Maybe it's because I was raised in the retail industry, and when business gets slow, retailers know that they need to run a sale or a promotion or an event or SOMETHING! All my broker friends just keep whistling past the "business as usual" graveyard, saying "It's going to get better”I just need to knock on 100 doors today instead of 50," as if it's a spiritual mantra.

I think that some of what's going on in today's market remains fuzzy to a lot of agents and brokers because it all gets bundled under the heading "subprime meltdown", but there are fundamental changes taking place that are going to permanently alter the real estate landscape. As more and more of our clients and prospects are turning to online tools to empower themselves, the realtor's value proposition continues to erode. And this has absolutely nothing to do with subprime lending or the fact that everyone's uncle will have an ARM re-set in the next 12 months. This is a long-term, serious shift in consumer behavior and consumer expectations of our industry. Where are the entrepreneurs who are creating the new blueprint for success in real estate???

Just graduated. I worked for TechCrunch for a little bit, but now I'm doing my own project building affordable housing.

I plan to incorporate web 2.0 into my whole project. Look forward to future posts.

I agree with your ideas but the actual implementation of the ideas is much harder simply because it's like pulling teeth to get other professionals to start working this way. I don't know about the tablet computers just yet (unless Apple releases one, of course) but the changes are slowly happening.

For example, I recently had a builder's agent send contracts to my buyer client's attorney by email which he forwarded to the buyer, reviewed and gave advice, the buyers signed and the contracts were back in the sales office within 7 days — during the last week of December. Technology will go far but fear of technology will be its biggest hindrance until the day agents learn to create value beyond being keyholders and information gatekeepers.

You are ALWAYS the guy who gives me the kick in my a**!

I know that I'm not supposed to say this–but awesome post!

When I come back to my hotel room tonight, here at Inman, I will be re-reading.

Just forwarded this to Butler.

Maybe it's because I was raised in the retail industry, and when business gets slow, retailers know that they need to run a sale or a promotion or an event or SOMETHING! All my broker friends just keep whistling past the "business as usual" graveyard, saying "It's going to get better”I just need to knock on 100 doors today instead of 50," as if it's a spiritual mantra.

I think that some of what's going on in today's market remains fuzzy to a lot of agents and brokers because it all gets bundled under the heading "subprime meltdown", but there are fundamental changes taking place that are going to permanently alter the real estate landscape. As more and more of our clients and prospects are turning to online tools to empower themselves, the realtor's value proposition continues to erode. And this has absolutely nothing to do with subprime lending or the fact that everyone's uncle will have an ARM re-set in the next 12 months. This is a long-term, serious shift in consumer behavior and consumer expectations of our industry. Where are the entrepreneurs who are creating the new blueprint for success in real estate???

These times create opportunity, the goal of everyone in real estate should be to analyze the problems, that is the opportunity and then solve them in a simple elegant cost effective way (by cost effective I mean for both the agent / company and consumer). Do that and you will do very well.