ERA president Alex Vidal tunes out real estate’s noise — and listens to consumers

There is no shortage of things happening in the real estate industry these days. From consolidation to the debate over private listings and seller choice, there are plenty of issues competing for attention, but for ERA Real Estate president Alex Vidal, the most important issues are those that are capturing the attention of the consumers. “Right now, there’s a lot happening that, no matter what I say or do, is going to happen anyway,” Vidal told HousingWire. “They [Consumers] are seeing the things pop up on Facebook saying that a homebuying experience turned into a ‘nightmare’ over a buyer representation agreement that was signed. Now the industry has said that buyer representation agreements are one of the best things that have ever happened to real estate, but the consumers aren’t seeing that. I’m trying to focus on what our consumers are reading.” By focusing on this, Vidal said he is able to tune out the noise and figure out what is most important to consumers so he can better prepare his agents and brokers for any questions or concerns. “I feel like I should let everyone else focus on all those big headlines and instead I can focus on my clients, the agents, and their clients, ...