Inman

Pulse: What is the state of the indie broker going into 2021?

It’s never been a more interesting or exacting time to be an indie broker. In November, Inman celebrates the indie by narrowing in on what growth tactics are working best and what tech is emerging that offers the best competitive advantage.

Pulse is a recurring column where we ask for readers’ takes on varying topics in a weekly survey and report back with our findings.

It’s a well-worn cliché that small businesses compete with the big guys by bringing something unique, hyperlocal and more customized to the table. That’s perhaps one of the biggest strengths of an indie brokerage. However, whether they have the long-term staying power — well, that’s always put under a question mark.

This week, we want to ask our readers about the fate of the indie brokerage. How do you think they’re faring today, in the midst of this year’s challenges? Do you think they’re thriving — or better yet, outdoing franchises that benefit from big-box backing? Or do you think they’re on life support, just hanging on by a thread?

We’ll compile a list of the top responses and post them on Inman next Tuesday.