Michael Russer is an internationally known Internet speaker, strategic consultant, trainer, and writer for the real estate industry.

While other training gurus are hawking vendor products and selling tapes and videos of themselves, Russer stands alone as one of the few trainers who refuses to take money to endorse a product. That doesn't mean he isn't a promoter. He pushes what he believes in with passion, and what he believes in is the Internet. In this exclusive interview with Agent News editor Blanche Evans, Russer explains why the Internet is a REALTOR'S® best tool to enhance people skills.

B.E.: How did you become an Internet trainer?

M.R.: I started in 1976 when I was ten years old! (Laughs.) I've done everything you can do including losing money in Denver. I've done residential and commercial real estate, and the mortgage industry. In the early 80's, I was a systems analyst for a high-tech mortgage consulting firm which did sophisticated loan analysis work. I retired from that company. I did a lot of speaking, because what we did was so unusual we had to educate the Realtors in the Santa Barbara market. We did that nine years. About that time, the Internet was coming into its own. It was a natural for me. I bought one of the first IBM XT's. I was something in the real estate industry. I knew software vendors and producers, and the management were trying to get the real estate practitioners to incorporate technology in their day to day business for years. They said, "You'll be out of business." If you do use it, it has been proven your bottom line will go up 100%. They still didn't line up for classes. It was clear to me why that is.

B.E.: Why didn't they?

M.R.: Real estate practitioners will never be tech people. The strongest thing is their people skills. It takes a higher order of cognitive power to be a people person than a programmer. It is a different form of intelligence. It's about people, not machines. There are a lot more dynamics. A programmer is dealing with a narrow range of issues at one time under a very constrained set of laws and principles. But, in terms of cognitive power it takes more brain power to be a good people person.

I looked at what was happening with the Internet. It is so big, but it has nothing to do with technology. It is a sociological phenomenon, not a technical one. My theme is that the Internet is about people connecting with people, not about technology.

B.E.: A lot of people want to hear that message - aren't you booked for seminars two years in advance?

M.R.: I am booked a year out. Some of the committees are trying to book me into the fall of 2000, but their committees change every year or I would be booked out even further.

B.E.: What is a typical week like in your schedule?

M.R.: September, I have a full day on the second, the Nevada Association for three days, Maryland and Virginia same week, New York after that. Six of those are full day sessions. That is a lot of speaking. I develop my own material and I have to time to think and create. So that is a full speaking schedule.

B.E.: What do the committees most often want you to teach?

M.R.: The whole theme is not about technology; it's about connecting with people. I prove before lunch at a full day seminar, that Realtors are able to create better, stronger relationships online than if they had met someone face to face or on the phone. I show them why and they will prove it. A group always stands up. For the first time in our industry, the consumer is in control, and the reason they are in control is they can interact with a buffer of anonymity. They have a delete key finger, they can auto delete unwanted email, they have the freedom to interact under this cloak - the email address.

I do a role play in my seminars. I just contacted you. Jane Realtor. You and I aren't going to do business unless I trust you, unless you have the skill sets to do the job and you have to have my interests at heart. Jane understands the art of the thread of a relationship. The client makes a request, the Realtor gets things back, and a relationship is created. When we finally meet it is a like a long lost friend. Hugs and kisses. The reason is the client is in control. When they can trust the agent, the issue of control disappears.

B.E.: But aren't agents afraid to give up that face-to-face opportunity?

M.R. On floor time or at an open house, 80% of communication is nonverbal. Clients are making personal judgments immediately. When people meet initially, there are walls put up and the same thing happens on the phone. A sales person senses that the other person is in control. The Net acts as a wall so there is no need to do that. Relationships are built on trust rather than a protocol of dominance or control.

Here's a perfect example: I met this fellow on the plane. He told me he had bought a house. He looked for the agent and properties and got his loan all over the Internet. He said that he likes the idea that if he is interested in doing business, he will let them know. He said, "The agent we ended up with is somebody that if we had met her in person first, we would have not done business with her." The preconception about people would have precluded their working with this person, but she was so strong online, they wouldn't work with anyone else. He told me that looks count. Age discrimination counts. This agent wasn't impressive physically, but she was impressive in her Internet skills. Now they rave about her.

