While RE/MAX Chairman of the Board and Co-founder Dave Liniger is famous for building one of the world’s largest and most successful real estate brands, he’s also renowned for his expertise in being ahead of the curve on key market trends. The next big wave in real estate, according to the industry icon? New-home sales. But capitalizing on the new construction market of today will require an updated set of skills to meet the needs of a new demographic. “It’s essential for everyone to recognize that you can’t do today’s business with yesterday’s methods and expect to be in business tomorrow,” says the straight-talking Liniger in this exclusive interview. Find out what’s driving the new-home boom and how to best meet the impending demand.
Teresa Walsh: What do brokers and agents need to be most aware of regarding the significance of new homes in today’s market?
Dave Liniger: About three years ago, Fortune Magazine ran an article about the new construction business, and they were right on the money. They talked about the challenges facing builders at that time, but also predicted a turnaround where there would be dramatic, long-term growth in new-home building.
New construction will experience robust growth for the next decade and account for a significant amount of our business. It’s important for real estate agents to expand their skill set to support new-homes business—to be well versed in the details of new construction and how to work professionally with builders and new-home buyers.