With all the chatter on disruption in the industry, Power Brokers are doubling down on their strengths—including digital marketing strategies and technology.
With all the chatter on disruption in the industry, Power Brokers are doubling down on their strengths—including digital marketing strategies and technology. On the agenda this year, according to RISMedia’s 2019 Power Broker Report, is investing in technology, the No. 3 area of focus, as well as digital marketing, at No. 4.
The end goal? Clearly communicate a message of professionalism and service—critical in an era when homebuyers and homeowners have options, not all on equal footing—and generate leads, both intelligently and seamlessly.
Augmenting What Works: Power Brokers Sound Off
“Recent technology upgrades company-wide help equip our agents with the ability to effortlessly access and deliver relevant market information.”
– Lacey M. Conway, President/Principal Broker, Latter & Blum Inc., No. 19 in transactions
“A market that is flat or down 3-4 percent does not create a lot of urgency for big change, so most will make small adjustments. Underlying the market settling down is the consumer shift to using all forms of technology; acquiring new clients from online sources will soon become one-third or more of the top agent’s lead gen. So, jumping on social media to ensure you have a deeper relationship with your clients is the best way of growing your business…and the least expensive.”
– Dan Elsea, President of Brokerage Services, Real Estate One Family of Companies, No. 11 in transactions
“One of the biggest challenges facing today’s real estate consumers is sifting through all the different offerings and models that exist throughout our marketplace. They’re looking for not just the ‘cheapest’ offering, but rather, the offering that will best meet their needs and represent them in their best interest.”
– Todd Hetherington, CEO of CENTURY 21 New Millennium, No. 55 in sales volume
“CBx is a game changer when it comes to winning and selling listings, and the Zap CRM Platform gives agents and their clients an interactive way to search for properties and maintain their relationship at the same time.”
– Felicia Hengle, President of Ohio Operations, Coldwell Banker Schmidt Family of Companies, No. 29 in transactions
“The real estate industry follows cycles and reacts according to the law of supply and demand. The real estate firm of today needs to be able to be nimble and adapt to change rapidly.”
– Alexander Karavasilis, President, RE/MAX Advantage Realty, No. 330 in sales volume
“The market today is so dynamic. There are new players, rates are up or down weekly, houses sell quickly or sit on the market with no activity, prices are rising in some areas while remaining flat in others. An agent today needs to know how to communicate their value by knowing how to speak to these issues, as well as others that are of concern to the consumer. This communication must be continuous and through multiple channels: video, emails, newsletters, phone calls and one-to-one meetings. The consumer today is inundated with information, but the knowledgeable agent can set themselves apart.”
– Scott MacDonald, Owner/President, RE/MAX Gateway, No. 394 in sales volume
“Organized real estate must work together to stay relevant and useful. MLS consolidations, data standards and interoperability between disparate systems should be our main focus in order to survive and thrive.”
– John Murray, President, Key Realty, No. 762 in transactions
“Dabbling and experimentation take a back seat to quality and proof of concept.”
– James O’Bryon, CEO, RE/MAX Gold | Olson & Associates, No. 13 in sales volume
“We are in interesting times in our industry with heavily funded entrants and business models looking to change the landscape of buying and selling homes. I believe many of the ventures are ill-conceived and will fail, but only time will answer what real estate will look like in five years.”
– Linda Schaefer, Executive, Select Group Real Estate, No. 84 in sales volume
“We all need to do the work. Fully leveraging automated, ‘state-of-the-art’ marketing tools and resources will demonstrate our professional acumen and keep us front of mind. Persistent follow-up via calls, personal visits, handwritten notes, etc., shows people that we truly care and are worthy of their trust and confidence.”
– Pat Shea, COO/President, Lyon Real Estate, No. 60 in sales volume
“Plug-and-play platforms that are designed specifically for our real estate model enhance our associates’ ability to run their business and allows them to focus on the individual needs of their client.”
– Tipper Williams, Operating Principal, Keller Williams Virginia Realty Alliance Group, No. 62 in sales volume
“With developments in AI and data analytics, technology will assist real estate agents so that they can focus on serving clients. Technology will also streamline the home-buying process for consumers. The agents who really integrate these products into their business will see the biggest impact. The key point is that the technology will empower agents, not replace them. In this tight market, it’s necessary for consumers to work with the best agents who have access to the best technology.”
– Charlie Young, CEO/President, Coldwell Banker Real Estate (NRT, No. 1 in sales volume)
RISMedia’s 2019 Power Broker Report is sponsored by American Home Shield, Homes.com, HSA Home Warranty, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and Pillar To Post Home Inspectors. The 2019 Power Broker Report ranks brokerages by residential sales volume and transactions in 2018. The complete ranking of the Top 1,000 will be released shortly, along with an interactive online Power Broker directory.
Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online news editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com.
