Real estate agents need to step up and stop running from change, Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) CEO Emily Chenevert told the audience at the Inman Connect Las Vegas conference.
“Many of you feel like so much has changed in the business,” Chenevert said during a session entitled, “Stop Being A Victim: Industry Fate Is In Our Hands.”
“But we’ve got to stop grieving over the way this industry used to be and embrace what it could be if we work together,” she said.
The speech, meant to motivate agents who are unhappy with where the real estate industry is headed, comes after Chenevert publicly announced that ABoR was “done with this shit” following a 2017 governance battle that stemmed from staff leaks and led to member removals and a subsequent lawsuit.
Chenevert brought up her son Barrett, who had to go through dialysis due to kidney failure at the time of his birth, as an example of why agents should not focus on challenges and instead keep fighting for a better future.
“You need to step up and advocate for your profession with the same amount of passion,” she said, adding that too many in the industry hold on to an outdated version of what real estate should look like.
Acknowledging that many are afraid of changes from iBuyers and the Redfin and Opendoor collaboration, Chenevert said that agents need to think about “what’s new and engaging” and seek out opportunities for growth no matter what the industry throws at them.
“You don’t have to run in fear or cry tiny tears because things are uncomfortable,” she said. “You can get excited, you can lead and you can advocate for the way things in this industry should be.”
