Based upon how politically "tuned-in" you are and the extent to which you care about the political process, this dilemma may be a serious, soul-searching conundrum or it can be a tiny blip on the radar screen of your thoughts. If this is something that you do care about, what are the pros and cons of expressing yourself politically?

Pros- You are exercising your right as a citizen. Your voice, when added to others, is what makes a difference in the candidate who is elected and the outcome of issue-oriented voter propositions. You may determine that whatever business you lose is worth it, as you are participating in a greater process than what you do every day in real estate. In fact, you may offset the lost business by gaining business from those whose views reflect yours.

Cons- You are likely to lose some business, but much of this depends on whether or not you agree with the majority or minority view in your market. It also depends upon how and where you express them. If your car is plastered with bumper stickers advocating a certain candidate, and the buyer who is about to get into your car to look at houses HATES that candidate, you've probably lost a buyer.

Given these pros and cons, should you discuss your political views with your clients? Chances are, if your clients don't know you personally, they probably contacted you for real estate services, not political commentary. Even if they agree with your position, they may not want to discuss it with you while they are concentrating on their real estate needs. I would suggest that it is almost always a lose-lose for the real estate professional who discusses her or his political views without an invitation.

Keep in mind that you probably aren't going to change someone's mind with your comments and your bumper stickers. If that is true, then a better approach might be to keep silent about your beliefs around your clients while being as active as you would like when you are away from them.

What do you think? Have you had to face a similar crossroads about this issue? What did you decide to do?