T3 Sixty | Solutions Group

THE OPPORTUNITY REPORT FOR LEADINGRE ADVANTAGE

Table of Contents
1. Overview

2. Highlights from The Opportunity Report

2.1 Opportunities for Real Estate Brokers and Agents

2.2 Opportunities for Other Industry Stakeholders

3. How to Use The Opportunity Report

4. Takeaway

1. OVERVIEW

In this period of great change, industry stakeholders face a rare, unparalleled opportunity to reshape the industry and put the industry, and the homebuying process for consumers, on a firmer more resilient footing.

To help leaders identify the opportunities at their fingertips, T3 Sixty interviewed some of real estate’s most powerful and forward-thinking leaders and distilled their insights, along with T3 Sixty’s perspective, into The Opportunity Report.

The report, published in fall 2024, highlights 20 opportunities for industry stakeholders to improve real estate brokerage, Realtor associations, MLSs and other key participants, for themselves, their colleagues and consumers, for now and the future.

The following is a summary of The Opportunity Report. Those interested in reading the full report can download it for free at TheOpportunityReport.com.

2. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE OPPORTUNITY REPORT

The Opportunity Report is comparable, but not a sequel, to the widely acclaimed DANGER Report. The Opportunity Report delivers insights from some of the smartest and most forward-thinking leaders in the residential real estate industry. T3 Sixty Founder and Chairman Stefan Swanepoel conducted and compiled 50 interviews, which were then meticulously curated by various members of the T3 Sixty team.

The following provides a high-level summary of the opportunities detailed in the study.

2.1 Opportunities for Real Estate Brokers and Agents

The Opportunity Report provides extensive exploration of near- and long-term opportunities for real estate brokers and agents, especially in the wake of NAR’s lawsuit settlement decoupling buyer and seller agent compensation.

The practice change in the NAR settlement opens up several opportunities for brokers and agents to establish competitive advantage. These include:

Develop best practices for handling unrepresented buyers, and for buyer representation, to provide transparency and clarity of the agent’s role for both sellers and buyers. Helping consumers understand their rights — and the broker and agent obligations — in the transaction, can elevate the value of the services and the professionalism of real estate agents.
Prioritize consumer interests to rebuild credibility and restore trust. Focusing on transparency, integrity, ethical practices and exceptional representation will improve the perception of real estate professionals and the value they offer.
Redefine the role and value of a real estate agent as a trusted advisor and professional. Helping consumers understand the range of brokerage models — whether à la carte, flat-fee, concierge, or full-service — ensures they can select the option that best meets their unique needs and expectations.
Digitize real estate transactions with AI and deploy digital innovation to streamline operations.
Revisit alternative compensation models and consider reinvention of the brokerage model to provide a one-stop shop for services.
Reduce redundancies, widen thin margins, enable better use of technologies, and provide a viable exit strategy for business owners by harnessing the power of acquisitions.
Leverage the power of real estate teams to improve customer service and profitability.

2.2 Opportunities for Other Industry Stakeholders

Organized real estate, state regulatory agencies and the industry at large are also presented with new opportunities in 2025 and beyond. This section summarizes some of the opportunities these stakeholders have.

Organized Real Estate
The Opportunity Report discusses nine opportunity areas for organized real estate. In addition to calling for unity around the issue of continued access to transparent real estate marketplaces, the report calls for evolution beyond the three-way agreement to streamline and focus responsibilities to support more agile and dynamic services.

The future of MLS organizations and Realtor associations is another focus. The report considers the need to:

Make MLSs more competitive by eliminating the governance restrictions that result from being owned by Realtor associations.
Consolidate the MLS landscape to create a more advanced and transparent real estate data ecosystem.
Streamline and unite Realtor associations to better serve real estate professionals at the high standard they deserve.
Reimagine what leadership in organized real estate means to rebuild trust and inspire the industry with bold ideas and a genuine commitment to meaningful change.

Still more opportunity awaits organized real estate as it holds an important position to connect and empower a new generation of real estate professionals..

State Regulatory Agencies

Setting stronger licensing requirements to obtain a license and enforcing stricter standards can improve the industry. State and local associations must also lobby for improved professional standards and work to reduce the bureaucratic complexities of the home buying process.

Industry Stakeholders

All key stakeholders can seize the current transformative opportunity to firmly connect their efforts with consumers’ goal of homeownership. The Opportunity Report focuses on key opportunities to improve affordability, including:

Advocate for policy changes.
Work with developers to ensure that a portion of new housing is affordable.
Provide workshops and resources to empower better financial decisions.
Collaborate with financial institutions to develop down payment assistance programs, shared equity models and low-interest loan products.
Offer bundled services — such as mortgage, title and insurance — to reduce the overall cost of purchasing a home.
Support community land trusts and nonprofit housing organizations to preserve and expand affordable housing stock.
Promote new construction technologies to lower construction costs and improve quality.
Deliberately shifting toward a workforce composed of fewer, more career-focused agents and brokers can help eliminate many of the inefficiencies currently in the industry.

3. HOW TO USE THE OPPORTUNITY REPORT

The Opportunity Report provides a valuable blueprint for real estate leaders to plan a resilient future for themselves and the industry at large. To get the most out of its insights, leaders can unlock the potential the report lays out by:

Discussing its themes in strategic leadership meetings and explore role and opportunity to support each one.
Implementing actions that align with the company’s broader goals.
Designing every step to be actionable, realistic and measurable.
Establishing a performance measurement plan to track progress.
Assigning someone on the leadership team responsibility for overseeing execution.

4. TAKEAWAY

Opportunities are everywhere. This includes modernizing associations, restructuring the MLS, rebuilding broker trust, integrating AI and enhancing buyer representation, professionalism and consumer service.

To read the detailed insights into the industry’s future, get your complimentary digital copy of The Opportunity Report at TheOpportunityReport.com.