Episode 70: Compass, Leonard Steinberg and the future of real estate

“We are not just a tech company and we’re not a traditional brokerage…we are a hybrid of both where high-tech and high-touch matter equally. And I think that has been a big driving force for everything we’ve done and for my title as Chief Evangelist. My role is to really push that concept further and forward.”

Compass are a name on everyone’s lips right now, whether it’s to do with technology, attracting top talent, making acquisitions or simply raising capital. For this week’s edition of the Elevate podcast, we are in a New York State of Mind with Samantha McLean meeting Chief Evangelist of Compass Real Estate, Leonard Steinberg who talks about how they attract top talent, how people fuel a technology business and where an agent will continue to add true value to the transaction.

SHOW NOTES / LINKS

2:49 Fuelling conversation and creativity at Compass – what the daily lunch is all about
4:01 Leonard’s background as a fashion designer for Dior and why he decided to make the leap to real estate.
6:14 “I had a very comfortable wonderful Life and yet to me I had to ask myself ‘is that all there is?’ because I could have been successful and continue going for years and years and years and yet I felt that there must be other challenges out there”
7:17 What the name Compass really means
8:50 “For me, the greatest achievement of all in my career has been the fact that I have done so with kindness, good ethics, honesty, and whereas I may not be the agent has sold the most real estate. I really feel that I have a reputation that is something to be proud of.”
9:17 The role of Chief Evangelist – how a tech company title came to real estate
10:43 The Compass approach of having tech solve problems for both agents and consumers with technology
12:49 The Compass version of “Pinterest” where family and friends can collaborate on the property search and purchase
14:38 The science behind the sign – how the ‘sign’ reimagined will elevate the conversation in the future
17:23 The brand within a brand concept, all agents are entrepreneurs
19:17 How they attract top talent from places like Twitter, Vogue, Morgan Stanley and other blue-chip companies (who normally wouldn’t consider a real estate career)
20:21 The plan for Compass to expand beyond the US
20:53 Trends to watch out for and what real estate agent should be upskilling themselves on in the future
21:41 “Time is the last luxury”
22:01 The importance of producing real value and real insight