The industry will shift, but I think the shift will come from outside the RE industry – we have been too slow to change.

I have noticed recently at my local Board of Realtors and through various engagements via REtechSouth that many of the leaders of these ‘traditional’ brokerage brands are starting to realize the groundswell building. I don’t believe they know exactly what’s changing in the equation (consumer culture), but they do feel their current formula will not work in the future. They are asking for help! They want to learn and want to work with those who already ‘get it’.

I think the key will be for us early adopters to stay away from the ‘hire us experts’ temptation and just encourage more ‘test it yourself in a public petrie dish’. It will take more than a few to change an industry that is historically extremely slow to change. Tomorrow’s industry leaders will embrace those resistant to change and take the time to have more conversations and less presentations on how the industry can be better together. Pushing the groundswell larger seems the best way to cause an industry to shift.

Anyway… If the groundswell had reached any big brand real estate company, it’s BHGRE. As for the others, some are showing signs of trying to turn the Titanic, but overall their silence is deafening.

Even if they are at the very early stages of ‘getting it’, I can understand why big brand brokerages might be scared to death of the groundswell, because it means a profound shift in their value proposition.

If the stats are correct and Facebook’s fastest growing demographic is the 45-54 age group, then sooner of later the social media lifestyle is going to creep into that level of management.

While we wait for that to happen, we’ll keep immersing ourselves in new technologies and do our best to leverage our new found knowledge & experience as early adopters.

Too much “old school” thinking for my taste, and nothing in sight on the horizon to indicate any change.

The brokerage model currently in place, which consists mainly of hiring anyone with a license and a pulse and socking them with desk fees and ridiculous surcharges for things like E&O and “transaction fees”, needs to change.

Human beings are resistant to change. “But it’s always worked this way” is a common mantra. Technology should assist and make this change easier to swallow, but there has to be a willingness — at the top — for this change to happen.

Will it happen? Probably. If nothing else as old school, ‘big box” brokerages continue to shutter their doors the smaller, lean & mean brokers who “get it” will take their place.

And I have to add a comment to Jay. You said, “The late 40’s – 50+ management of real estate entities don’t get it.” Being 48, I am right smack in the middle of that age demographic. I think I get it. Or at least try to. It’s not age that keeps someone from being to understand and embrace a groundswell.