As the world hits pause to fight an unprecedented pandemic, just as in the aftermath of 9/11 and during the Great Recession, there will be no rest for real estate professionals. We will do the heavy lifting as community leaders, trusted advisors and knowledge brokers navigating the “choppy waters” of buying, selling and protecting homes during a global crisis. We are still the rainmakers of the American Dream of owning a home.
In these challenging times, here are the top 10 ways you can “bring it” to serve your community more than ever before:
- Stand tall alongside medical, food and transportation professionals as the Department of Homeland Security designates our industry an “Essential Critical Workforce.”
- Communicate to a world that is suddenly “all-ears.” The U.S. housing market is valued at more than $3 trillion. Countries around the globe are leaning into U.S. real estate economists, industry media, data scientists, and, most of all, boots-on-the ground real estate professionals.
- Reassure our customers that while iBuyers are the first to close up shop during challenging times, “my buyers” will get nothing but our best in good times and bad.
- Improvise while holding firm as the trusted knowledge broker to our clients. Changing, adapting and pivoting are what the pros do best. We continue to implement new skills and strategies, and pour additional horsepower into our service repertoire: drive-by closings, agent-led video walk-throughs, 3D virtual tours, YouTube messages, podcasts, Instagram—and yes, good, old-fashioned phone calls.
- Leverage the collective power of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the world’s largest trade association, which consists of 1.4 million professionals who can mobilize and arm legislative teams, world-renowned economists and researchers to model solutions being shared with financial markets and lawmakers to enact much- needed economic stimulus packages.
- Rally our peers, communities and clients to step up efforts to check on neighbors in need of a call for companionship, drop off food and supplies for the sick, elderly and compromised, or simply write a handwritten note to let someone know you appreciate them.
- Network and benchmark with our fellow real estate professionals to stay at the epicenter of adapting, experimenting and sharing practices and systems with each other as the “new normal” evolves.
- Embrace a spirit of solidarity and “collaborating vs. competing” with other companies and professionals to collectively serve and support our communities in unprecedented times.
- Learn, absorb, validate, localize and share critical information based on fact, not fear, while never underestimating that knowledge is power!
- Understand that strong leaders bring calm to their communities in every storm. Empathy and understanding continue to be as important to our clients as listing, buying and closing deals. They are the hallmark of our trade.
As the world takes a collective and critical pause to protect and heal, make no mistake, REALTORS® will continue learning, leading and serving. It is in our DNA. We will look back on 2020 as the year the world paused, but more importantly, as the year of the real estate professional’s finest hour. Our communities have never needed us more.
Mike Ryan is a partner with the Rainmakers Group, an advisory firm serving the real estate and settlement service industries with global insight, talent and technology. For more information, please visit rainmakersgroup.com or call 303-570-5140.
