a valuer”, each month until the men with white coats come to get me or me kicking the bucket without giving prior notice in writing.

My conclusions on my life?

• The confession in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer: “We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.”
• But I always look at the obverse. The obverse of the 1662 Common Prayer confession is: “We have done things which we ought to have done; and we have not done things we ought not to have done.”
• It’s a mirror image conclusion and the scales of judgement should, hopefully, weigh more heavily on the obverse of the 1662 Common Prayer.

Leaving undone things weighs heavily. The two most important are:

1. Not succeeding in killing off the Balrogs that have infected:

• My profession in Australia of valuation and property and risking bringing it down to a level without an enforced code of ethics.
• The medical profession that is, in the main, administered by personnel who don’t know one end of a patient’s digestive tract from the other. This contrasts with the specialists, doctors, nurses, students, and ancillary staff whose knowledge, dedication, and empathy have extended and made my life worthwhile.
• The academic world where, with few exceptions, universities now have more non-educating, non-researching, and non-publishing staff than they have performing those three areas of responsibility.

2. Not thanking or recording the countless number of major influences upon my life that include:

• Family – My grandfather, parents, and family in my formative years and subsequently.
• Private Practice – Many of my superiors, partners, and colleagues in private practice who encouraged, allowed, or tolerated my revolutionary ideas and applications that impacted upon our valuation and property profession.
• Academia – All of my colleagues in the academic world. Although we often had major differences we were all, without exception, devoting ourselves to what we perceived to be for the good of the valuation and property profession.
• Professional Institutions – Many associates in my chosen professional institutions, notably the Australian Property Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. These shared the aim of making the valuation and property a proper profession with an established, published, and enforced code of ethics.
• The mentored – The countless undergraduates, postgraduates, and continuing professional development attendees who had the misfortune to be exposed to my attempts to educate for the benefit of themselves and our chosen profession.
• Literature and Music – The numerous writers and composers of music that have been the background of my life since I learned to hear and read.
• Comedy – The giants of comedy from whom I learned and am still learning that most advanced and important of artistic forms that has caused my incurable, but often inappropriate, sense of humour.
• Partners – Wives and other partners in my life. Without exception, it was me that was at fault. All of them are responsible for enabling me to achieve what little I have achieved and not responsible for my many failures.