rereflections - Latest Comments

Re: The Secret to Becoming a Success in Real Estate

Jeff Jones — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 06:51:15 -0000

Great advice. I'm one of those who wish I had known this getting into the business. Thanks for sharing and helping make this industry stronger!

Re: Do the Right Thing – Voting Your Conscience

Brian Brady — Fri, 18 May 2018 11:07:17 -0000

Good article, Bill. Somewhere along the way though, NAR (and CAR and SDAR) put this statement:

"NAR leaders are charged with advancing the interests of the National Association of REALTORS®."

over this one (from the REALTOR Oath):

"To protect the individual rights of real estate ownership and to widen the opportunity to enjoy it."

If NAR Leaders were charged with advancing the interests of private property ownership rather than the interests of the Association, we'd all be better served.

Thank you for your continued involvement in our industry

Re: Earth Shattering News From Inman Connect!

Ardell DellaLoggia — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 18:12:43 -0000

Never say never as to Zillow becoming a brokerage. If they do...who cares. sht happens. I say this as there was a time when Redfin also formed partnerships with agents as their income stream...and then became a brokerage. I personally didn't bump into Redfin until they became a brokerage. But my homebase RainCityGuide did, and there was at least one scathing article written by Anna before I became a writer there. She was fuming mad that the agent partnerships formed with a lead-generator-Redfin turned into building up the software recognition for what later became a competitor-brokerage-Redfin. This is clearly a possibility for Zillow in the future.

That post (and maybe others) is almost 10 years old now and so a bit disjointed due to the addition of repeated new and better WordPress Plugins. But back in 2005 the Redfin won't become a brokerage and then did become a brokerage debacle, well, let's just say that door is always open for Zillow.

But again. Who cares if they become a brokerage or not. No one can promise what will happen in the future. As you say, they are a business...with stockholders and a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

http://raincityguide.com/20...

As to Zillow becoming an mls, with all due respect you are missing the point. They are not going to be "an" mls. They are never going to be "the" mls in any area in the traditional sense.

Zillow already is to some degree a public "mls", and using "mls" for lack of a better term. We define mls quite differently than the public at large. Just as Redfin only opened initially in markets with high priced property, this issue of "a public mls" is more of a concern in areas where "starter homes" cost a million dollars or at least $500,000 and up.

Our mls recently outlawed ANY and all pre-marketing, and so Zillow's Coming Soon was nipped in the bud here before it even started. Zillow started here...Zillow is here...we are not as naive about Zillow's potential to replace "an mls" by being NOT an mls...but an mls alternative for FSBOs. It already is that. Whether it is a coming soon or a for sale by owner or a make me move, people do buy and sell property outside of the agent and mls system using Zillow...every single day.

Waiting for them to be what WE call an mls...well that is not going to happen. That is why they can honestly say no to that question. They already ARE a public mls for buyers and sellers with no need for agents to broker the "deals". In these days of very limited inventory...part of the reason there are few homes for sale "in the mls" is because more are selling outside of "the mls" at foreclosure, as pocket listings, and via Zillow. It's already a reality.

Oddly and to drive this point home, the last time I had to help a buyer purchase a property via Zillow that was not listed in the mls...the owner was an agent. Agents want to save money on commissions too. And when the person using Zillow as "an alternative mls system" to sell the house with less commission is in fact an agent...well, the handwriting's already on the wall. It's not about what they WILL be...it is about what they already ARE.

Re: Earth Shattering News From Inman Connect!

Patrick Gallagher — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 14:57:25 -0000

This whole idea never really made a nickel's worth of sense to me... why in the world would Zillow want to take their highly streamlined information publishing business and drive their margins into the dirt by becoming a broker or an MLS?!?!

The only reason I could ever see Z even remotely dipping their toes into the brokerage game would be if they somehow lost all access to all the listings by some massive movement to cut them off. But they're getting more more access every single day with brokers building direct realtime connections to them, completely circumventing previous syndication channels.

The entire things makes about as much sense as all the "they want to eliminate all the real estate agents just like their founders killed the travel agent profession" argument.

Sure, right... they're gonna do that right after Nike eliminates feet globally and Netflix plucks everyones' eyes out.

Re: Coming Soon – Much Ado About Nothing

Bill Lublin — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 20:35:29 -0000

Thanks Mike. Your opinion is always valued

Re: Coming Soon – Much Ado About Nothing

Bill Lublin — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 20:35:13 -0000

Totally agree Patrick. However they develop as a publisher or advertiser, they don't determine the success or failure of the individual agent.

