April 2024

Greetings BRAR friends,

I’m one who doesn’t love all the catchy phrases that motivational speakers use, and I’ve gone so far as to write a couple of blogs, in the past, that poked fun at some of these overused phrases. You know the phrases I’m talking about…think outside the box; paradigm shift; who moved my cheese?; aha moment; boots on the ground; skin in the game; find your why; level up…..and on and on and on. I’ve been to hundreds of conferences and listened to a like number of folks who are paid big dollars to inspire and motivate action. It can be good stuff. But let’s be real. It’s a short-term fix in most cases, and while giving us a metaphorical B12 shot of energy and inspiration, the effect is seldom lasting.

So, here we are, in dire need of some inspiration in the face of the soon-to-be new way of doing business as the cooperative compensation element within MLS listings disappears and buyer’s broker agreements become the necessity that they always should have been. REALTOR® cheese has definitely been moved. Pending the court approval of the negotiated settlement, your world has or will change at some point in the coming months. I’ve been impressed by the BRAR members I’ve talked to who seem to be taking the pending change in stride.

Venturing back into catchphrase world, this is an aha moment of significant proportion. Time to get boots back on the ground and level up your game. And, if you’re looking for your why, please find it soon or you may be looking for your what. It’s a major paradigm shift. Or is it?

I don’t want to sound like one of those old geezers who starts a conversation with “back in my day”, but I think I almost need to do just that. For one thing, I am kind of old. Back in my day, when I became a REALTOR® in 1994, it was necessary to learn the basics, build relationships, develop a sphere of influence and never be “an undercover agent”, as my mentor, a career Naval officer turned REALTOR®, taught me. With the impending changes, it’s imperative that you educate buyers and sellers as to the value of using your services and how your professional knowledge is more important now, than ever, in the highly competitive real estate landscape of today. This change in our world has slowly been bubbling over as inventories have decreased and prices and interest rates have soared. I’m not sure we will ever see another period of real estate activity, as we did coming through the pandemic, where the only skill set demanded of you was showing homes and writing offers.

In terms of tips from me, here they are: 1) keep up to date on the abundance of messaging about the settlement on the NAR, Virginia REALTORS® and BRAR websites, and read the emails from us. 2) Stay positive and surround yourself with positive peers…don’t join the “Sky is Falling Club” or buy into the negative projections of social media warriors.

3) Talk to your broker. If you ARE the broker, talk to your agents. Make sure you’ll be doing everything necessary to succeed. 4) Keep in mind that death and taxes aren’t the only two certainties in life. CHANGE is a major certainty, and this won’t be the last change you’ll see as you navigate through your real estate career.

Accept, adapt, push back against drama, and stay present. You will be just fine. Go ahead and find your “why” …but at the same time, tell yourself “Why not” as you set your goals on becoming a top producer. Just as we got through the 2008-2010 housing/mortgage crisis, we will survive and thrive this latest bump in the road. Attitude is everything.