A few weeks ago I gave a presentation at a technology
briefing sponsored by a major computer hardware manufacturer. The audience was
a small group of executives from a large real estate corporation.
software applications were already helping thousands of real estate
practitioners work smarter and cheaper while delivering a superior customer
experience.
more profitably and improve their service by adopting such tools. When I was
done I received no disagreement. But two statements were offered immediately:
franchised and our agents are independent contractors so we can do little or
nothing to deploy this”
are most interested in the software system that tracks and collects our
franchise fees”
and technology for ten years. But surely now, as consumers question your value
and your franchisees lose money, you must be looking more seriously at these
issues?
about the real estate business as
they were about the franchise sales
business.
will, another franchise: McDonald’s. This company is in the business of selling
franchises too. But they also obsess on product – they are in the restaurant business.
Food Nation, documents this. For better or for worse, McDonald’s spends
an inordinate amount of time calibrating the appeal of the product their franchisees
offer. Flavors are created and tested in laboratories. Products are conceived
of, tested against and marketed to specific segments of the market. Every
single thing the customer sees, smells, touches and tastes when they walk into
a McDonald’s restaurant has been vetted a hundred times over. Standards are
militantly enforced. Consistency is a mandate.
(as opposed to a full realized and properly cared for brand), some advertising cover, a little bit of training and a few
pieces technology and expect to collect royalty checks are coming to a close.
The future belongs to those companies that stop throwing up
their hands and start getting them dirty in the hard business of real estate.
– Brian Boero
Local, Mobile, Social and the future of real estate
20 Tools to Bring your Real Estate Business to the Cloud
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Right on Brian. Another reality you may consider is how much money these franchisors have saved themselves by introducing more efficient technologies (e.g. reporting, accounting systems, etc.)– We're talking in the multi-millions in savings– that they have not passed on to their franchisees. It's really an abomination…and very un-2.0. But your right, they are in for a very rude awakening.
For a decade we have been helping real estate agents and brokers communicate financial results to their clients, helping them understand the ins and outs of mortgages. We have consistently seen this lack of brokerage involvement across the entire industry.
I keep asking myself: who is actually training these professionals? Who is making them top grade Realtors? Personally, I expect more from my agent — they must know not just the market but the entire process and its impact on me. I didn't hire my agent simply because she can get MLS listings but because she is a trusted advisor in all aspects of the deal. If the brokerage doesn't drive this, then I just happen to get lucky when I pick the right agent.
Love the blog. Keep up the great work!