Re: Coming Soon – Much Ado About Nothing

Teresa Boardman — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 12:45:47 -0000

Thanks Bill

Re: Coming Soon – Much Ado About Nothing

mbowlersr — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 09:33:04 -0000

Good read Bill. :-)

Re: Coming Soon – Much Ado About Nothing

Patrick Gallagher — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 14:17:46 -0000

Agree with so much of this. And I love the Rounders reference. I think too many agents spin their wheels worrying about what Zillow does and not enough time accomplishing your closing statement.

Re: Are Discount Real Estate Brokers the Wave of the Future?

Teresa Boardman — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 13:35:17 -0000

I think you are beating a dead horse . . .

Re: Turning Real Estate Consumers into Raving Fans!

Dave Phillips — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:50:27 -0000

Great article Bill. You may not have read the book, but you backup the authors' points. I used to make every new employyee read that book and we often used the theory of under promising and over delivering.

Re: Rankings, Reviews and Ratings, Oh My!

Teresa — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 17:29:51 -0000

Nice analysis Bill.

Re: 2014 Predictions From a Broken Crystal Ball

sarabonert — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 11:38:53 -0000

Nice list Bill. But can I tell you one thing, as a consumer, I wish I'd see on agents' 2014 lists ... keeping better in touch with people they've serviced in the past. That is such a huge asset for the agent which I can't believe more don't focus on, just from my personal experience in working with agents.
All the best to you in 2014!

Re: Will AGENTMATCH Disrupt Real Estate? OR “Look There’s A Squirrel!”

mbowlersr — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 21:04:54 -0000

Do you really thing an agent is going to give anyone beside themselves credit for a sale they obtained. #Not

Re: Will AGENTMATCH Disrupt Real Estate? OR “Look There’s A Squirrel!”

Bill Lublin — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 19:30:00 -0000

Leslie - I don;t think the management piece was that their leads didn;t come from the internet - rather that the leads came from their sites, not the three portals. :)

Re: Will AGENTMATCH Disrupt Real Estate? OR “Look There’s A Squirrel!”

Leslie Ebersole — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 08:24:17 -0000

I do think that most Realtors should just look away and focus on their own businesses. But they should keep checking over their shoulders, because (a) 20% isn't insignificant and (b) I'm sure that brokerage reporting of "20% from the internet" is inaccurate. I know that our numbers are woefully skewed to the management view that agents generate their own business and that this new fangled internet thing is just noise.

Re: Disruption, Innovation, and Other Tired Concepts.

ResPres — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:57:27 -0000

Thank you! I used this quote, in its entirety, from your previous post in my presentation to SAAR this morning. "Disruption is overrated – if disruption was a celebrity, you would assume that it had the best publicist ever. everyone talks about, looks for it, and is in awe of it, but we generally don’t even recognize disruption until after is has passed and been integrated into the larger industry. The printing press didn’t destroy calligraphy, movies didn’t replace books and television didn’t destroy movies. Travel agents and stockbrokers still walk among us, even in the world of Kayak, Tripit and eTrade. Worry less about losing your job and more about doing it better."

Re: Disruption, Innovation, and Other Tired Concepts.

Teresa Boardman — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:36:33 -0000

Nice job Bill. I think for some the idea of "disruption" is wishful thinking because they can profit from it and what some folks call innovation really isn't innovative. Both terms are way over used and worn out and are just words

Re: The End of the Real Estate Agent

Teresa Boardman — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 10:19:04 -0000

until then you are welcome to use mine.

Re: The End of the Real Estate Agent

Bill Lublin — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 09:50:20 -0000

One day , if I'm lucky, I'll do such a good job I'll get my own hot dog stand.... :)

Re: The End of the Real Estate Agent

Bill Lublin — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 09:49:52 -0000

Thanks Miriam - appreciate that :)

Re: The End of the Real Estate Agent

Miriam Bernstein — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 07:34:36 -0000

I am one of those who agree with this well written piece. Thank you. I just subscribed.

Re: The End of the Real Estate Agent

Teresa Boardman — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 21:17:04 -0000

Nice job Bill.

Re: The End of the Real Estate Agent

Jacques Merde — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 20:43:55 -0000

I think you've really summed it all up and put a bow on it that will be hard to untie, but before I fall asleep tonight there will be whole armies of those who disagree.
I see your 30 years of NAR Trade Shows and raise you eight. The best thing I ever got at them was a real cool ladder.
If you want to see "disrupters" and "shaman" and "snake oil" and, every day, honest-to-goodness earnest people with ideas that will rock our world, I recommend the Inman Real Connect Conferences.
I love what they tell the 18 year-old kids who join the Marines, complete their training and are sent into combat (where the ammo is live and the consequences are real).
"Adapt, adjust, overcome".

Re: The End of the Real Estate Agent

mbowlersr — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 19:03:17 -0000

Well, there you have it! Another great post Bill. I like to stir the pot and do learn from others. Must be the Irish in me. :-)