This is a guest post from Julie Beall. This is the first guest post ever here on my personal blog. I asked Julie if I could use this after she had a horrible time trying to post a comment and had sent this as a Word document. Julie does not have a blog, but I hope you’ll agree that she should. This is my way of encouraging her to give blogging a try.
In Response to: “Vision, Values, And The Real Estate Industry“
Oh I have so much to say here… I agree with leadership being the catalyst to vision and values within all industries, including real estate. I also agree and would like to expand on the values enforcing the brand. After all, brand is not who you are, only the perception of who the customer perceives you be. Our lackluster real estate leadership does not understand this. This is one of my major concerns for the real estate industry.
I would ask your readers, who is the Brokers’ customer? Who is the agents customer? Are they the same or different? In my opinion, they are different, yet brokers and agents do not understand this concept. You canNOT lead if you do not recognize who or what you are leading, let alone foster a culture based on vision and values. I have been saying this for years, until you can create solid values and a inspiring vision within your organization and amongst your teams, ONLY then can you create value for your customer/client etc., all leading to a sustainable profit. Again, as you say, it starts at the leadership level, but our current leadership does not understand the quandary.
Yes, there is a culture problem within the industry.
Can we change the culture? Seriously, how many companies can change culture in their organizations let alone an industry of old school culture? I think of all the failing mergers and acquisitions where cultures did not match and one or both companies failed in the end, not because they weren’t smart or had an unattractive product or service but because they could not adapt and change to the cultural needs of their customer or their employees.
On the broker level, I haven’t met many brokers who inspired me to be a better, Realtor, Mother, or community leader. I haven’t met many with an authentic leadership aura. Maybe one in Chicago last year, who seemed to be genuine about his brand and his agents. How can we find more of these leaders when they receive their financial reward and feed their families by seeking the mid to lower level agent for profit? Then you add state and local laws and regulations that are Broker centric and you have, in my estimation, an unattractive business model (is that better than saying “broken model”).
Truth… you are 100% correct. But the future of the industry may come from leadership at the bottom, along with empowered consumers and possibly third party vendors who see the top leadership unable to change, even if they try.
Jeff, I wish I was a better writer to express my opinions as eloquently as you. Both you and Rob Hahn have me fired up today. You spoke many truths so well. BTW, imagine if we could get all RE leadership and brokers to tune in to HBR chats…..that would help! Or better yet lets do a few case studies together with Brokers!
Julie I think Jeff is right in encouraging you to start blogging. As a reader, I appreciate your style and candor. Without doubt I believe that the future of the industry will be found from the leadership of inspired agents and empowered consumers, it will just take time. I recently handed over the keys to a wonderful home to a ’empowered consumer’. She knew what she wanted, expected to be treated a certain way, accessed the tools and technology available to aid her (and rightfully expected me to do the same). We were a team not to be reckoned with and have since become friends. I expect she will tell her friends and family about her experience and they will as a result expect nothing less from themselves and their agents. Today I’m sharing both your and Jeff’s post with my office in hopes that it will spark conversation… and action. Cheers, Jason
Jason, thank you for the encouraging words. Who knows Jeff may finally push me off the blogging edge and then it will be fly or die!!:)
Your story put a smile on my face. What you experienced with your client is called synergy. Synergy in the Business Dictionary, not to bore you means: “A state in which two or more things work together in a particularly fruitful way that produces an effect greater the sum of their individual effects.” You understood your “empowered” client and worked with their needs instead of business as usual. Great synergies in companies can lead to great profits! Thanks for sharing a good example of great synergy and knowing and understanding your customer/client!