Are the old models of fancy, grand or impressive “brick & mortar” real estate companies a thing of the past? Will we see more and more unaffected and/or simplified offices or “virtual” offices as our real estate profession morphs into this new age of “cost-effective” business? The “Old Brokerage” model was forced to focus on recruiting to pay for the lavish accoutrements. It became a numbers game right? “The brokerage with the most agents wins”. The traditional brokerage models focus on recruiting as many people as they can into their brokerage. As they do this, they tend not to focus on the actual agent they are hiring but only on acquiring another body. When I began my career in the mid-80′s, there weren’t many agents and the offices were small. Then, I felt training was a priority and you had an opportunity for lots of personal attention from your Broker. We had weekly classes and the training Broker was always available to “brainstorm” problems and give advice. These days, both subconsciously and consciously, people know they don’t have to work hard to be part of brokerage. Every traditional brokerage in town allows any agent to hang their license with them if they have a pulse and a real estate license. I believe part of the new model of the new agent in our new world will be an emphasis on training, on reliable mentors and on experience. The advent of so much online information makes the role of the agent more as a “trusted advisor” rather than a dispenser of facts and figures. We should relish the onslaught of that kind information and the possibilities that our new role will be more engaged, more educated and more flexible.

The changes are already happening. The consumer is demanding more financial intuitiveness, more real estate opinion based on field experience and more disclosure. First, the brokerage will only focus on quality of agents. Second, the structure of how an agent works will change. Third, the service given to the consumer will be instant results, knowledge, and services. The consumer will also see the value of this “New Brokerage” because there won’t be inexperienced agents charging the same commission as the experienced agents. Would love to hear other thoughts on this