The Path “Fast Forward”

 By John Mangas, Broker/Co-Owner RE/MAX Preferred Associates Toledo Ohio

 “Where did I leave my MLS book?”

“Can you fax this for me?”

“Will you pick up the prints at Photo-Mart for my new listing?”

“Let’s ride together today on tour”

“After I stop at Quick Print for 5 color copies, let’s do lunch”

And the list could go on endlessly…

And YES, I can recall making each of these statements!

The days of showing homes with an MLS book under one arm are long gone. Today most real estate professionals know how to do property searches on line and can upload a digital photo. But what does it mean to be truly relevant in today’s fast forward arena? Back in the day of the MLS book and the other antiquated activities above, the agent was gatekeeper to the information and the listings, conduit to the lender & title agency, and the one who controlled the process. 

But consumers today “know” everything, and get it wrong from time to time. They have instant access to the listings, facts and figures that once were exclusive to agents and brokers and endless how to guides from the internet. How do we as real estate professionals ensure we remain a meaningful party to the transaction and meaningful to the process going forward? 

To be relevant to consumers, brokers must first be relevant our agents. Distressed properties, short sales, HUD listings etc continue to comprise a significant percentage of the market. Those properties need the expertise of a Realtor to navigate the complex process. FSBO’s continue to list their properties with a Realtor eventually finding that they need the skills that we offer in difficult  and in heated markets. Brokers must stay current and forward thinking which must be communicated to their associates which ultimately benefits the clients.

 Knowledge of the local market and the ability to assist buyers and sellers to interpret the abundance of information now available to them is where today’s real estate professionals fit in. Business intelligence is the bottom line. We must learn and relearn the business every day, week, month and year. Right now going mobile is the big push and we have responded with a terrific mobile site.  As we fast forward into whatever the next big push is, we will need to learn and adapt because it’s what we must do for our agents and clients; if we fail to do so we will be no more useful than the MLS book from 1985!