Six months after Compass completed its $1.6 billion acquisition of Century 21’s parent company, Anywhere Real Estate, CEO Mike Miedler spoke candidly about what a “reset” actually means for the brand currently operating within the world’s largest real estate services company.
In advance of our appearance at this month’s Inman Connect San Diego, and as a member of Inman’s newly formed advisory board, we sat down with Century 21 CEO Mike Medler to discuss the event, the industry’s biggest challenges, and what agents and brokers want from trade-focused media today.
Inman: The theme for this year’s Inman Connect San Diego is “The Reset is Here. Build What’s Next.” From your perspective, what is the biggest reset happening in the real estate industry right now, and how should brokerage leaders respond?
Mike Miedler: The biggest reset is not just market conditions, but giving agents and consumers real choices to buy and sell.
For a long time, our industry has operated on a fairly standardized strategy for how homes are brought to market and how transactions unfold. Today, that is being challenged.
Consumers are more informed and selective and expect strategies that reflect their individual goals rather than a one-size-fits-all process.
It forces a return to basics. The brokers and brands leading this reset are those focused on providing real expertise, not just access. It’s about advising clients on how to go to market, not where to go to market.
Brokerage leaders need to give agents a more flexible and strategic approach. One that prioritizes the homeowner’s objectives and protects the value of his or her property. After all, a home is more than just a property. For most people, it’s the most important financial decision of their lives.
The industry has faced significant changes over the past year, from conversations around fees to changing consumer expectations. What new opportunities do you see that others may be missing? Looking across the securities industry, what separates the companies that have adapted well from those that are still relying on yesterday’s strategies?
One of the biggest opportunities right now is to be more disciplined and get back to basics.
Although we are in a more balanced market, inventories appear to be stabilizing and pricing pressures are real. This puts agents back in their place as advisors, having honest pricing conversations, guiding strategy, and helping clients make more informed decisions.
There are also opportunities to improve the way homes are brought to market. Not all sellers will benefit from the same approach. That’s why there’s a growing momentum to give homeowners more choice and control. We need to be more deliberate about pricing, timing, and exposure to drive stronger outcomes.
At the end of the day, the agents who win in this environment are the ones who remain focused on their clients and offer true expertise, rather than just guiding them through the transaction process.
Technology, AI, and changes in consumer behavior are changing the way we do business. Where do you think leaders should invest their time, energy, and resources over the next 12 to 24 months?
Leaders need to be disciplined here because not all AI investments are created equal. A study published by Cotality found that approximately 75% of today’s homebuyers expect AI to play a role at some point in the real estate process. But the point is, they don’t trust it to make actual decisions. Because you can’t sit in a negotiation and read the floor or advise on the nuances of a particular market. That’s the gap.
After all, this is still a human business. It’s up to us as leaders to provide consumers with a clear reason to collaborate with humans.
As AI becomes better at answering questions, the value of real estate professionals will stop being information and become entirely about judgment, relationships, and accountability. Consumers can already get home value estimates and market overviews in seconds. What you don’t get from a chatbot is someone who knows why a deal falls apart and how to save it, or someone who is willing to put their name forward and offer advice.
Over the next 12 to 24 months, winning leaders will be those who invest in tools that improve productivity, enhance the client experience, and enable agents to provide more informed and confident advice than just quick answers. Leaders must invest in helping agents clearly tell that story. Because if we don’t define what the experts bring to the table, we’re going to be defined by the people selling the AI products.
Companies that strike the right balance between using AI to speed up agents and strengthen relationships at the same time will be the most trusted companies in years to come.
As a member of the Inman Advisory Board, you help shape the conversation at Inman Connect San Diego. What are you most looking forward to discussing with other industry leaders, and why should brokers, team leaders, and agents be part of that conversation?
I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Inman Advisory Board and help shape the conversation with some of the industry’s most respected leaders.
What makes this moment unique is that we are all going through the same reset from different perspectives. I look forward to a candid discussion about what’s actually working: how we’re thinking about growth in a flat market, how we’re evolving our strategies, and how we’re creating more value for both agents and consumers.
I also think there are important conversations underway about who truly owns the relationship with consumers and how we use data to better serve them.
As an industry, we have to lead there. We should help our clients understand the market, interpret real data, and make informed decisions, not outsource that responsibility. This includes giving homeowners more choice and control over how they market their properties – being thoughtful about timing, exposure and strategy to protect their position and maximize value.
If we don’t lead with data, strategy and transparency, someone else will, and that’s not in the best interest of our clients.
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