Allan Dalton on Zillow - Is He Serious?
I read an article this morning in the Orange County Register about Realtor.com President Allan Dalton’s comments regarding Zillow.
The article is about Dalton’s criticism of Zillow by comparing its Zestimates to an age and weight guessing carnival act.
I would have had this post done earlier, but I had to cleanup the coffee I spit out from the good laugh I had.
Here is probably one of the most dangerous statements from the article:
“The whole notion of suggesting to people that they can find out what their home is worth without a Realtor offends me,” Dalton said. “It offends me too!” a voice from the audience chimed in. “No one’s going to find out what their home is worth on the Internet,” Dalton added.”
(That’s where my coffee hit the keyboard.)
Reminds me of some quotes I’ve read recently:
1. “The proposition, that the sun is the centre and does not revolve about the earth, is foolish, absurd, false in theology and heretical.”
-The Inquisition, on Galileo’s proposals
2. “Heavier than air flying machines are impossible.”
-Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society, London, 1895
3. “The wireless music box has no imaginable value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?”
David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s
4. “Radio has no future.”
-Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1897
5. “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”
-Western Union internal memo, 1876
The list of “can’ts, won’ts and don’ts” goes on and on.
The market doesn’t care about you… It doesn’t care about me. It doesn’t care if you are offended or if I am offended. It doesn’t care how real estate is supposed to work or how it’s been done in the past or whether or not Realtors® will be around in 30 years or not.
The market cares about getting what it wants. People care about getting what they want. And if they are the same people that happen to pay your bills, then it might be smart to… give them what they want.
Zillow is giving people what they think they want.
So if you are going to play the game, then you’ve got to be willing to play and stop complaining. Complaining doesn’t help your clients and it surely doesn’t put money in your pocket.
When change comes down the pike, you have two choices:
1. Complain about it.
2. Use it to your advantage.
It’s been my experience that when people lash out at others, it’s often for reasons like these:
1. They’re angry.
2. They’re scared.
3. They feel threatened.
4. They’re angry, scared and threatened all at the same time.
Maybe your experience is different, but I know that none of these emotions will help your business.
Did Expedia “put” travel agents out of business because Expedia was an evil technological demon machine, focused on destroying the lives of everyone in its path?
Or did travel agencies go out of business because they were not smart enough and quick enough to see technology as an opportunity rather than something to be resisted, ignored and complained about?
Why am I writing about this?
Because I want to jolt you back into the world of the smart business person if you are allowing thinking like this to infect your real estate business.
Technology is change. Change is opportunity. Technology is opportunity. We don’t get a choice in the matter. And it is close minded thinking like the quotes above that will allow your competition to come along and put you out of business.
If I am offended by the idea of some new tool that competes with my bread and butter, whose problem is it?
It’s my problem. And it’s my choice. Nobody else cares.
In business you basically have two choices, concentrate on offense or concentrate on defense. In sports, they say that the best offense is a good defense. In business I think that is a recipe for disaster.
You’ve got to play offense. And the best offense is to give the market what it wants.
(thanks sellsius for the tip)
