Swanepoel Trends Report 2011

The real estate business is amidst significant change; the economy is struggling with continued high unemployment and low housing sales. An increase in distressed properties, foreclosures and short sales is flooding the market while an explosion nationwide of new business models threatening profitability and existence of many companies. As we enter the next decade of the 21st Century we will continue to experience: - The closing and sale of many, many real estate brokerage firms!! - The explosion nationwide of new business models threatening the profitability and existence of many companies. - A serious aging of the current Realtor population and a growing shortage of young professionals - An increase in distressed properties, foreclosures and short sales. - Constant innovation of new technologies, the Internet and social networking pushing to reshape the way we find, work and communicate with our customers. - New threats making homeownership more difficult and more expensive - A struggling economy with continued high unemployment and yet another year of lower than desired housing sales!! BROKERS… AGENTS… how are you preparing your business for this difficult, changing and fickle times? … Realtors have to move faster, but then are told to be patient. … Realtors have to learn to implement new technologies, but told to still use existing stuff. … Realtors have to accommodate Gen X, but then still need to serve boomers and the silent generation.