Anyone remember Circuit City?  They recently launched the "new" circuitcity.com which no longer supplements their business - it is now their entire business.  You'll never drive past a Circuit City again just like you'll never drive past a local Netflix, but these companies will continue to grow and become more profitable than ever.  How many more "Circuit City's" are out there now that will be "virtually gone" tomorrow?  I suspect a lot more than any of us realize. 

 

I saw this vision, and how it applies to our real estate industry back in 2005.  I attempted to blend the future with the past by offering sparse offices to independent agents who enjoy keeping all of their commissions.  What I learned, and many more brokers will also learn is that there is no such thing as blending brick and mortar offices with the future of this industry.  Only companies who go completely virtual will be able to thrive in the real estate industry going forward. 

 

It makes you wonder which big name brokerages are close to being "virtually gone" in our industry?  One thing I know is if the virtual model is not embraced as a primary strategy, it does not bode well for executives to wait until things are so bad the company has no choice but go virtual.  That being said, every Realtor across the country must consider two things if they wish to maintain a stable career.  The first is what is the current financial status of my brokerage and is the business model of my present brokerage sustainable going forward.  It's a shame that Realtors are often so ingrained in the culture of their brokerage that their brokers failure could ruin their own career. 

 

Allison James Estates & Homes is the only National Real Estate Brokerage that was created to be the leading next generation real estate company.  Allison James Realtors are not encumbered by the overhead and expense of a traditional real estate brokerage, therefore they are free to enjoy 100% of their commissions.  Allison James offers Realtors a choice to embrace the future, and promote their own career so they can thrive in any environment.  Stay attuned to the future of our industry, it will be interesting to see which mega brokerage today is virtually gone tomorrow!