Putting the People back in Real Estate

“Real Estate is a people business.” That’s what They (you know “THEY” the great & powerful THEY … whoever they are) say. That line is something that people in the industry parrot out all the time. But for a group of people that professes to be all about people, it’s one that seems to spend a lot of time using technology to avoid having to deal with people whenever possible.

Austin Allison is on a mission to change all of that. (We think what he’s got going is well and truly awesome, by the way).

Starting with his own company, DotLoop, Austin (who’s only … a lot younger than me) is out to change the way we all do business. Real Estate, he knows, SHOULD be all about people and he wants it to be that way again. He’s fired up and ready to put people back at the center of what we all do. With #peoplework, Austin and DotLoop are using tech to make us more connected. More connected with our coworkers, more connected with our friends, and more connected with our customers. In short, Austin thinks #peoplework is just a better way to do business. We think he’s on to something.

“Good business people aren’t good because of tech. They’re good because of the way they treat people.”

That’s what the man says, and that’s really the key to it, right? You can have all of the baubles, toys, tablets, and tools under the sun, but if you can’t or won’t make real connections with the people you work with, what are you left with? Other than a shopping list at the Apple Store, not a whole lot.

Austin, who’s been in real estate most of his life and who bought his first house at 17 (NOTE: when I was 17, I was trying to hang a Duran Duran poster in my bedroom and make sure it wasn’t crooked, but I digress), has watched real estate professionals and their customers for years. What he’s noticed since tech really began to infiltrate the business is that people–agents and consumers alike–have started to get overwhelmed. No one knows which way to turn anymore. Everyone wants to use every new tool and doesn’t know where to start. This troubles Allison, who knows tech’s not supposed to work like that. It’s supposed to make things easier, not harder.

That’s the problem #peoplework will solve.

Austin lays it out, friends. During his sessions, Austin teaches people how to take a step back and show them how better business happens when people work together. Not just near one another, but TOGETHER. He shares the 10 principles that define how human companies work and, yes, how they WIN. He wants people to walk away feeling differently about their work and with a deeper understanding of how tech can enhance their lives, not complicate it.

Yes, Austin Allison is on a mission. It’s a mission fueled by passion and by vision. We think he’s really going places.