If you couldn't make it to our first REinvent Speaker Series, here is a recap of how you, as a REALTOR®, can think like a futurist.

In speaking to other attendees after professional futurist David Zach's presentation, it was pretty clear that almost everyone seemed excited and reflective at the same time. It was more than anyone expected from the quick ads and flyers GAAR produced to promote the Speaker Series.

While the advertising for the event is all about getting your attention, Mr. Zach’s presentation is more about protecting it. That is the paradox of being a professional futurist.

The basic premise is that you cannot take in everything at once, so you need to know how to filter. You need to learn how to better focus your attention. As Mr. Zach puts it, "You need to balance the news with the olds" so you do not get overwhelmed.

Being a futurist is not about knowing the future. It's about knowing the difference between fads, trends and principles, and how to apply that knowledge, so you're more prepared when it comes.

Overcoming anxiety about the future

With the rate technology has been advancing, many of us feel anxiety about the future. We worry that our job will be automated and that we can’t keep up with technology. We worry about losing our humanity.

To overcome this anxiety, David explains, “In a time of tumultuous change, you need to know what doesn’t change. When you know that, you have your foundation – a place to stand to give you perspective."  Your foundation, or your set of principles, are those concepts that you can’t create but simply recognize to be true.  If you don’t take the time to identify and understand your principles, you will feel like everything is constantly changing.

While some change is a good thing, too much of it makes you feel like nothing is solid – which can be pretty scary. If you do not protect your attention from all the “news” (i.e. the latest developments), you will feel anxious about the future. So it is important to take the time focus on the “olds” – the principles, culture and traditions – that keep you grounded.

Embracing change vs. fighting for principle

When preparing for the future, of course you want to know where to invest your energy. Where do you focus your limited attention span? When do you go with the flow and when do you fight it?

They seem like simple questions. However, Mr. Zach points out, "When you scratch the surface of these questions, you get into philosophy and theology – or the realm of faith and fact." He adds, " Both faith and fact – or religion and science – are similar in that they provide an individual with a sense of certainty."  It is something you truly believe in and becomes part of your principles.

David Zach also warns that to truly believe in something – for it to be a principle –  you need to know how to defend it. If you find that you just shout down the other side and can’t defend it, then you don’t truly believe it. That is when you know that a particular belief is simply prejudice and it's time to rethink things. It's time to embrace some change.

A good REALTOR® can't be automated.

In the real estate industry, we talk a lot about the future of technology. How to use it to our advantage? How consumers want more of it? Is it making the REALTOR® less relevant?

According to David Zach, "Big data and skills gaps can be automated. Accountability, empathy, group decisions and storytelling cannot." To build trust, as humans, we need a real person that can be held accountable. He adds, "Humans need to be seen as a person, not as another opportunity or a number."  Empathy is a human trait that cannot be replaced by a machine.

"The most important skill REALTORS® possess is the art of story telling." Mr. Zach reveals. "People are always looking for clues on how things work, to tell us how to live and to help us get things right. We listen to stories for these clues. Story telling teaches through moments of the heart.

"The ability to pick up on these clues and connect the right person with the right home is a story telling art. When done correctly, your client will feel they are buying a home, not being sold a house. " he expands, "As a REALTOR®, you are setting the foundations for a good story that just needs to be told."

The ability to connect people, things and ideas, especially where they don't initially seem to be connectible,  is where wealth is created. As a REALTOR®, that is where your could better focus your attention.

****

Join us in our conversation with David Zach in the future where we discuss the impact of technology on ethics, how to use fads to your advantage, and more.