Jumbo Shrimp and Real Estate

It’s the classic George Carlin oxymoron: how can something“shrimpy” be “jumbo”?  Do you even need jumbo shrimp?  As a shrimp lover and a Realtor, I answer with an emphatic YES!

More to the point, I say that real estate is not far from being jumbo shrimp.  Hear me out…

Jumbo:  Berkshire Hathaway is now the largest real estate company in America according to industry analytics from REAL TRENDS.  Specifically, we’ve transacted more business than any other firm in the USA:  346,629 transactions in 2018.  Considering that our closest competitor is the real estate conglomerate NRT (Coldwell Banker, Sotheby’s, Corcoran and others) that’s saying a lot.

Scale Matters:

• Around 50% of buyers find their home on the Internet
• Locally, nationally, and internationally recognized and trusted branding is critical.  Ubiquity is the name of the real estate game.
• Building, maintaining, growing, and delivering that branded message is expensive so spreading that investment over a larger pool minimizes the expense.

Reach:

• Delivering clients’ listings to the largest audience possible is critical to successfully selling clients’ properties.
• Being able to reach the far corners of the world is no longer optional. Today’s buyers are not necessarily local.  They come from other regions, countries and continents.
• Offering real time language and currency translation are mandatory and offering world-class service is expected.  You can’t do that unless you’re big.

Shrimp:  There is where I come into the picture.  I’m the smallest link in the global real estate supply chain but arguably the most important one.

• I know the idiosyncrasies of the local marketplace.
• I know the inventory, what homes are on the market and what price constitutes a good buy or a bad one.
• I work hand-in-hand with sellers and buyers to put together an agreement.  I work tirelessly to make sure both sides of the transaction have the information they need and that they understand the terms and conditions of the sale/purchase.   
• After the transaction is complete, I continue working with clients answering questions from nervous first time buyers, and helping sellers and buyers find support services and tradespeople they can trust.
• I help them adjust to their new home and the community.

Conclusions: 
Without the shrimp you can’t have jumbo shrimp.  Without a Realtor you selling real estate in today’s market is very tough, no matter how big you are.

Without a jumbo-brand, all you’ve got is a “shrimpy” Realtor. But if you’ve got at jumbo-brand and a great team of Realtors, well then you’ve got the top selling brand in the USA!  Thank you Berkshire Hathaway Home Services!

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​Having the backing of an internationally recognized and trusted “jumbo” brand allows me to give my clients more of the services they need.  Let me help you— give me a call (708) 488-9280 or email me at: KCrowell@KoenigRubloff.com and let’s talk about your real estate needs over a little shrimp cocktail!