Meet Heather Elias
Heather Elias is Undisruptable
“To me what it means to be undisruptable is ensuring that my business is going to be able to weather whatever storms come in front of me.”
Heather Elias knows she can do hard things. She’s learned that she can handle whatever is thrown her way with dignity and grace, not because she’s prepared for it, but because she believes in herself. She cares deeply about her clients, her quality of work, and her commitment to nurturing the relationships she has worked hard to earn.
“My Reputation is everything. Consumers have to know that they can trust you. They have to know that you’re listening, that you understand what their needs are, that you understand what their dreams are and that you’re going to do everything that you can to deliver to them the experience that they’re hoping and dreaming for.”
Read more from our conversation here:
Heather Elias: Hi, I’m Heather Elias with Century 21 Redwood Realty in Northern Virginia.
Molly McKinley: Awesome. What does it mean to be undisruptable for you?
Heather Elias: To me being undisruptable is about ensuring that no matter what happens in this industry, what troubles we face, no matter the way that the interactions with the consumers change, that I’ll still be able to have a thriving business despite whatever obstacles may come in front of me.
Molly McKinley: Let’s do it one more time. What does it mean to be undisruptable?
Heather Elias:To me what it means to be undisruptable is ensuring that my business is going to be able to weather whatever storms come in front of me, whatever changes in consumer behavior, whatever changes in technology. The industry never stays the same, so it’s about ensuring that my business can weather whatever comes in front.
Molly McKinley: What are some of the things that you’re doing to stay in front of the storm?
Heather Elias: To be able to stay ahead of all the changes that happened in the industry, I can’t lose focus of the things that are most important, and that’s really my people and my consumers. Loving my consumers and answering the questions that they have and taking away their fears are the most important things, but it’s also being proactive to be able to answer their questions and provide the technology that can help make the process smoother for them.
Molly McKinley: How important is your reputation?
Heather Elias: In the real estate industry, and I’m working with consumers, reputation is everything. They have to know that they can trust you. They have to know that you’re listening, that you understand what their needs are, that you understand what their dreams are and that you’re going to do everything that you can to deliver to them the experience that they’re hoping and dreaming for. My reputation within the industry has to deliver on that promise for them, because if I can’t do that, then I shouldn’t even be here.
Molly McKinley: What would you want to tell an agent who is worried about being disrupted?
Heather Elias: Any agent that’s worried about being disrupted needs to remember that they are the heart of their business. Any person or any algorithm really can deliver data to a consumer, but being able to translate what that means and what that means to that individual person for the situation they’re in for the dreams that they have, the relationship between an agent and their client is the truly most undisruptable thing within this industry. And that’s never going to change. People are always going to need a trusted advisor to guide them and shepherd them through this process. That is the heart of the business, and that’s never going to change. Heather Elias: For the agents out there that are worried about disruption, don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re the heart of this transaction. You are the advisor to your consumer. The data is one thing. Anyone can present that. An algorithm can present data, but what it can’t do is talk to the heart of your client about what their dreams are and what the information around their transaction means for the decisions that they can make and the transition that they can make to the next stage of their life. That’s never going to change. You’re always going to be the person that helps them make sense of the data and information that’s in front of them
About RateMyAgent
RateMyAgent is an Australia-based review platform now expanding rapidly in the United States. In Australia, RateMyAgent is used by agents who sell 80% of property across Australia and get reviews for 1 in 3 homes sold nationally. RateMyAgent launched in the United States in 2018 and has partnerships with MLS’s from Florida to California, including CRMLS, the countries largest MLS. They are the first review platform to be included and endorsed by the National Association of Realtors® 2019 NAR’s REACH Accelerator Program. RateMyAgent is listed on the Australian stock exchange. More information about RateMyAgent can be found at www.ratemyagent.com
