Let’s Say It’s Time To Make Change And Create a New Culture

Just For Fun

Imagine you’ve decided to make the big move and buy a real estate franchise or make a change to a new franchise or partnership.   Usually, when we make a life-changing decision like this it’s because we want to shake things up.  We want to explore new opportunities and our own personal and business potential.  In my experience, it also about the desire to create a new culture – not just for our agents – but for ourselves as broker owners and entrepreneurs.

These are my thoughts on making the transition to a new culture.

My Longest Broker / Agent Relationships

I have agents that have been with me since my RE/MAX days.  They have seen me at my best and at my worst.  They watched me live and bleed RE/MAX red, white, and blue, and rent hot air balloons for display at local events for almost eight years.  They endured the transition back to a local Mom and Pop operation and stuck with me through the creation of, and the transition to, ROOST Real Estate Co. 

Not everyone made it however, some were left behind.

Change Almost Always Hurts

Transitioning to a new business model, philosophy and culture can be a traumatic experience.  Change is hard and most people avoid it all costs.  Even good change is stressful.  While it is impossible to make transitioning a real estate business to a new model completely painless, knowing where obstacles are likely to come up can be helpful.

Your And Your Agents Will Be Inconvenience

First of all, to some degree, your agents are going to be inconvenienced.  Some inconveniences will be minor, like changing out yard signs to reflect the company change.  Other annoyances like notifying the local board of realtors, completing new licensing requirements, and updating websites as individual tasks are not that terrible.  When experienced in their totality however, they can be overwhelming.  Especially when the agent still has their day to day business to run.

Your Agents Have Seen It All Before

Aside from the perceived enormity of the transition, agents may be reluctant to embrace the new direction because they feel they have tried this before.  If the last major transformation did not ‘take’ why should they believe this one will?  Expect some folks, agents and staff, to never get completely on board because they just don’t believe it will ever work.  Some will give it a chance.  Some will not.

Stay Close To Your People

You as a broker may be interested in making a change because you believe that a new direction and culture will counter low team moral.  A new direction may be just what the team needs to get back on a growth track.  Be aware however that too much change too quickly, inadequate support, ineffective leadership, or poor communication will derail your hopes for a better life and business. 

You Will Lose Someone

My advice is to never assume anyone is going to buy-in completely to your vision for the future.  Sometimes, the people we think will be on board are the ones that surprise us and choose to leave.  Conversely, I have found that people I expected to be in conflict with, were the most eager for change.

On The Other Hand

In an extreme situation, a little ‘creative destruction’ may be just what the doctor ordered.  Sometimes we have to leave the past behind, and many of the people in it, to secure a new future.  As hard as that may be to accept, life is too short to continue in an unhappy situation.