The physical world and online world differ in a massive way when it comes to the flow of power.

From the Exponent podcast about podcasting and centralization:

In the offline world, power flows from controlling supply.

In the online world, power flows from controlling demand.

It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a massive difference worth understanding.

Until the real estate industry understands how power flows in the online world and counters with differentiated buyer solutions not currently available/possible, you’ll be dependent on Zillow’s of the world. It’s easy to figure out the future winners of this industry; follow those that satisfy untapped buyer demand.

For those who want to increase your leverage, ask yourself, “what can I do/build to generate demand?”

A few ideas:

  • A marketplace of public CMAs.(more)
  • A private/trusted pocket listings marketplace. (more)
  • Give buyers access to trusted knowledge/answers from real estate experts — without giving up their contact information. (more)