“Oh no. A new technology in the marketplace that dissipates the need for real estate agents. Now the market will move on without us!”

Real estate agents tend to react like this in online conversations whenever new technology is revealed. But my question is why do we react to the world instead of creating a space for our brand using our own values, principles, and experiences?

Are we so insecure about our value proposition as individuals, companies, and an industry that we need to be instantly reactive to the thoughts of others?
Every time Zillow, Trulia, and other technologies propose new business models to dis-intermediate real estate, and therefore diminish the need for agents, we tend to react like Chicken Little, proclaiming, “The sky is falling!”
Agents still work to deliver value, provide experience, and use experience and best practices to make the home-buying process efficient for all types of clients. As an agent, I assist my sellers to get the highest price and the best terms for their properties, and I assist my buyer in getting them the lowest price and best terms for their purchase. These are services buyers and sellers simply can’t get from a computer screen.
Movies didn’t replace books, and television didn’t replace movies. Stock brokers still walk among us even with the plethora of online do-it-yourself trading options.
The less you worry about losing your job to technology, the more time you can spend contemplating how you can perform better and improve your company. The best way to avoid obsolescence is to provide a valuable service and use the technology to your advantage.”

About the FORCE member

Jay Steeves is a seasoned REO agent in Central Connecticut. With more than 26 years’ real estate experience and 20 years’ REO experience, Steeves has a complete team for preservation and service is completed within 24 hours on most properties. All calls on properties are handled by a call coordinator and registered in their database system for continued marketing of all assets. All assets are processed with a complete in-house team of assistants to allow for smooth process from acquisition to closing. Steeves and his team are well trained and work hard for you seven days a week.


So what do you think? Are the fears about Zillow and Trulia all hype? Comment below!

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