CEO Message Feb. 11th, 2008

TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION

How does a company go from being a no-name upstart company, to becoming the Number One Real Estate Company in the country? We have seen it happen in the past. Is the past about to repeat itself?
I remember when I first got my Real Estate license back in the early 1970’s in Northern Michigan. There was this little company that claimed they were going to become the number one company in the country. At the time I thought those ugly baby-poop-colored jackets were horrible. Well, not too many years later, I was working for that company and my Broker begged and pleaded with me to wear one of those baby-poop-yellow jackets, which I just never could. However, that little company did go on to be one of the greatest Real Estate companies ever.
Then towards the end of the 1970’s as I was working in the Real Estate industry in Colorado, I heard of this little upstart company with an outrageous business plan. They wanted the Realtor to pay them to work for them. On top of that, they had this silly balloon as their logo. At the time, I thought to myself, this is the craziest idea yet. But, once again not too many years later, I found myself working for that crazy company with the balloon as their logo, and in fact I was actually proud to wear that balloon pin.
The craziest idea may well become the future of the industry.
Now, let’s look at what seems to be the next craziest idea in the Real Estate industry. A little startup company believes that the days of the Brick and Mortar offices are over and that it’s now realistic to believe you can build a national company by allowing the Realtors to work out of their homes. This crazy little startup company has their logo as well. It’s a crest with two Lions. Seems silly, doesn’t it?
The premise of this new company is this: by giving up the Brick and Mortar offices, they can give the Realtor what the Realtor really wants. More commission. This little startup company has come up with a solution that is the closest thing yet to a true 100% commission that the Realtor keeps. This little startup company has bet the ranch that they can duplicate a Brick and Mortar office via the Internet, complete with video conferencing and teleconferencing.
So, are we going to see the company with the CREST with TWO LIONS logo become the next greatest Real Estate Company in the future? My bet is yes. They have the audacity to move forward with a whole new concept, and its being well received by the Realtors of this country. However, it’s a long road from creating a new idea to fully implementing that idea, and then growing that idea into the Number One Real Estate Company in the country.
Watch this little company over the next few years with the silly CREST and TWO LIONS logo and we’ll all see if they become the next biggest and greatest company in the Real Estate industry.