How industry infighting makes it harder for clients to achieve the American dream

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It used to be that we talked about homeownership as a financial and aesthetic goal. Think about the sales pitches we used:

• Start building equity instead of your landlord’s wealth.
• Lock in your future with an asset that pays you back.
• Finally, a space that really reflects your style.
• Paint the walls any damn color you want.

Now, however, the dream of homeownership is no longer about white picket fences. It’s about stability in unstable times. It’s about finding peace in an increasingly noisy world.

• We crave certainty → A home offers that.
• We want belonging → A neighborhood delivers that.
• We seek control → Homeownership is still one of our most personal, empowering achievements.

In the face of challenges to affordability and inventory, what are real estate’s biggest power players doing? Are they making it easier for buyers, sellers and the agents who serve them? No. They’re not even speaking to the things that really matter most to boots-on-the-ground agents. 

Instead, they’re fighting among themselves, fighting with the portals and looking to enrich shareholders instead of helping families find financial stability and wealth-building potential in real estate. They’re ignoring the clear fact that helping more families and agents grows the business and, ultimately, increases the value to shareholders.

We used to take the transparency offered by the MLS for granted. Now, CEOs are creating a paradigm shift where consumers potentially can’t even find listings online unless they’re signed on with the “right” brokerage.

It’s a science experiment, and it has nothing to do with what’s best for agents or consumers.

How all that conflict impacts brokerages — and agents

Brokerage companies need to realize that their shareholders aren’t their only clients. In many cases, I wonder if even the shareholders are happy with the positions that they’re taking. 

In a struggle that’s positioned as being all about “consumer choice,” I have to ask whether consumers would choose industry policies that actually make it harder for them to find the home they want.

The duty to return profits to shareholders and to focus on the end consumer are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can, or should, go hand-in-hand.

Brokerages have two customers: the client and the agent. Getting your agents cut off of IDX or portals doesn’t help them. No wonder so many agents say they’re planning to switch brokerages.

Is the real endgame for some players in the industry dual representation or dual agency? That has already been outlawed in some states. It should become less common, not more common.

When asked why we’re having this fight among ourselves, the answer always goes back to the security needs of ultra-high-worth individuals. I’ll tell you this: Those buyers aren’t searching for their next home on Instagram or YouTube videos. 

For the luxury seller, only qualified buyers and trusted agents are allowed through the door. If there’s an art collection or family portraits they don’t want to show, those can be blurred out and the number and placement of photos limited.

How are the adversarial positions brokerage leaders are taking impacting the bottom lines of their brokerages? Is this making brokers more money? Is it making agents more money? Is it attracting new agents to the brokerage or causing retention issues based on the positions the company is taking at its C-suite level?

This chapter for our industry is obviously different than ones of the past. The leaders are different. The story is different. The outcome is going to be different at the end of the day. We’re here to promote homeownership and help people buy and sell homes. Anything else is just unnecessary noise.

Want to differentiate your service? Start caring about the client

Our industry’s reputation has taken a hit, and the headlines haven’t been kind. Here’s how to create a client-centered real estate business that serves both experienced buyers and sellers and those who are just exploring the real estate market for the first time:

Counter the noise

Economic and political news is louder than ever, and uncertainty is rampant. AI-generated content, TikTok real estate “influencers” and nonstop market speculation are creating confusion, not clarity, for clients.

It’s up to you to create content, to have conversations, to pick up the phone and make some calls. Take your role as a resource seriously, and counter all of that nonsense noise with practical wisdom and winning strategies that help your clients achieve their goals.

Acknowledge economic uncertainty

It’s not just about interest rates and inventory; inflation and wage stagnation continue to stretch average American household budgets to the limit. Yet buyers are still hopeful, and sellers are increasingly realistic.

Make sure your clients know that while their dreams may be harder to achieve, they won’t be denied. Stop ghosting them and dodging their calls. Walk the walk with them, providing advice, resources and, most of all, consistent encouragement on the journey to their goals.

Understand the local impact of global disruption

Immigration, wars and cultural shifts aren’t abstractions; they affect housing demand, supply chains, affordability and neighborhood dynamics. They create fear and uncertainty that make it harder to take action. They impact the way we see and speak to each other, and contribute to political, social and cultural polarization.

Housing is personal and deeply human, and that makes the role of real estate professionals more important than ever. When you understand the global and local issues that affect your buyers and sellers — from international conflicts to local zoning — you’re better able to provide the help and advice your clients need.

Prepare for tech disruptions and cultural shifts

AI search, virtual staging and YouTube home tours with millions of views: The landscape of branding, marketing, and buying and selling real estate is evolving fast. While the future of housing is being built on technological innovation, the foundation is still human: trust, community and connection.

We’ve spent enough time talking about our commissions and suing each other. Let’s get back to promoting our listings (so everyone can see them), helping clients develop winning financial strategies and creating pathways to homeownership where none seem to exist. It’s what we owe to our clients and what we owe to ourselves.