D
an Cooper, founder and CEO of Gitcha, recently shared his insights on the shift towards a buyers' market in an episode of the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast. Cooper believes that the industry has become "based on serving the seller" over the past few years, but with the market recalibrating, agents should treat buyers with equal importance.

    Cooper emphasized that agents need to put in more work for buyers, just as they do for sellers. He noted that many current agents haven't experienced a buyers' market before and lack the necessary technology to navigate this new landscape. The number of real estate products has increased from 200 in 2012 to over 3,000 today, but most have been developed with the seller's perspective in mind.

    To stay competitive, Cooper advises agents to be creative and try new approaches. He recalled his own struggles selling a home after the 2008 financial crisis, where he felt that some agents relied on outdated tactics like posting listings in newspapers and sending emails to their spheres. Cooper urged agents not to be afraid to innovate and provide more personalized services for buyers.

    Cooper also expressed concerns about private listing networks (PLNs), which he believes can be detrimental to small brokerages and their clients. He argued that PLNs tend to favor sellers, restricting visibility of listings in a buyers' market, which could ultimately harm business.