Investor · PA - NY - NJ · Member since 2019 · 823 posts · 284 votes
For the last several years, $500 and a reliable pulse could make you an agent, and you could actually do well. Not anymore.
Deals take more work, clients expect more, and there are a lot of agents out there who aren't as busy as they were a couple years ago. The part-timers and the people who don't treat this seriously are going to feel it first.
Then there's AI. It's a great tool, and we use it every day. But it raises the bar for everyone. When anyone can pull comps, write a listing, or run basic numbers in seconds, an agent who only does those things isn't adding much. AI is going to make everyone step up or get lost.
What's left is what can't be automated: knowing how to underwrite a deal, reading a negotiation, understanding the investor side, solving problems between contract and close, and earning the client's trust so they keep coming back. That's what separates a professional Realtor from someone with a license.
A while back I decided to pivot how our team operates. We aimed to be real estate professionals, not just agents. Honestly, it's what the client deserves, and I think it's where the whole industry is heading.
To the agents out there, take this shift seriously. The ones who treat this as a profession will do well. The rest will have a hard time.
I'm curious how others see it. Agents: what are you doing differently now than you were in 2021? Investors: what do you expect from an agent today that you didn't five years ago?
One of the biggest advantages in real estate is experience, especially when markets become more challenging.
Having spent over 25 years as a real estate broker in the Minneapolis market, I've experienced multiple market cycles, changing interest rates, economic downturns, and shifting buyer and seller expectations.
That experience brings a different perspective to our team at Axen Real Estate Partners. I've been involved in everything from brokerage and negotiations to property management, renovations, and overseeing more than $150 million in real estate assets.
That background allows us to look beyond simply buying or selling a home. We understand property values, construction costs, investment potential, market trends, and how to identify opportunities that others might overlook.
New agents bring tremendous energy, fresh ideas, and technology skills, which are all valuable. But there's no shortcut to the knowledge gained from decades of real transactions, difficult negotiations, and navigating changing markets.
By combining that experience with the energy, marketing capabilities, and collaborative approach of our Axen team, we can offer clients something truly valuable.
The future of real estate belongs to professionals who combine experience with innovation, relationships, and results.
It's so true. I have watched so many agents fall by the wayside in the past 2 years where I have only become more and more busy. The agents that don't put in work prospecting and making sure their clients are gone. The upside is the agents on the other side of transaction actually know what they are doing.
ROI Multifamily
Logical Property Management4.9465 Reviews