At the end of my last post, I asked the (hopefully thought-provoking) question, “Who are we going to look to as we anoint the leaders to bring MLS organizations forward?” Since this is my last post on the subject before NAR, let’s get down to it. So far I’ve talked about MLS in 2012. This post is more about what will allow MLS in 2012 to be something special or something irrelevant.
Leadership.
Let’s talk about a cool little word I’ve recently learned. The word is Kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese term for “improvement” or “change for the better”. It is a industrial philosophy adopted shortly after WWII that enabled Japan – within 25 years – to go from crippled to economic juggernaut. Kaizen refers to an organization’s continual effort to improve its processes and performance. This isn’t simply related to finished product or profit margin, the philosophy applies to every aspect within the organization, including (and most vital) the individual employee. It’s broad-based continual improvement starting at the most granular of levels.
Maybe your organization already practices a form of Kaizen. Maybe you sit in meetings and share ideas with people you know are working toward a common vision. Maybe there’s a quiet culture of continual self-improvement in your office and you’ve just never put a name to it. Or, maybe there’s more of a one-day-at-a-time syndrome. You and those around you tackle what’s in front of you each day long enough to get to Friday at 5pm – or at least to the end of this MLS committee meeting.
Creating something vital to REALTORS in MLS technology requires leadership in our organizations – from the top down. Instead of a Kaizen culture it feels to me like we are stuck just tackling what’s in front of us. Let’s get through this agenda. Who is the person in your organization that’s standing up and looking at the big picture? Is anyone listening to them? Are they leading or just hoping loudly? “When the market picks up again, all this will be behind us”. To be sure, that will help, but it doesn’t solve the base issue. There is a culture of complacency in real estate. Technologists know this and are taking two different approaches to the opportunity before them. Those aligned with the REALTOR community, like Solid Earth, are busy adding value to empower their clients with tools to compete and stay relevant. Those not aligned with the REALTOR community are going around MLSs and their members and adding value to empower the consumer with tools to erode the broker’s position – and finding great success.
This week it was announced that Zillow owns the top spot in real estate searches. Why is this news you say? Because Zillow, a company with hundreds of millions of dollars in resources, simply publishes data. They accumulate data (preferably MLS data) in order to draw eyeballs and sell ads and services to maximize profit. Is this a challenge to our industry? If so, what are we doing about it? Hey, who’s working on this? Should I be nervous? Thrilled? Um, hello?
I heard a statement at CMLS 2011 in Tucson a few weeks ago that reverberates in my head. I’ll paraphrase. “We have to band together to maintain the broker as not only the source of data, but the expert in every aspect. If we can’t get over ourselves long enough to realize that and jump into action, together, we’re doomed”. It wasn’t the first time I’ve heard this and it won’t be the last.
One voice among many that are really just happy to be here. So, Zillow is #1 now. Great, more coffee?
Maybe I’m just a new version of Bill Chee. His predictions may have been written off when they didn’t come true immediately, but is he ultimately going to be right? Click that link if you don’t know who he is. It’s a great speech and still very relevant.
So, who will lead MLS in 2012? It’s a good question. I bet you thought my answer would be you, or me. I really hope that’s the case. I hope you and I are given the opportunity to lead MLS in 2012. I wonder though if we haven’t already given up leadership, if it’s not (as Mr. Chee said) already too late. I certainly have not given up and will not as long as my clients want data independence and a choice in how they experience the MLS data. But what about you?
More coffee?
Nicely done Mr. Fowler.
Hi Bill,
I’ve read this several times. There is so much truth here, it’s hard to absorb it all at once.
“There is a culture of complacency in real estate. Technologists know this and are taking two different approaches to the opportunity before them. Those aligned with the REALTOR® community, like Solid Earth, are busy adding value to empower their clients with tools to compete and stay relevant. Those not aligned with the REALTOR® community are going around MLSs and their members and adding value to empower the consumer with tools to erode the broker’s position – and finding great success.”
I don’t think it could be said more perfectly than this.
I read another post this morning about creating a successful real estate agent. (http://next.inman.com/2011/10/building-the-agent-of-tomorrow-today-part-i-series/) This new agent “would be created with today’s consumer in mind”.
I think this statement and yours go hand in hand. It reminds me of what we discussed at Summit 2011. Remember that airplane Lauren drew? Thinking about everything that influenced decisions….I think the one we should be most focused on is how to keep that agent on the street relevant. All other influences should fall second to that. If the agent is no longer relevant to the consumer, well, then the whole system topples. We all *know* that. Of course that’s where our focus should be as an entire industry!
If we fail to remember this, then we fail to be true leaders.
Thanks Juli. You’re right. The line we are walking is delivering services to the broker/agent to maintain their relevance while keeping a watchful eye on the consumer trends and that *other* side of real estate technology that has no loyalty to our REALTOR member.
By watchful eye, I mean reading and reacting to the bells and whistles the consumer gravitates toward. Understand where current models are failing this population and building the tools that respond – to maintain the REALTOR brand as part of the function.
That part isn’t hard. The hard part is your position in the MLS committee where old habits are still winning. You’re a leader however and have the ability to steer that group – even if it seems like you don’t. Look to me and the other Solid Earthlings to bolster your place as expert at that table. That may be the most important job I perform, really.