I had an interesting discussion with James Smith, a Keller Williams agent marketing Charlotte NC Real Estate a while ago, and we started talking about how his business is going and where he sees the industry going in the future.  James made this point:

When the public learns to differentiate between good and bad agents, the real estate industry will be revolutionized.

I think he’s right.  So, where do you think that will put you 10 years from now?

As James gained experience in the real estate industry, he discovered that he needed to stop modeling himself after traditional real estate agents and apply his business background to his real estate business.

Right now, James is selling a lot of homes.  He’s specializing in working with investors, helping them to optimize their real estate portfolios to maximize return.  He’s not doing traditional real estate sales.  He’s using a consulting model, charging investors a minimum commission for managing the purchase and sale of very low-end investment property.

As James says “The majority of real estate agents sell houses, but they don’t know much about the real estate industry.”  And, without a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that sets them apart from the crowd and identifies a niche where they can contribute value-added knowledge and skills, the majority of agents, traditional agents, are turning into a dying breed.

So, what do you think?  Do you think you’re in danger of becoming obsolete?  If so, what are you going to do about it?