There Isn't Much Time Left
This isn't a future scenario—it's happening now. The emergence of institutional investors and iBuyers in the market should have signaled the onset of change, driven by technology.
These early attempts, often dismissed as examples of the industry's resilience, are just the beginning. The phrase software eats the world gained traction for a reason. It's a stark reminder of the role digital technologies have played in reshaping industries profoundly and irreversibly.
In past decades, the residential real estate market has been protected by geographic fragmentation. The inherent uniqueness of each individual home and the decentralized nature of real estate data have acted as an often unappreciated barrier to large-scale, disruptive changes.
Those geographic barriers crumble in the face of recent innovations! Since at least the mid-2010s, tech and financial giants have been testing these defenses. The convergence of APIs, blockchain technology, and vastly improved AI signals that our window to adapt and act is narrowing swiftly.
We Must Embrace The Inevitable
However, it's not too late to act. We can and must address this challenge head-on. By embracing and leveraging new technologies, we can not only defend our turf but also enhance the industry we're passionate about. We can use the same tools that threaten to disrupt our industry to our advantage, turning potential threats into opportunities to introduce real estate investing to even more individuals.
Inaction or denial is not an option. If we ignore these changes or wait for someone else to address them, we risk letting our industry be reshaped by external forces.
The time to act is now. We have the chance to steer this transformation in a direction that preserves the essence of residential real estate investing while adapting to the new digital landscape.
Let's rise to this challenge together and ensure our industry remains vibrant and true to its roots for decades to come!
