Nobu Hata

By Nobu Hata

An article recently came across my Twitterstream from Wired.com which, punditry (and ‘Granted, I live in Manhattan…’ caveat) aside, is a pretty good read.

Go ahead, it’s a short one, I’ll wait for you right here.  (http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/st_essay_ownership/)

Where my and the writer’s opinion splits is that to me, a home DOES have sentimental value.  A house is something everyone connects with emotionally.  A house becomes a home, a member of the family.  The rentorship attitude is a copout – if I was a writer in New York City, I’d want everything on the cheap, without commitment too.  But I digress.

Was it a horrible essay?  No.  But what it does is epitomize the current state of consumer confidence in home ownership, as does the 90 or so comments, many rebutting the article itself, and that’s the key to remember.

Our generation agent is working in a time of unprecedented backlash from both our buyers and sellers, and the media.  We live amidst a “throwaway” and non-committal culture.  Simply stated: Home ownership isn’t for everyone.  But what I like saying is that everyone knows someone who wants to buy or sell.  Naysayer aside, I’ll take a few of those folks sticking up for homeownership rebutting him any day.

Our job will be to find those 90 people; our client base, those buyers and sellers who see value in home ownership, and give them the service they want and need.  So what do you say?  How will y’all be reaching these people in 2011?

Nobu Hata is a sales associate for Edina Realty in Minneapolis, and a founding member of the Minneapolis YPN group, the YoPros. Visit his Web site at www.nobuhata.com.