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2017NATIONALAGENTSURVEY
INDUSTRYWHITEPAPER
TIM&JULIEHARRIS®
AbstractThiswhitepaperdocumentstheresultsofanationwidesurveyofagentsdiscussingtheircurrent
experience,challenges,andconcernsintoday’srealestatemarket.
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TheresultsofourAgentSurveyareinandyouhadaLOTtosayaboutthechallengesoftheindustry,yourfearsforthefutureandwhatadayinthelifeofyourbusinesslookslike!Intheseresultsyou’llseehowagentslikeyourselfarecopingintoday’smarketandreadresponsesonseveraltopicsthatvarywidely,somebasedonmarketandsomebasedontheexperienceleveloftheindividualagent.Thefirstthingwewantedtoknowwaswhatyourbiggestconcernfortherealestateindustrywasgoinginto2017anditwasadeadheatbetweentheelectionandthechangingmarket,withthechangingmarketjustbarelysqueezingoutthetopspot:
Withinthecategoryof“Other,”aconsistentresponsewesawwasaconcernforgovernmentpolicies,thelackofgrowthintheeconomy,unemployment,DoddFrank&TRID,andevenglobalexchangeratesandtheworldeconomy.OnerespondentfromCanadacommentedthatrecentfederalgovernmentchangestothemortgagequalificationruleswasafactorforhim.Onanothernote,commentsaboutTrulia&Zillowalsoappearedhere:“ThesignificanceofZillow/Truliaandtheirpresencethatmakesbuyersandsellersfeelthattheydon’tneedaRealtortocompletetheirtransaction.”
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“Consumersmaynotneedusanymore.”Whenwedugdeeperintoyourthoughtsonthechangingmarket,wewerepleasantlysurprisedtoseethemajorityofagentswithapositiveattitudetowardstheopportunitythatitpresents.
“Isn’titalwaysachangingmarket?It’sadynamicindustrywhichiswhatmakesitsoexciting”commentedoneagent.Manysaidthattheywould“rollwithit”andothersfeltthatifinterestratesstayedlowthentheirmarketwouldbeOk.RegardingyourBrokers,again,itwaspleasingtoseehowmanyofyoucreditedyourbrokerwithbeingaqualityindividualwhocontributedpositivelytoyoursuccess.Cominginsecondwasthoseofyouwithbrokerswhoweregood,butweren’texactlyconsidered‘cuttingedge.’Inthe“other”category,wehadalotof“IAMtheBroker!”whichisencouragingtohavesomanybrokersparticipatingandengaging.However,therewereafewcommentsherethatwereunfortunate:
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“Supportive,whenhechoosestocallmeback!”“Competitive”“Adversarial”“Supportive,butaloof.”
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Whenitcomestofinancialhealth,itwasacloseracebetweenbeingrocksolidandhavingalmostnothingtofallbackon.Thelatterisalwaysaconcernforus.Thoseofyouwhofallintothelittleornothingcategory,westronglyencourageyoutomakeincreasedfinancialstabilityin2017agoal.BeginwithDaveRamsey’s“TotalMoneyMakeover”bookorseekoutthe“FinancialPeaceUniversity”courseatlocalchurchnearyou.Theresultsspeakforthemselveshere:
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Whenitcametothechallengesofgoingtothe‘nextlevel’inyourbusiness,thiswasoneoftheTop3questionsthathadawidevarietyofresponses!Thebig‘winner’herewaslackofdiscipline.Andeventhosewhoanswered“Other”withthingslike‘stickingtoaschedule’,therealityisthatthattooisalackofdiscipline!
Otherresponsesstraightfromthesurveywere:“I’mtired”“Mylackofenergyafterbeinginthebusiness30years.Thetechnologyisverychallengingtoo!”“Wow,allthesethingsaremychallenges!”“Attractingandhiringtherightagents/team.”“Findingtherighttools&systemsformymarketthatwillmakeadifference.”
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Thereasonwe’resopassionateaboutfightingbackonbuyerleadsisbecauseweknowhowmuchofachallengethisisforyou,andyouprovedusright!Buyingleadswasthe#1answerinwhatyoufeelthemostpressuretodoinyourbusiness,followedverycloselybysocialmediaadvertising.Oneofthemostinsightfulcommentswas“Idon’tfeelpressurefromtheoutside,justinside.”
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TistheSeasonandyouguyshadmanydifferingthoughtsonwhatyour‘dreaded’seasonwas.Manyofthe“other”responsesturnedouttobeweatherdriven;eitherbeingtoohotortoocoldaffectedbuyersandsellerswillingness(andsometimesYOURS!)Thankfully,the#1answerwasthatyourbusinessdoesn’tchangefromseasontoseason.Oneagentcommented“ItusedtobetheHolidays,butmybusinessisgrowinganditcouldbethebusiesttimeforme!”
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Whenitcametobusinessexpenses,advertisingandmarketingwastheoverwhelminganswer.The“other”categoryrevealedeverythingfromofficefees,RealtorBoard,MLSandSupraKeyfeestogasandpersonalinsuranceduetobeinganindependentcontractor.Oneagentwrote,“Fuel.Idrive37milestotheofficeeverydayinthehopesofgettinganewlead.”Anotherfesseduptotheirbiggestexpensebeing“Zillow,byfar!”
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Coachingwasatopicthatrevealedthattherearejustasmanypeoplethatthinkcoachingisessentialastherearethosewhowanttodoit,butcan’tafforditrightnow.Sadly,therewerealmostasmanywhohadnointerestinbeingcoached.Thoseofyouwhoarebeingcoached,you’llhavetheedgeinyourmarket!Someevenmentionedthattheydon’thavethe‘time’todocoachingwithalltheotherRealtor/Boardactivitiestheyareparticipatingin.Servicetoyourlocalboardandevenyourbrokerageisgreat,butcouldthisbeanareaof“putonyourownmaskbeforehelpingsomeoneelse?”Thosewhowereincoachinghadgreatadviceforothersincluding“It’sessential…butyouhavetofollowitandfindwhatworksforyou!”Arecentcoachingmembersaid,“SomethingIjustcommittedtoandthinkwillmakeaHUGEdifference!”Wethinksotoo!
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Andfinally,thosewhoarereapingthebenefitsofcoachingsaidthatpractical/tacticalideasfromtheircoachwerethemostvaluabletakeaways,followedbyaccountabilityandmindset!Oneagentsaid,“(Coaching)keepsmefocused,withapositivemindset,andinformedaboutchangesinthemarketandhowtoprepare.Withanyissues,Igettopnotchadviceimmediately.A“slump”isaday;notaweekoramonth!Theytakemetothenextlevel,keepmecompetitiveandnotcomplacent.”
Thankstoeveryonewhoparticipatedinthe2016AutumnAgentSurvey!Yourresponseshelpuskeepupwithwhat’sonyourmindsandiscriticalinshapingthecontentweprovidetoyouinbothcoachingandontheair!Here’stoanothergreatyearinrealestateandwehopetohearfromyouagainsoon!
