Our little real estate company has become a thorn in the side of one of the Exxon Valdez-sized brokerages in our area. Like the Exxon Valdez, this behemoth cannot quickly change the course that worked so well in the heyday market of the last 5 years. Our little company, on the other hand, relies on flexibility and nimble moves to keep one step ahead in our rapidly-changing market. In fact, we recognize that this very ability is what gives our clients an edge in this difficult market. Now to the point of this essay. The Valdez (I'll just refer to the other brokerage as the Valdez) apparently is feeling threatened by our little company and has been telling sellers of real estate that they will be less-served by a smaller company, us, because we are small. Talk about reframing a bad situation (also known as spin). If this weren't so incorrect and possibly damaging to sellers of real estate it would be knee-slapping funny. My opinion, coming from the front line, is that, in this new market, sellers who hope to be successful need help from an involved agent with a company that knows it's clients, not a behemoth with hundreds of agents, thousands of listings and a captain snoring in his cabin. What worked last year is not working this year. Not being bound by ingrained procedures and bureaucracy, small firms can quickly change tactics to get results for their sellers while the Valdezes of the real estate world are still drafting memos and planning committee meetings to figure out why sales are down while the sharp edge of the reef draws ever nearer.
Whether you're selling property in Cocoa Beach or Culver City, you need to think seriously about the size of your real estate company. Does size matter? You bet. Small and nimble beats big and slow every time. Think David and Goliath.
