Amazon entering as a broker

[Bryron Diaz]

What do you guys think about amazon teaming up with Realogy and continuing to push towards becoming a broker? The question brought up today in an office meeting is the possibility of agents becoming obsolete. Thoughts ?

[Dave Poeppelmeier]

As a Realtor and certified tech junkie, it's interesting and concerning at the same time. I work primarily with Investors here in Toledo, and our clients truly appreciate the local knowledge and "boots on the ground" services we provide with purchasing and Property Management. Especially with our out of state Investors, I really don't see Amazon/Zillow being able to reproduce what we do. My fear is that people, both Investors and Retail consumers looking to purchase their primary residence, try to buy a house like they buy a dehumidifier on Amazon, and get burned in the process. Even if they do partner with a local discount brokerage or something along those lines, they are going to see that the service and advice is nowhere near what a traditional Realtor can and does provide. I agree that Real Estate in general is going to change with the advancement of technology and the big tech companies, but I don't see Realtors going away.