The survival of the fittest season is fast approaching the real estate industry all around the country. October is the beginning of the normally dreaded “slow period” for buying and selling homes that will traditionally extend to sometime in late March or possibly even further this time due to the prevailing conditions of the marketplace. Agents, many who have been literally starving over the summer months will undoubtedly succumb under the weight of the annual upcoming fee assessments levied by brokers, the state licensing departments and Realtor associations all across the country. As the agent’s drop under the weight of these anticipated fees, the Realtor associations will be adversely affected from the loss of numbers and some will also expire as the dwindling funding source from the agents dues hits their bottom line. Not entirely a bad thing either as many Realtor associations are not worth a nickel of their dues in the first place. I can say that because after being a Realtor member for nearly 20 years I have had the experience of observing Realtor associations and what services they actually provide for their membership and in many cases it’s not a very pretty picture. For now we’ll leave Realtor associations on the shelf to be revisited next year in more depth.

The agents and their survival is something else. Here the real problem in my opinion actually lies with the brokerage firms, and the licensing requirements. I recently read an excellent article on this subject put out by Inman News. The article addressed the future of the real estate industry and how the model must change in order to survive in this technologically advanced marketplace. Brokerage models like Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and Prudential have become the elephants in the room and these models need to be discarded. Brokerage models like Re-MAX and Keller Williams are closer to what is going to work successfully. Big box brokerages will be out. Agents of the future will be working from home and utilizing much smaller office facilities (ie: conference room and a shared work space) to meet clients, hold closings or attend training sessions. Office meetings will be thankfully gone at the future brokerage. Floor time will be gone too as modern phone systems can provide call forwarding directly to the listing agents cell phone. Office computer banks will no longer be offered, as each agent will have a wireless laptop to accompany them to the office. A networked printer will handle printing needs for any forms and MLS printouts they may need. The constant recruiting and turnover of new agents will be over, as brokers will see the value of retaining a smaller more professional sales force. States will enact more stringent licensing and pre-licensing education requirements so that all of those two-week wonder agents will be a thing of the past. The current independent contractor system now prevalent will be increasingly modified and eventually morph into a completely salaried position. These things will happen over extended time, but they will happen. Changes are on the distant horizon and I'm so glad that I’ll be retired from the fray.

Jon DePoe
CurbChat.com