Power to the People -- Culture Trumps Tech Any Day

Why Should I Trust You? ... In The Social Life of Information, Brown and Duguid argue that information doesn't exist in a vacuum. It exists in a cultural environment. So you must understand the "fuzzy stuff" -- context, background and history -- to appreciate the nature of information. That's why the centralization of market data and management of transactions online signals a huge cultural shift for the real estate industry.

Just listen to Mike Ohmes, President of the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MCPE). "The tech piece is secondary. A culture of collaboration and cooperation is much more critical to the adoption of new business practices both in the Twin Cities marketplace and at our own company, United Properties."

According to Ohmes, to build a strong culture you should start with a clear vision of the future, a firm commitment to change and a realistic view of the pace of adoption. Initially, the culture in the Minneapolis-St. Paul marketplace coalesced around its locally owned listings service. That's now being extended into a more collaborative platform -- powered by Xceligent -- for information sharing between brokers and with their clients.

What are you doing to evolve your corporate culture? How do you speed the rate of adoption? How do you reduce the fear of change? ... Would you like to discuss these ideas at the PikeNet Forum? Mike Ohmes will be there, and we're currently exploring ways to promote this kind of dialog. If you'd like to join the conversation, send me e-mail.

Spread the Word... Here's a testimonial from Bob White of Real Capital Analytics about the reach of the Dispatch. After his site was featured recently, he wrote, "More people called or sent e-mails having seen the Dispatch than happened when I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal a week before." ... So put your banner up big and bold at the top of a PikeNet Dispatch. Next dates available in April. Call me at 415-485-6700.

--Peter Pike