I read Jeremy Conaway’s  article about Onboarding 5 times.   Not because I did not understand it.  (For once I could read one of his article’s without having a dictionary in my hand).  But because it scared the hell out of me.     I have become a big lover and fan of HAR and our associations.   I have seen Zillow as a major disruptor who I can live with.  I don’t raise my hand when asked who works with Zillow but I bought a zip code so I could be a premier agent.    You can bet I tell my clients I am a premier agent.

That said I always assumed the strong or John Wayne survivors as Jeremy put it would be the agents working with Zillow.  That new agents and all others would depend upon HAR and their brokerages for education and guidance.   This same type of assumption got us into trouble earlier.  We as realtors always assumed the public would depend upon us for guidance and education.    Then Zillow came around and turned the industry upside down.

My big fear here is that new agents will now look to Zillow for training and guidance.    And if that happens what is left?   I don’t care for myself, I followed HAR’s  words of wisdom and guidance and built up a successful business.   I care about the new people coming into the industry.   I have seen brokerages go from trying to educate and teach to trying to squeeze every buck out of an agent they can.     Old professionals who mentor are being replaced with whiz kids who build advertising platforms.  Without naming names some of these new leaders don’t even like dealing with clients.  They get a team together and farm out all the clients.   The great people persons such as Martha Turner, and John Daughterty are a thing of the past.    We see them in the newspapers because they are the only people who still advertise in the newspapers. 

What happens from here I don’t know.   Zillow has the money, brains, talent, and position to dominate for years to come.   I wish I could come up with some useful idea to help HAR.   But all I can say is bloody well done mate!  Keep up the good work HAR!