Chris Kelly, EVP at HomeServices of America, discusses the challenge of incumbency, attaching mortgage difficulties, Homes.com vs. Zillow, NAR improvements, leading with transparency, benefits of not being a tech company, real estate being like farming, and commission lawsuits' unintended consequences.
Starting a mortgage company is challenging due to the difficulty of shifting buyers' preferences once they have established relationships with loan officers.
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services focuses on being the best at what they do rather than being the first to do something and evaluates profitability before adopting new trends.
Deep dives
Chris Kelly's Background in Real Estate
Chris Kelly, Executive Vice President at Home Services of America, discusses his background and experience in real estate. He joined Home Services in 2007, right before the Great Recession hit. He had experience in private practice law before transitioning to the business side of real estate. Throughout his career, he has taken on various roles within Home Services and has helped the company grow and adapt to changes in the industry.
The Challenges of Starting a Mortgage Company
Chris Kelly discusses the challenges of starting a mortgage company and why many companies fail in this endeavor. He explains that many companies go down the joint venture path, where they offload some of the risks, but also lose the potential upside. He highlights the importance of a strong connection with agents and the difficulty of shifting buyers' preferences once they have established relationships with loan officers. Chris also mentions that companies like Zillow and OpenDoor have struggled with their mortgage operations.
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services: Slow and Steady
Chris Kelly talks about Berkshire Hathaway Home Services as an incumbent player in the real estate industry. He emphasizes that while other companies may be growing rapidly, Berkshire Hathaway focuses on being the best at what they do, rather than being the first to do something. He mentions their cautious approach towards new trends in the market, such as the iBuyer craze, where they carefully evaluate profitability before making any moves. Chris also stresses the importance of staying true to their value proposition and not trying to be everything to everyone.
The Future of Technology in Real Estate
Chris Kelly discusses the role of technology in the real estate industry. He emphasizes the importance of simplicity and user-friendliness in technology solutions for agents and consumers. He highlights the value of integrating different tools into a single platform, making it easier for agents to adopt and use technology effectively. Chris explains that the use of video in marketing and showing properties has increased, and he believes that the consolidation of tools and simplicity will drive adoption and improve the overall real estate experience.
Chris Kelly, EVP at HomeServices of America, and I discuss the challenge of incumbency, why attaching mortgage is hard, Homes.com vs. Zillow, how NAR can improve, leading with transparency, the benefits of not being a tech company, why real estate is like farming, and the unintended consequences of the commission lawsuits.
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