In the following interview, Phyllis Staines, broker associate at RE/MAX Coastal Real Estate in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., discusses disruption, marketing and more.
Region Served: Jacksonville, Fla.
Years in Real Estate: 20
Number of Offices: 1
Number of Agents: 16
Favorite Part of Your Job: The freedom and unlimited potential for earning. I also enjoy solving problems, and those who are needing to buy or sell have a problem that we need to solve for them.
Best Advice for Someone Just Getting Into the Business: Be prepared to work hard in order to build a reputation of trust and honesty that people will gravitate toward.
What factor has the largest influence on the real estate industry today?
As the industry continues to change and evolve, it’s important to remember that technology will never substitute the skill and diligence of a real estate professional. That being said, I believe technology disruption could have the biggest impact on the real estate industry if we don’t recognize that it’s happening. If we sit back and turn a blind eye toward the disruptors coming into the industry, it could impact us more than we realize. Complacency is a concern we must take more seriously. We can’t rely on technology to solve everything. It’s simply a tool.
Is there a specific trend or movement you’re currently paying attention to that has the capacity to disrupt the market?
Instant Offers have become a hot topic within the past year, with Zillow and other technology groups testing out instant-offer platforms. While I don’t necessarily foresee this becoming a huge disruptor in my market, it’s something I will continue to pay attention to.
In what ways does your company stay flexible and current?
The RE/MAX intranet we have access to—which includes RE/MAX University, where agents can take part in constant training—is key to staying flexible and current. Being a leader in the industry, RE/MAX is aware that they must be cognizant of the competition. The development of their new logo is one example that shows just how tuned into the market they are.
You utilize Homes & Land as part of an integrated marketing strategy that includes print publications. How does this benefit you?
I’m a big Homes & Land advertiser, a publication I’ve been advertising in for at least a dozen years. Not only do I recognize the value of print, but I also supplement it with social media, the internet and direct mail. I’m having a great response from both direct mail and Homes & Land, and that’s because so much of my competition isn’t doing it anymore. All in all, I’m a big believer in Homes & Land, as there’s no other magazine in my market that applies solely to homes. We owe it to our sellers to expose their property in every way possible, and print is one of those ways.
Looking ahead, what are you most looking forward to as 2018 gets underway?
While I’m hoping 2018 brings more inventory and drives more people into homeownership, I’m also going to continue to improve my skills and education in order to stay ahead of the competition.
For more information, please visit www.homesandland.com.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at paige@rismedia.com. For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
