Sure it is. On all three counts.

As Jeff points out, his experience is different. Mine is too. You say they get their info from peers and not adult professionals. That’s a sweeping generalization. My experience is that they simply don’t buy the status quo because it is the status quo, they don’t believe in a label of self-appointed professionalism, and they don’t expect anything more from Redfin than anyone else. They believe the industry, for the most part, over promises and under delivers – but delivers no less than Redfin. Redfin is cool because they tell you they don’t do much and they aren’t “greedy”.

>you’ll understand that it is an entire generation of this same mentality- “I know everything.”
Another sweeping and generality that isn’t likely to endear them to the “adult professionals”. It’s a generation that seeks and thrives on knowledge like no generation before it. They don’t agree with the “they don’t care what I know, until they know how much I care”. They want proof you have a clue. They don’t want to see agents add cost to the transaction without adding value.

>If this buyer had chosen to have someone else “serve him” well, as you are now- would you think of him as so intelligent? I doubt it.

If you knew me, you wouldn’t doubt it. I can handle the cheap shots too.

This post is about the buyer psychology we’re dealing with all over the country, and I talk to lenders, Realtors, title companies, bankers, lawyers, and others who constantly speak of something different with this generation of consumer- and you know what, this author identifies it in herself and gives you an insight into her thinking. Lani is educated, is demanding, and is guilty of the traits she points out in the post.

“Husband is the stereotypical cynic who hates the concept of Realtors because he thinks most are stupid” This quote is exactly what she’s talking about, and if you put aside a need to set yourself above your competition, you’ll understand that it is an entire generation of this same mentality- “I know everything.”

If this buyer had chosen to have someone else “serve him” well, as you are now- would you think of him as so intelligent? I doubt it. You, Bob, just know how to sell yourself, service, and you answered his questions and probably schooled in what he didn’t know- not that he would admit that.

This article can be a blueprint into how you succeed in this social generation- they’re getting their information from peers and not from adult professionals until they realize they don’t know enough- at that point, they’re full of bits of information and are in desperate need for it to be weaved together. If a redfin phone agent can serve this need, they will be just fine in the long run- this has yet to really be discovered.

What he wanted wasn’t Redfin, but representation where he felt he was actually being served. We’ll open escrow Monday.

The thing with Redfin is that they don’t actually believe what they say. Drop the commissions and Redfin is toast. 2/3 of not much leaves little for Redfin.

Don’t get me wrong- *our* kids are showered in “you’re specials” and “you’re uniques” and “you can do anythings” but there are also a lot of “work your way ups” and “be fairs” and “try your hardests.”

Anyway – Here is the thing about GENY’ers … Their parents are both Boomers and X’ers. My mother has a Gen Y son and I have a Gen Y son. Let me quote myself from over a year ago ..

“What is really interesting is that these kids are being raised differently – Boomers raise kids differently than X’ers do. Boomers have more money- and so do their kids. ((My husband has a 15 year old sister – …raised TOTALLY different…)) – but the Boomer’s kids and the X’ers kids go to school together and are growing up in the same age, and are all very tech-savvy. So, there will be some great similarities, AND some great differences. (I’m not going to start speculating, here…)”

I happen to LIKE Redfin, and I am NOT a Y. I do not nec. agree with their business model but I like them because they are different. And maybe that is the only reason why I like them. I like Redfin because it is business models like REDFIN that make other business models stand up and validate themselves … step up their game … or fade away. Kind of like a chemical reactive agent …

I really do not know if my comment here even applies to what you wrote, Lani, but oh well. It is my 2 cents.

My experience with GenY is entirely different. I’ve mostly met smart young men & women who’ve taken the bull by the horns and gone after life in high gear. From what I’ve observed they appear to know what they want in life at a younger age than I or my parents did.

Most young people learn in real life their sense of entitlement doesn’t get them far. Soon enough expertise rears its ugly head. I’ve been encouraged the last couple years talking with GenY’s. Most of them have a better idea of the direction of their lives than their parents did. Better yet, they seem unworried about choosing the wrong career — they can switch jobs a lot easier than Mom or Dad could have.

In San Diego they’re buying the cheaper 1 & 2 bedroom condos, a move their parents would have considered beneath them. No sense of entitlement there.

Finally, the military is in large part populated by GenY which is for me the most encouraging factor yet.

What you’ve seen isn’t unique as we all know what you’re talking about. That said, being GenY yourself you make my point daily.

My take on GenY is they’re gonna surprise us big time. I know my firm is counting on it.

Okay. She’s 20 years old. No college education. And yet she knew the right person to land a $29,500 job right off the bat and is bitching like crazy about it.

Ah, do you know there are people out in the work force that have been there for DECADES that don’t make 10% over that. Don’t like it? Tough. Get your education or be happy.

But she really, really, really, really thinks that she’s different and should be treated as such. I love her. But I want to hit her with a baseball bat. Would that be wrong?

We said, “I want a Nintendo” and instead of our parents saying “let’s talk about how you can get that, maybe you could offer to mow the Jones’ lawn?” they say “put it on the list.” GenY should be called the Barney generation- I love you, you love me, you’re special even if you’re a mindless idiot, don’t worry about working hard, you’re special.

GenY is a great generation and will change the face of this planet, but we’ve got some coddling baggage to grow out of. GenY is a bunch of teens allowed to remain teens and that will be the challenge in the business world going forward- the sense of entitlement and the egocentric crap.