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Navigating from Here to There

The centerpiece of any company's successful Internet transformation is the establishment of an "Elite Core Group" (ECG) of agents who are excited, willing, and able to learn and use the Net for their business. They become the company's Internet "Skunk Works"--left alone yet supported. With proper management support and leadership, they become the fertile soil from which a company will "grow" its transition to full Internet integration from the inside out.

A Few Good People

Five to ten percent of the agents in most real estate sales organizations fit the "Adaptive Learner" profile of an ECG member. In addition to being well-organized "people-people," they tend to embrace change as a strategic opportunity, using technology as a tool that they may or may not like. A well-designed survey can be used to effectively determine which agents best fit the ECG profile, including the necessary commitment level in terms of time, energy and money to learn and use the Internet for their business.

Once identified, the organization can create a special relationship with the ECG member through a written agreement that outlines the benefits and responsibilities of being part of the elite group. Being difficult to get in, and easy to be kicked out (due to non-compliance) will only enhance the desire of "borderline" agents to participate. Companies will save themselves a great deal of frustration, grief, and money by focusing their high level Internet training and support efforts only on ECG members who, by definition, are willing to commit the time, pay for training, and buy the equipment necessary to work on the Net.

It's About People--Not Technology

The biggest mistake organizations can make when introducing the Internet to sales associates is to position it as "another great technology" that promises the usual productivity benefits. Been there, done that.

The Internet is far more than a tool. It is a sociological phenomenon that is enabled by technology rather than being about it. Management can reposition the Net to agents by showing how it leverages their natural tendency to work with, and be around, people.Instead of seeing the Internet as part of some cold, heartless machine, agents can be taught to see it as a window to an incredibly rich world filled with more people, places, and opportunities than they ever dreamed possible. Now this is something they can be excited about!

Rich, multimedia, live, online presentations can be carefully crafted to emphasize the "people" side of the Net in addition to bottom-line results. This will create an exciting sense of adventure for them. Once agents "get it" about the Internet, they become open to learning the "vehicle"--computer hardware and software-- that they need to take them on this great journey.

Let Them Run Free--but Within Boundaries

For the foreseeable future the Internet will continue to be freewheeling and rapidly evolving. ECG members should have the encouragement and freedom to learn, stumble, and innovate, but within boundaries. The Net is so new for most organizations, that little if any thought has gone into establishing effective Internet Risk Management initiatives.The risks are real, as evidenced by recent cases and regulatory actions within the real estate industry.

The best defense against Net based liability is a comprehensive Internet "policies and procedures" manual that will effectively guides agents' behavior on the Net while allowing freedom to innovate. Total compliance with an organization's Internet policies and procedures would be an appropriate necessary condition for any agent's continued membership within the ECG.

Contributing Author
Michael J. Russer
Michael J. Russer, President of RUSSER Communications, is an internationally recognized speaker, writer, and strategic consultant for the real estate industry about the Internet. His 22 years experience in the real estate field include the development of marketing and software systems as CEO for a high-tech mortgage consulting firm he co-founded. Also an authority on Internet risk management, he recently authored the industry's first comprehensive Internet policies and procedures manual for those companies that have agents active on the Net. He can be reached at (805) 882-1170 or mrusser@russer.com.