By the second home, I was finding information on my own, found the place I wanted, and worked with the Realtor to help me determine price, comps, etc.

On the third home, I found the home, knew the price I was willing to pay, and called the Realtor to simply write the offer.

We know from other industries that trying to resist this change would be futile. Imagine how silly it would be to try to “lock down” the MLS system like it once was… no access to listings without a Realtor’s password… those days are gone, information was meant to be free as some would say. Sites like Zillow, Trulia, and CyberHomes among others are able to aggregate information that individual “traditional” Realtors could have only dreamed of.

In this “identity crisis” of a profession, just like any other, I guess I’d say, take a look at what you can bring to the table that the real estate buyer or seller can not do on their own. Focus on the benefits of what you can offer, and assist them in “helping themselves” if that is their desire.

I’m much more motivated to choose a Realtor who is tech savvy, teaches me more about the online tools instead of hiding them from them, and provides me tools and knowledge to become a better buyer/seller. By providing that knowledge and information, it makes it more likely that I’m going to stay with him or her for future transactions.