A recent career outlook on the Kiplinger network ran a list of professions that the author thinks will become obsolete in the next decade.  At the top of the list was “Real Estate Agent.” The article set down some of the thought process this way: “Remember when you saw the first cordless phone, and it looked like a shoebox? Did you ever think that your trusted home phone would be replaced by a cellphone?” 

The author made a disclaimer saying that while no one knows for sure which professions will or will not exist or how they will morph into new incantations of themselves but the old days of having a person pick out a home for you to tour are swiftly slipping away. There are so many sites to help you choose the location, school system, amenities, etc., of a new home that real estate agents are starting to disappear. “As the final stages of where you want to live come closer, you may want the help of a real person, but the fees they charge are coming under pressure their value diminishes.” 

There’s some truth to that, but it’s a far reach to say with much confidence what the real estate industry will look like a decade from now or what roles REALTORS® will play. The author also makes a good point about how technology has disrupted the way things used to be. However, what the industry is experiencing doesn’t square with the profession facing a dead end. In fact, the number of REALTORS® is increasing. Current, and new practitioners are refining skill sets to not only pace technology but to get in front of it where possible. 

A prime example is the upcoming Northeast Tennessee Association of REALTORS® (NETAR) Fall Education Blitz. A quick visit to NETAR’s website at www.netar.us and clicking on the Blitz notice offers association members an exhaustive list of course options. It’s also a window for consumers to see what REALTORS® and doing to sharpen their games. 

During the week of Oct. 18-22, a full range of continuing education courses is available to give association members a stronger foundation of the profession and real estate business. A very brief example of the sessions includes classes like: “Dealing with Difficult Buyers Agents and Sellers”; “Negotiating: Getting to Agreement”; “Making More Money with your Website”; “Facebook Unleashed”; “Auctions, Short Sales and REO.”

And there’s a lot more to what REALTORS® are doing to up their local market game. With NETAR’s weekly and monthly local market information, they can inform and bring customized market opportunities to their clients. That is critical because real estate is becoming even more hyper-local.

Another push on the education front will come next month during the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Designations and Certifications Month. It happens that way because continuing education is an ongoing process for professional REALTORS®.  

There is no doubt the role of professional REALTORS® will continue to evolve. And some of it will come with the speed that we saw during the pandemic. But instead of pushing REALTORS® to the sidelines, it has increased their roles and the value propositions they offer. That’s why the ranks of professional REALTOR® are currently growing instead of looking at a “Dead End” sign.  

NETAR is the voice for real estate in Northeast Tennessee. It is the largest trade association in the Northeast Tennessee – Southwest Virginia region representing over 1,500 members and 100 affiliates involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. Pending sales, Trends Reports, and the regional market analytics can be found on the NETAR websites at https://netar.us/voice-real-estate-northeast-tennessee.