Six months after Compass completed its $1.6 billion acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate, Century 21’s parent company, CEO Mike Miedler is candid about what the “reset” really means for a brand now operating inside the world’s largest real estate services company.
Ahead of his appearance at this month’s Inman Connect San Diego, and as a member of Inman’s newly minted Advisory Council, we sat down with Century 21 CEO Mike Miedler to discuss the event, the industry’s biggest challenges, and what agents and brokers need from trade-focused media today.
Inman: This year’s Inman Connect San Diego theme is “The Reset Is Here. Build What’s Next.” From your perspective, what is the biggest reset happening in real estate right now, and how should brokerage leaders respond?
Mike Miedler: The biggest reset isn’t just market conditions, it’s about arming agents and consumers with real choices as they navigate their path to a purchase or sale.
For a long time, our industry has operated on a fairly standardized playbook for how homes come to market and how transactions unfold. Today, that’s being challenged.
Consumers are more informed, more selective, and they expect a strategy that reflects their individual goals — not a one-size-fits-all process.
That’s forcing a shift back to fundamentals. The brokers and brands that will lead through this reset are the ones who focus on delivering real expertise, not just access. It’s about advising clients on how to go to market, not just where.
Brokerage leaders need to empower agents with more flexible, strategic approaches; ones that prioritize the homeowner’s objectives and protect the value of their asset. Because at the end of the day, a home isn’t just a listing. For most people, it’s the most important financial decision of their lives.
The industry has faced significant change over the past year — from commission conversations to shifting consumer expectations. What opportunities do you see emerging that others may be overlooking? As you look across the brokerage landscape, what separates the companies that are adapting successfully from those still relying on yesterday’s playbook?
One of the biggest opportunities right now is a return to fundamentals — but with more discipline.
We’re in a more balanced market where inventory looks to be stabilizing and pricing pressure is real. That puts the focus back on agents as advisors, having honest pricing conversations, guiding strategy and helping clients make more informed decisions.
There’s also an opportunity to elevate how we bring homes to market. Not every seller benefits from the same approach, which is why we’re seeing momentum around giving homeowners more choice and control; being more deliberate about pricing, timing and exposure to drive stronger outcomes.
At the end of the day, the agents who win in this environment are the ones who stay focused on the client — delivering real expertise, not just a guiding hand through the transaction process.
Technology, AI and changing consumer behavior are reshaping how business gets done. Where do you believe leaders should be investing their time, energy and resources over the next 12 to 24 months?
Leaders need to be disciplined here — because not all AI investment is equal. Cotality just released a study where they found that about 75 percent of homebuyers today expect AI to play a role somewhere in the real estate process. Importantly, however, they don’t trust it to make actual decisions for them. Because what it can’t do is sit in a negotiation and read the room or counsel them through the nuances of their specific market. That’s the gap.
At the end of the day, this is still a people business. It’s up to us as leaders to give consumers a clearer reason to work with a human.
As AI gets better at answering questions, the value of a real estate professional stops being about information and starts being entirely about judgment, relationships and accountability. Consumers can already get a home value estimate or a market summary in seconds. What they can’t get from a chatbot is someone who knows why a deal is falling apart and how to save it, or who’s willing to put their name behind the advice they’re giving.
Over the next 12 to 24 months, the leaders who win will be the ones who invest in tools that enhance productivity, strengthen the client experience and allow agents to deliver more informed, confident advice — not just faster answers. Leaders need to be investing in helping agents tell that story clearly, because if we don’t define what a professional brings to the table, we leave it to be defined by whoever’s selling the AI product.
The firms that get this balance right, using AI to make agents faster while doubling down on the human relationship, are the ones that will be trusted the most a couple of years from now.
You’re helping shape the conversation at Inman Connect San Diego as a member of the Inman Advisory Board. What are you most looking forward to discussing with fellow industry leaders, and why should brokers, team leaders and agents make sure they’re part of that conversation?
I’m honored to be part of the Inman Advisory Board and to have the opportunity to help shape the conversation alongside some of the most respected leaders in our industry.
What makes this moment unique is that we’re all navigating the same reset — but from different perspectives. I’m looking forward to a candid discussion about what’s actually working — how we’re thinking about growth in a flat market, where we’re evolving our strategies and how we’re creating more value for both agents and consumers.
I also think there’s an important conversation underway around who truly owns the relationship with the consumer — and how we use data to serve them better.
As an industry, we have to lead there. We should be the ones helping clients understand the market, interpret real data and make informed decisions — not outsourcing that responsibility. That includes giving homeowners more choice and control in how their property is brought to market — being thoughtful about timing, exposure and strategy to protect their position and maximize value.
If we’re not leading with data, strategy and transparency, someone else will — and that’s not in the client’s best interest.
