Don’t Worry, Wal-Mart Will Hire Us!

It’s time that someone finally comes out and tells all you REALTORS® that you don’t have to worry. Wal-Mart will hire us...when they put in their real estate offices in their stores. Did you catch that? I said “us”. Yes, the jerk writing this article is a REALTOR® himself. Telling you this doesn’t come with much trepidation and thought, but I am compelled to share this with you.

Why as an industry are we so slow to adapt? Why do we not embrace change and decide to make a difference early in the game? Why do we wait until our backs are against the wall and a gun is pointed at our heads before we wake up and decide to do something about it? Now think about this for a moment: there is huge pressure by the DOJ in the United States - and now the Competition Bureau in Canada - to open up the MLS to anyone and everyone. They want non-members, or members who decide they do not want to compensate selling agents, to have complete access to “our” MLS systems! The systems that our fees and thousands of man hours put in by REALTOR® volunteers built. The system we regarded as our “value proposition” and our “unique selling proposition” will be infiltrated by the public, the discounters or the shameless entrepreneurs trying to change our business for their shameless so-called profits.

But don’t **** about it: we’ve done it to ourselves. It’s time we stopped whining about what is happening to our sacred MLS system and start to do something about it. Now don’t get me wrong, I still want to defend what we have built with as much passion and persistence that I can muster, but I am a realist and a planner. I want to look to the future and see that it’s NOT our use of MLS, but one of engaging the consumer. Quite frankly, you can NEVER engage and, more importantly, captivate the consumer with the data found on MLS.

So then why are so many REALTORS® relying only on MLS and the data contained in it for their web content? If you were to list your own home do you think that one paragraph of text and a few dimensions is enough to compel someone to come and see your home? I didn’t think so. Consumers are not idiots! They are demanding, and expect service and a professional to “market” their home the most effective way possible. For those of you who think that the MLS is the best marketing solution for your listings, I have a fantastic little blue apron with a pretty name badge on it that is made just for you.
For those of you who really don’t want to end up at Wal-Mart, listen up: we REALTORS® need to take charge right now, and change the way we do business. We MUST re-invent, re-develop, embrace and execute Real Estate 2.0. We need to start work harder and stop thinking that MLS and its technology is the tool that’s going to make our jobs easier. In fact, it’s going to be the tool that puts us out of work if it’s the ONLY thing/tool we rely on. What’s stopping Wal-Mart from putting in company-owned real estate offices in each of their stores, hiring out-of-work “goober” REALTORS® for $15 an hour and offering full MLS access for $499? “Bring in your photos and fill out this form and we will put your home on MLS”. Is it possible? Yes! Is it inevitable? NO!
We all must make an effort to create that Real Estate 2.0 experience. We must embrace great technology that makes us leaders in our market places. Technology that engages the consumer and gives them a captivating experience that they just can’t get from MLS - or Wal-Mart for that matter.

One thing’s for certain, the consumer will not stop expecting more, and there will be entrepreneurs that will be ready, willing and able to give them what they want. Let’s make a deal: why don’t we all decide to be the innovators, the creators, the professionals that people use to buy and sell real estate?
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have no plans wearing a blue apron and working for someone else.

TLC