The focus of the Houston Association of Realtors Big E this year was on taking care of the consumer. We were treated to a variety of speakers who provided insight and methods for succeeding in Real Estate. They were entertaining and in some cases downright funny, but the star of the event was Jeremy Conaway of Recon Intelligence Services. If you are a realtor and you do not know who Jeremy Conaway is you probably will not be in business long. Our industry is in a period or disruption. Jeremy is the prophet. He has been meeting with industry leaders across the United States. Jeremy has written numerous articles about what is taking place. He cannot tell you what to do, you must make your own decisions. Jeremy’s important message to realtors is there is no going back to the status quo.
As realtors we let this happen. We thought holding onto the data was the smart thing. The internet portals such as Zillow came into being because we resisted the consumer’s desires. Now we are in the middle of an industry in disruption. Consumers are questioning our value and looking to the portals for their information. The solution according to Jeremy will depend upon how you respond to 25 changes happening now in our industry. He recommends spending an hour a week reading about what is happening. (Inman News is a great source. Your HAR membership allows you to read this insightful industry publication for free.) After you have done your reading, Jeremy then suggests you spend an hour thinking about what you have read. With change comes opportunity, seize the opportunity. Be the innovator who profits from change, not the scared stiff realtor who loses their livelihood.