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We developed this little widget that agents can drop on their website which automatically updates their rating everytime its viewed…

Pretty slick huh?

I can see that “Big” real estate still doesn’t get it, as evidenced by the latest commercial from Century 21.

In this latest round of “your a dumb ass consumer messaging”, as I like to call it. A middle aged Asian agent tells us why she is better than a computer at helping people find a home. What is so unbelievable is that all of the points she makes are ridiculous.

1. A computer can’t tell you about the neighborhood or the market.
This statement is so stupid that it borders on insane– You can get market reports with crime, school and even sex offender data are commonplace now. In fact you can map all of the businesses, schools and trends in the neighbor in very little time. Where the hell is she going to get that information anyway? From a computer….

2. A computer can’t read your face to tell if you like this house.
WHAT? this one of the most ridiculous statements I’ve ever heard. Why would that matter? I know I like the property, I’ll tell my wife I like it, and I’ll tell my agent if I like it, who cares if she can read it on my face? And if she does? What value can she add based on that knowledge, can she predict earthquakes and stock picks?

Now… I’m not saying that these things aren’t important customer service issues, but in an age when the industry is under attack from all sides, we need to communicate the true and accurate value we bring to the transaction. Real estate professionals provide property marketing and risk mitigation services, it’s that simple. We market properties and we provide consulting to make sure our clients stay out of hot water. That is the MOST IMPORTANT work we do, and this is what consumers should know about us.