How It’s Always Been Done

I love the “new” narrative from so many real estate industry experts.

It goes something like this:

The industry is changing. Embrace it. “That’s how it’s always been done” will put you right outta business!

There’s a whole bunch of people in the real estate industry who are trying to have a race to the bottom. They want to “make it easier” and “more efficient” for buyers and sellers, while eliminating anything that looks and feels like a “traditional” real estate model..

While I don’t necessarily disagree with the fact that ease and efficiency are awesome and necessary, I wonder why now. I also wonder when that was NOT the case.

News Flash: Some Things Always Remain The Same:

As REALTORS a big part of our job has ALWAYS been to help people. That’s who we are and it’s who we have always been.

Saying that the old notion of doing the same thing will put me out of business is kind of a cool-guy thing for many “disruptors” to say. If I don’t adapt, I will die.

OK, great. I get that. I do embrace new technologies. I embrace new and effective ways to communicate. I embrace differences in business models, etc.

Here are the things that I will NEVER change. Things I have been doing for all of my 29 year career. You might say that these are how it’s always been done and will always be done.

Honesty.
Integrity.
REPRESENTATION.
Expertise.

Let’s not forget Professionalism. I find many of the people we work with want someone to help them make a LOT of decisions. They want an expert. They want someone who will share tools and information with them. They want experience, and they want more than a nameless, faceless institutional investor. They want omeone who looks out for their best interest rather than the best interest of millions of shareholders. They want someone who cares.

You see, not all consumers are looking for a computer program to tell them what a home is worth. Some consumers want a trusted adviser who will walk them through the ENTIRE buying or selling process.

Time is money. The majority of our clients appreciate both, and they want to have an advocate in their corner who has sold hundreds and hundreds of homes. Sure, they can do research online, but they don’t always know what to look for, what to think about next. Advocacy, yo!

You can absolutely look at homes on a web portal. You can push a button and submit an offer or get an “instant offer” on your current home. For some people, that’s awesome. For many others, it’s insanity.

You want a quick and easy transaction? It can certainly be done. BUT in my opinion, it is best to have a professional guide you through the process. Stupid mistakes can cost you thousands of dollars. Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know. That can be a co$tly mistake.

Sure, the real estate market is changing. But, I can remember when a fax machine was the latest and greatest thing. I can remember when agents thought the idea of owning your own website or domain name was just crazy. Heck, there were agents who thought the internet would put us out of business.

Guess what? We have changed. We have adapted. Our industry will always be a changing industry. BUT, many of us still believe in the basics of client representation. We believe in a personal touch. We believe in client relationships and we believe we are an asset to the buyers and sellers we serve. Yes, that is how it has always been done, and it is how it will always be done.

For myself and my office, some things will never change…

Client Testimonial