Connect Magazine March/April 2018 | Page 21

The human attention span is now 8 seconds, less than the attention span of a goldfish* (Goldfish = 9 sec) agents. This knowledge gap threatens the credibility of the industry.” -Excerpted from Agent Danger/NAR Google has now taken over the job that was once reserved for an encyclopedia. EVERY 60 SECONDS, there are more than 3.8 million things being “Googled.” To survive and thrive, we will all need to embrace change and increase our standard of excellence. Rather than going by the wayside like a Sears, let’s become the gold standard of service - a Neiman Marcus. The Neiman Marcus way would bring about much needed change in our industry and give the agents who truly are elite the room and tools to grow. Amazon has changed the landscape of retail forever. EVERY 60 SECONDS, Amazon has orders of $260,000. This equates to $135 BILL ION annually. In 2017, 11 major retail chains collectively closed over 1,000 retail locations. What is this doing to the real estate industry and how might it all play out in the future? Let’s talk about Zillow. Zillow projected its 2017 revenue to be over $1 billion. EVERY MONTH, Zillow gets 175 MILLION unique visitors. And every year, Zillow invests $268 million into technology. How many of you have compared your CMA to the Zestimate? New business models are popping up all over: OpenDoor, Offerpad, Knock, Flat Fee Realty, Redfin’s 1% listing, Purple Brick’s $3,200 Listing, and Redefy’s $3,000 listing are just a few of the programs coming out of the woodworks to compete with the traditional brokerage. And what about the future buyers? Who are they? And how will they buy their house? 63% of the US population will be Gen X & Gen Y: • 80 million aged 35-55 • 80 million aged 17-35 Let’s all: • Live up to the Code of Ethics • Perform your Fiduciary Duty • Be Highly Competent • Act like a professional • Be reasonably productive • Be involved in the community • Have positive consumer reviews • Promote our REALTOR® Association In 2018 and into the future, let’s Take It to the Next Level! Who doesn’t leave a Neiman Marcus feeling better than when they arrived? Written by Lisa Baez, Chair of Tech & Trends, and inspired by and data included from Bruce Gardner’s presentation called Extraordinary Leadership in Dec. 2017. Used with permission. For Realtors®, listen to this quote from NAR: “The real estate industry is saddled with a large number of part-time, untrained, unethical and/or incompetent RPCRA.ORG | MAR/APR 2018 21