"Realtors could become the next dying profession like car sales people..."

Pacita,

I know plenty of car sales people since my father in law owned several car dealerships... Prices and research are more transparent.. but there are still car sales people.

However.. I do somewhat have to agree that the Realtor that relies on scripts such as "It's always a good time to buy and sell real estate" days are numbered.

You really need to know the market including rents and understand how to do a cash flow analysis if you want to survive and be more then just a typical Realtor with sales scripts as their main arsenal.

Just my thoughts. When I go to a car dealership and the salesperson knows everything about the brand of car that I'm interested in and why it's going to benefit me... that's the salesperson I'm using.

I can guarantee that I could beat out the person you quoted who bought three homes on their own in terms of value and the deals they got...

Pacita - I agree with your frustration and no doubt would have felt the same way, many times I've rehearsed those same resentments in my own head.

I have to also agree with Paul (above) as he makes a very valid point. One, car sales persons aren't going away, nor are real estate professionals. I believe we have to be the surgeons in our field and know everything about the product in which we sell. If that means beef up our skills on market reports, area statistics and investment advantages, and improve our service skills -- then by darn we do it! I think there are many savvy buyers out there, some just prefer to go it alone, more prefer to have a professional represent them.

Pacita, I got into a back and forth discussion with an alleged Relocation Buyer here on AR and after his third comment back I just ignored him.

 He was one of those "Do not confuse me with Facts I have made up my mind" he drew an analogy Realtor to Car Salesmen and it was not favorable I resented it. I tried to highlight to the "...." that we have a Code of Ethics, We are knowledgeable about our Market, Schools, Neighborhoods and we pass it on freely for the potential opportunity to allow us to Represent them in Negotiation with the culmination of them getting the home they love and then we get paid after a  3month to 2 year proposition.

He knew everthing, cross country relocating and knew how to look on the internet. Well I hope Karma will get 'Mr. I know everything'. Or I could introduce  your 'Miss Know it all 'to my 'Mr. Know everything' and they can share their knowledge to each other:)))

Pacita, There will always be do-it-yourselfers - in every arena of life, but it's just not realistic to think that a large percentage of the population will ever want to go it alone.

I leased a car this year after doing my research online, but guess who gave me the internet discount, negotiated my additional mileage allowance, and delivered my freshly washed car with a full tank of gas? The dealership salesperson!

It may be easy to find homes on the internet, but we in the business know of the challenges that appear on the way to a successful close, and how to manage them for the best interests of our clients - I just don't see how that service could ever lose value.

Pacita there have always been and always be the nay sayers out there.  I remember on Trulia awhile back we were always getting plagued by a few negative people just getting on and posting negative comments and questions just to stir everyone up.  I think they must of gotten banned.  They have disappeared now.  There will always be sales people because while yes there are do it yourselfers out there there are alot more I don't have time please just take care of this for me people out there.  With our schedules and the demands of the workplace many people would much rather spend their time doing something else then what we get paid to do.   I mean look at all the service industries that are popping up.  I have seen everything from people that will do you food shopping for you to a business that will come out and scoop your dogs poop from the yard.  So do you think those people want to spend the time to do all the research and work it takes to do what we do?

Paticia, Now that the "boom" days for real estate are over, real estate people need to be more aggressive and and creative than before. Agents are still needed but they need to work harder. The hard working ones are still selling a lot of property in this are...

I don't think we are a dieing breed.  Not everyone has the do yourself attitude or the time for it.

There will always be a need for realtors, and your challenge now is to keep finding and implementing new ways to service clients. The internet has changed the landscape, but not the need for good, knowledgeable, and internet savvy realtors.

If course this poster is absolutely positive that they understand the market well enough to have gotten the best possible deal out there.  I would be interested to review that deal to see exactly how much their "research" actually cost them.  And did they say that they saved money by not using an agent to "Buy" the house.  That research is really paying off for them.  How often do you charge a buyer a commission or fee. 

The car salesman thing is a little bothersome.  i guess this is another example of their market knowledge.  Cars are manufactured, 1000's of identical cars, that can be researched and rated.  The Camry is the same at one dealership as it is the other.  The value is not affected by where it is.  Homes, well of course we know the answer to that.  This is the same person that is positive they got a great deal because they only paid x number of dollars per square foot, I wonder how knoweledgeable they were about comps in the area.  I enjoy laughing at these people.  Bet they got an online mortgage also.

Pacita:  I think for my next career change, I will opt for selling cars and homes while simultaneously performing brain surgery and sell tickets for added revenue.  What do you think?  LOL

Amazing that many of the public percieve that we do nothing for a commission.  In a sense, we need to be consistent teachers, showing them the value that we add.  In transaction and contract experience and expertise alone, we more than earn our income!

It really amazes me how the public conceive the Realtor commission .. there's been some deals where I've actually made $6.50 an hour.... that's pre-tax.

Pacita, you summed it up nicely. In my opinion there will always be a need for a REALTOR®. finding a property is the tip of the ice berg. Getting the property to close can be the challenge. One thing is for sure, you cannot open the front door to a home through the Internet.

     I have been very successful as a used car salesman & a real estate broker. There are some REALLY good car sales people out there. You do not hear about them, they can do their job, earn a living, and their clients are happy, sound familiar?

Unbelievable that the perception remains that Realtors are dinosaurs because so much is done on the net.  It seems that we have not marketed ourselves well to the public or our worth would be clearly seen.  Buyers and sellers most often don't really know what we do for the pay. There is little provided that validates our profession or expertise.  I guess the image of "sharks" "dinosaurs" "used car salesmen" distrubs me when I know first hand that the home buying and selling process is extensive with many legal ramifications requiring extreme attention to detail and care for the client. 

The savvy public gets it, but there are great numbers that miss the boat.  Each year the buy sell experience becomes more complex for the public. Especially right now.

I do not think that the job of real estate agent will ever go away, but do think that there needs to be stricter educational sanctions on getting a license in the first place.  Too many people come into the industry for the wrong reasons.  This industry should not be for part-timers, or people who "just want something to do" or "love looking a homes".  This is a business and should be treated accordingly.

Pacita - great analogy about the teachers. I admit, I do many things myself, but, I do know when it is to my benefit to hire a professional. One thing for sure, in this market now is not the time for either party to be going it alone.

I don't feel Realtors will be eliminated but I think that it is now the survival of the fittest and some of those "Lunch Realtors" that never should have joined the business because it is really harder than it looks, will soon be gone!