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Where's This Flood of Information Taking Us?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with RealEstateNugget.com

The future will be about managing the information.  

 

The real estate industry is awash with information.  It's everywhere........  you can search to your hearts content and find 'information' up the wazoo........

 

Thus, it's not a matter of the availability, but rather a matter of distilling the information, which will be demanding.  

 

This is one way brokers differentiate themselves from other brokers: Those with access to the best information win.  

 

I guess this spiel about 'information' takes on a lot of different shades, and you can interpret this to mean numerous forward thinking trends.  But seriously,the accessibility that the local market has to the information usurps what was early on the strongest asset of the 'brokers'...their exclusive information.  Now any and all information is available anytime, anywhere, to everyone.....there are no limits.

 

The exclusivity of information is evaporating due to the advances in technology.  The expense associated with brokerage won't be as related to the high price of owning the 'information,' because our customers will have similar access.  The true expense, and thus, the true virtue of the broker is her expertise with the management and analysis of the information, and the experience of completing a transaction.  You've got to become a 'master of the deal.'  How experienced, how nuanced, how creative, how able are you to provide a winning experience?

 

I believe that as the information saturates the market, the true skills of the new generation of brokers emerge.   

 

Please, I'd like to hear your thoughts.  More to follow on this discussion about the future of information and its effect on the industry.  

 

 

Matthew

www.facetrealestate.com

 

 

 

 

Chris & Karen Highland
eXp Realty - Frederick, MD
Integrity, Experience, Enthusiasm!

Matthew,

I think the secret to managing the information age, is to be the one who is giving information liberally, and helping the public to distill the overwhelming amount of information.  Just because there are statistics everywhere a person looks, doesn't mean that they understand what those statistics mean, or what they mean in the local market.  Though we are no longer 'hoarding' information, we still have the opportunity to be the one who is helping the consumer navigate through it, and that makes us valuable.

Jan 27, 2009 04:33 AM
Matthew Lind
RealEstateNugget.com - Salem, OR

Thanks Chris and Karen for your input.  I appreciate your opinion.  I agree with you.  I believe that as more and more information becomes available, it will require a greater degree of specialty and market knowledge to manage this information.  I find it interesting when I hear concern from brokers about the availability of information and the trend towards free listing information.  Many people feel that we need to protect our exclusive info in order to maintain our position in the industry.  I tend to agree with you that this trend will simply demand new expertise from brokers.

 

All the best to you!

 

-Matthew Lind

www.facetrealestate.com

Jan 27, 2009 06:45 AM