Re/Max regional manager Dawn Brown remembers when she was a new agent, wet behind the ears in 1989. The bulk of agents she worked with tended to be mature then, and technology did not play much of a part in her induction to the industry.
The agents she worked with then do not look like this anymore, she said. After all, all Realtors are not 56 years old.
“We want to shatter the stereotypical archetypes so often associated with this career,” said Brown.
“There are more young agents and millennials joining the industry now,” said Brown.
“There are so many young millennials coming into the real estate business with a passion for tech,” she added. They like the business environment, the career paths there for them and the work life balance they can have in real estate.
Creating a casual forum
Dawn Brown
So Re/Max of Georgia has established a Young Professionals Network in Atlanta to provide young agents between 20 and 40 with a casual forum to network, socialize and share ideas.
“We are creating a comfortable place for them to talk about what they see and emerging trends,” said the regional manager.
Part of what Re/Max will be looking at for the group is what demographic they are working with and helping with ideas to approach that.
A similar launch will follow in Nashville, Tennessee, said Brown, who is driving the initiative.
The Atlanta group will meet quarterly, and these new agents will not only get to know each other but alsoother networks of young people. Brown is currently seeking out connections with young professional groups at corporate entities such as Coca-Cola, as well as from the tech industry, to introduce to the Re/Max agents.
These occasions will provide useful lead generation opportunities for millennial agents, among other things.
“We are on the cutting edge of tech; we are trying to understand what millennials want and to fulfill their needs,” said Brown.
At the first meeting, which involved a CEO Q&A session, the topics of discussion ranged from emerging technological advances to online marketing.
“I have been surprised in this career how much flexibility and independence you have,” said one of the 20 attendees. Another young real estate agent said he enjoyed the entrepreneurial side of real estate.
“One of the things about the millennials in the Young Professional Network is they are very big on community, charity and adventures,” said Brown.
She will be organizing upcoming events such as a kayak trip for the group, she said. She expects the numbers to double at the next meeting.
