Disruption can distract brokerage leaders from consumer expectations

Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate to work in several industries during periods of extraordinary change. I’ve experienced those transitions from different perspectives — as an employee inside the organization, as an outside consultant helping leadership teams adapt to changing conditions, and sitting across the table from executives trying to determine what the future might look like for their business. Those experiences took me into airlines, technology, healthcare, telecommunications and, most recently, residential real estate. While the industries were very different, I was struck by how similar the conversations became once change started accelerating. Much of the discussion in real estate today centers on firm mergers, customer portals and data ownership, listing transparency, artificial intelligence and the future role of agents and brokerages. As Executive Vice President of Brokerage Services for one of the country’s largest real estate firms, these weren’t abstract industry debates. They influenced leadership decisions, recruiting strategies and the way consumers ultimately experienced the buying and selling process. I’ve heard these conversations before. Eve...