It was during a recent long weekend at the beach with the missus that I finally connected via telephone with a peer in another Tennessee city we are expanding into soon. As someone who obviously knew the market better than us, I sought his input as part of our strategic planning. We have had short conversations in the past. Friendly enough, but somewhat superficial. This one went much deeper.
Why pick up the phone and discuss our plans with someone who is essentially a competitor in a new market? Because I staunchly hold to the truth that we are all in this together and should be focused on helping, not on taking.
We should be knocking down the destructive barriers and abandoning the paradigms of scarcity. We should be helping each other achieve mutual goals for the benefit of the consumer. In doing so, we may even become friends. Yet these are thought patterns that seem to be an anomaly with industry leaders today.
Our industry is desperately fragmented. More so now than at any time in my 24 years in this business. With the changes forced upon us over the past couple of years, that fragmentation, and “choosing of sides” has become even more pronounced. We talk AT each other, instead of WITH each other. Many times, it has become publicly visceral with disparaging articles and even lawsuits flying back and forth. The consumer sees it and recoils. The mainstream media happily pounces on each new pronouncement like a vulture on fresh roadkill. Distorting the facts for the benefit of the click-bait it provides.
Why is this happening? Because leadership in our industry is not leading. Instead, they coalesced along three basic paths and formed separate camps.
The first and sadly the most common path is choosing to stick their head in the sand. No training, no conversation. Willfully choosing to place blind faith in the organization whose actions and arrogance have perversely accelerated this fragmentation. Somehow believing the associations are going to bring us all back from this chaos is foolhardy. They have rendered themselves irrelevant and we need to stop hoping for a return to past glory. It’s pining for something that will never be.
The second path is one of total denial. Choosing to believe nothing has changed. Instructing their agents to just keep doing business the same old way they always have with shared compensation and buyer representation. This path is clearly driven by the leader’s monetary needs–if processes were to change after all, they might lose money for a while. My favorite quote from Mark Twain applies here: “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”
Those who have chosen to lead their organization down either of these first two pathways are sure to be included in the next round of lawsuits that is already spinning up.
There is a third path, and those leaders who have chosen this third path will be those whose organizations excel in the new future. They have embraced not only the specifics but the intent of the rule changes. This group of leaders is focused not on themselves, but on the future. On creating businesses that benefit the consumer and ensure the longevity of their agent’s careers. These are the people who will own the future.
Regardless of your pride or your feelings, our responsibility as leaders is to take care of those who come behind us. That requires putting self-interest aside and focusing on creating a solid foundation for the future of this industry that feeds our families.
The fellow I had the conversation with leads a top 10 team in his city. He knows that I no longer have any financial or contractual commitments for remaining in my current role following the friendly acquisition of Benchmark Realty, LLC by United Real Estate Holdings nearly 5 years ago. So he asks me “Phillip, WHY are you still doing this?”
My answer: because I know the Lord gave me a very unique skillset. One that I have worked hard to hone throughout my 42-year business career. Utilizing that skillset to improve the lives of those around me is an obligation. Keeping the dreams of others alive fuels my joy. If it were just for the money, I would have left 5 years ago. I have learned that money is a cold god. The joy comes in focusing on WE, not on ME.
My days are numbered. None of us will be able to do this forever. But for me, there is great joy in helping create conditions where the lives of others are indelibly impacted, in positive ways, every single day.
My strongest encouragement is for the leaders of this industry to shift focus to a similar thought pattern. Banish the scarcity mentality and focus on how we can reform and realign this industry to serve the consumer and eliminate the mini-fiefdoms and adversarial stances that send the wrong signals.
We can either work together and grow, or we can continue to tear each other down, and face the disassembly of our livelihoods. No association is going to save us. It’s time for us to be adults and connect with one another on a human level. In so doing, success becomes undeniable. Likewise, failure means disintegration. It’s time for us to stop the decline.
For more information, visit https://www.unitedrealestate.com/.
