Gatekeeper →Superhero
The evolution of residential real estate agents over time
In 2010, a lot of industry talking heads and outsiders were predicting that real estate agents would be extinct by the next decade. A lot of people speculated then (and still do today) that real estate agents would go the way of travel agents and stock brokers. They said consumers would be able to navigate the home transaction in a similar fashion with online tools and “disruptive” companies for a fraction of the cost on their own without any guidance from a trusted advisor throughout the process.
Welcome to 2020!
Agents are alive and well and thriving and commission amounts are hardly unchanged since 2010. The real estate industry is experiencing some massive and sweeping changes, but agents are here to stay and will not disappear from the transaction anytime soon. The agent role has evolved from an “information gatekeeper” role to a Superhero “information hub” in today’s real estate world!
On average, an American consumer will only purchase 2–3 homes in their entire life, and for most people this is the largest financial decision they will ever make. The fact that you only go through the transaction process so few times, and the fact that it is such a nerve wracking and financially burdensome commitment is the reason the…
