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As you can read here, NAR has identified 14 initiatives it considers “game changers.”

Here’s a definition of Game Changer:

“A person, an idea or an event that completely changes the way a situation develops.”

When viewed through the lens of this definition, here is my quick take on these 14 initiatives:

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  They are all excellent ideas. I laud NAR and all of the associations, boards, etc. that had a hand in coming up with these great initiatives. There is no doubt that implementing these plans will improve the industry.
• The prior point notwithstanding, I’m *not sure any* of the ideas are actual, literal “game changers.”
• I think two of the 14 ideas *could be* game-changer-ish, as follows:
  • REALTOR® Finder (Houston Association of REALTORS®) | This has been talked about in two different blog posts by 1000Watt Consulting – see here and here. Read the comments that follow 1000Watt’s blog posts and you’ll get a sense as to whether other agents and brokers view this as a game changer (I think *most* do).
  • Rate Your Experience (Peoria Area Association of REALTORS®) | Similar to the HAR initiative listed above, this tangible, new and has potentially far-reaching implications for how Realtors perform and how they are perceived.
• I think the rest of the initiatives fall short of the definition of being game changers. Again, they are all great ideas, but I don’t think they will “completely change the way a situation develops.”
• And, by all means, PLEASE read the totality of NAR’s list and draw your own conclusions. If you disagree, please say so in the comments below this post.

If NAR is serious about “changing the game” – and with all the talk about this issue, I have to assume they are – here are some additional ideas I would humbly ask them to consider. I call these….

5 Steps to Serious Game-Change…

• Implement a uniform, national-level barrier to entry that would exceed every state’s individual barrier to entry and create a consistent national entry qualification (we’ve done this at our company in an attempt to lead by example). This could be grandfathered in so as not to unfairly penalize existing members. This would only impact FUTURE Realtors and have no bearing on any agent currently holding a license.
• Create a uniform national entry examination that would be more challenging that any individual state’s entry examination. Similar to the prior point, having a uniform national exam – like the kind that exists in public accounting, for example – would be a large step toward the goal of more uniformity and consistency in terms of conduct and practice in real estate on a national scale.
• Create a set of “Generally Accepted Real Estate Practices” that would provide detailed rules for handing common situations encountered in the practice of real estate. The Code of Ethics is a great “top level” set of standards, but it lacks the detail necessary to ensure true uniformity in terms of how real estate is conducted. Real estate needs more codification to help agents know what to do in certain situations that are currently far too undefined.
• Publish the names of repeat ethics violators on a NAR-based website. Currently, too frequently there simply isn’t enough deterrent built into our system to make unethical Realtors think twice before doing the wrong thing. As one who has been a member of Professional Standards, I am speaking from direct, personal, first-hand experience. The punishments often don’t fit the crimes, and they should. Publishing the names of repeat offenders would be a step in the right direction (and this is done in other industries, so precedent for this kind of thing already exists).
• Dramatically increase membership fees to weed out part-timers or non-serious participants without unduly affecting NAR’s overall revenue base. A systemic condition that contributes to many of the problems confronting the industry today is the fact that there are so many people in real estate who are not really in real estate (73% part-time?) And to everyone who says, “If they’re not doing any business, how are they harming anyone,” allow me to say this: the people with the least experience and the lowest commitment are the most likely to do things incorrectly. I’m not aware of any part-time doctors, lawyers, or CPAs. Raising the financial commitment to stay in the game would be a major step toward changing the game.

Real Game Change Requires Tough Decisions…

Are these ideas simple, easily executable or likely to be politically popular?

I’ll go out on a limb and say, “no,” “no” and “absolutely not,” respectively.

But I don’t think it’s realistic or genuine to think that the game can be changed – really, truly CHANGED – without RADICAL modification.

And that requires courage, conviction and strong leadership.

WHY Game Change is Necessary…

To quote noted industry author, commentator, trainer and speaker Stefan Swanepoel (@ swanepoel):

“I have publicly supported and encouraged a continual uplifting of the educational process and the professionalism of the real estate brokerage industry in most of my last 16 books and reports. The time has come for a big change. I think a significant “Game Changer” type shift is now required. Otherwise we may, as an industry, slip further and further downhill until one day “others” outside the industry will find a new solution that may not include real estate agents as we know them today.” (Emphasis added)

I can’t speak for you, but I agree with Stefan, and his words certainly compel me to action…