As the REALTOR(R) image continues to slip in many aspects leaders of associations, brokerages, and the industry find themselves facing a critical junction as the new market emerges. Gone are the days where the phone rang with new prospects almost every day, the lack of need for broker accountability, and endless association funds - instead those who skated by on new business and burned bridges are finding other lines of work, brokers are looking at quality over quantity, and REALTOR(R) associations are having to make tough choices in terms of services and benefits to local agents and the public.
The market is changing too, dramatically. Over the last 10 years the primary demand was boomers wanting bigger homes for their family and their possessions, now those same boomers with their kids mostly grown and gone are now shifting the primary demand by downsizing into homes that are less work and less space. People my age (late 20's / early 30's) jumped into this market feet first with the 1st time tax credit, and many are still sitting on the fence waiting for possibly lower rates and lower prices. Foreclosures and short sales which were incredibly rare in Missoula even 3 years back are now a major player in the market - and the only player in some markets. Agents need to know how to use online asset-management sites, they need to understand technology, and come to grips that they aren't the gate-keepers anymore but that information is everywhere, and all control of what their clients see and read is gone.
In these tumultous times the leadership of the industry is coming to a fork in the road, to continue to be actively invovled in the process or to become a spectator sitting on the sidelines while other players take over entirely. As an agent of now 10 years, the current president of the local board, and someone who plans to be a REALTOR(R) his whole life I want in, I refuse to get shoved aside due to the laggards in my industry and will continue to fight for what I believe in.
Who has the best interests of the real estate purchaser and seller? It's not a clear answer - although I do believe it's the REALTOR(R) Association over other parties. It's not the government, heck here in Missoula our local government almost shut down most major new construction with garages facing forward due to concerns over trick-or-treaters. Google, Zillow, and Trulia could care less about the real estate consumer, they're media sites, they sell ads and that's what they're loyal to. Local media? Please. The public sets trends, but they're such a diverse group that I don't think a source of leadership will arise from the public ranks.
That leaves the individual REALTOR(R) and the association. As I said earlier this week I do not think the individual REALTOR(R) has the capacity to raise the bar industry wide, for every two or three excellent agents out there there are still one or two crap-tastic ones. Recent trends suggest that The Code of Ethics holds little water in the consumers eyes - and rightfully so as agents don't like to tell on each other. The individual is judged by the lowest-common denominator, don't believe me? Ok, I'm a REALTOR(R) - and the person who drives this car that's triple-parked over these handicapped parking spots is as well (notice the car is branded)
So now what do you think of REALTORS? Yeah, I thought so - and that casts upon me too, even though I would never do something like that.
So that leaves the association, which must force the bar to be raised, or else wallow in the mud with the guy that triple-parks his boat in the handicapped spots. More thoughts forthcoming, as I look ahead beyond my presidency which ends in 4 months the need for continued leadership has never been greater...
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