The interpersonal dynamics on line are so different from traditional real estate. Management and agents need to realize this.

B.E.: That is a startling example. What do you mean by protocol?

M.R.: Protocol is the way people interact. The protocol with traditional real estate is that the agent is in control. That is the only option for consumers. Agents who are aggressive and successful will have the toughest time transitioning online. Their instinct is to try to take control. That's why I don't like Web caller ID. It snags the client's name. I am totally against that. It's a direct contradiction of trust. Consumers don't like being dominated; they like the new protocol - the art of creating the thread of a relationship. It's an ongoing discussion. Doing well in real estate is an art and it's the same way on line. In this whole new protocol the ones who are doing well online are the ones who know how to do this.

B.E.: Sounds like you have your work cut out for you.

M.R.: It's about how to leverage your people skills. You want to be in the people business; I'm going to show you something that is intensely about people. The whole seminar is a transformational event. I have people at all skill levels from "What is a computer?" to people who are closing 3-4 deals a month online. I show them how to leverage their people skills. I open up possibilities to do more. It is about people, not technology. It is a gestalt. They get it.

B.E.: Is that how Mr. Internet evolved?

M.R.: That's Mr. Internet. He's fun and non-intimidating. Realtors are used to being talked down to, being sold all the time. I sell nothing, no tapes, software or third party vendors. You cannot pay me. I will talk about your products and services only if I am excited about it. If you are going to pay me anyway, let's give it back to the audience in the form of an "ebate."

I want the freedom to promote something better. That is a primary area on my Web site. We have taken the kickback to me and we give it back to the agent. Worldmerge is inexpensive, $39.95. They pay $15 a person. Agents who buy Worldmerge by hearing about it through Mr. Internet get it for $29.95 and then five dollars is donated to Children's Miracle Network, my favorite charity. No one can touch that price because I am not getting the fee.

Our field is changing everyday. I am well paid as a speaker so I don't have to sell products and services. Agents are sick are being sold stuff. We want to thank you for filling our minds instead of picking our pockets.

B.E.: Aren't you in the minority?

M.R.: I took that position from day one. I freely give away articles, and my Website is designed to boost skills. I have been consistent and that has worked well for me.

B.E.: Mr. Internet is just one part of Michael Russer. What else is there?

M.R.: My management hat is Michael Russer. That is the person that writes the serious stuff. I wrote the White Paper for Intel on where the real estate industry is going a year ago. Called Connected 2001: the Transformation of the Real Estate Industry. That shook people to the core, the impact of XML, the empowered consumer, the scenario of the transaction of the future.

I'm also an advisor to ARELLO on cross jurisdictional code, and I also propose specs for the ecertified Realtor program sponsored by the NAR. This is historic because it gives brokers and agents a benchmark - if you go through this process, you will be Internet capable and savvy. The specs will cover skill sets, cover the issue of protocol - how to interact with people online, standards and behavior, and most subtle, but most important, - positioning.

We should help agents to adapt to the quickly emerging new business models on the Net. Unbundling of services. These are the basics. Concentrating just on skill sets would have been a mistake.

B.E.: Will the certification be easy for most agents to get?

M.R.: The certification will not be easy to obtain. This will be difficult - like getting a GRI. The worst thing we can do is give a stamp to someone who is clueless. It will be the first time they can point to a standard. You will be prepared and you'll have it. The NAR did a great job of establishing their leadership in this area. What was happening is these organizations were developing their own programs. Soon it wouldn't mean anything to consumers. Without NAR 's blessing there will be no standard that means anything. We are going to set the standard and it won't be easy.

It gives the agents who can't make the transition a graceful way out. It gives a benchmark, it gives them the standards.

B.E.: When will this certification be available?

M.R.: End of June. They put out a request for a proposal for vendors to create an online learning system. It will be a certification rather than a designation, but that is up to the NAR. They should announce the vendor to build this system by the end of June.

B.E.: What about your work with ARELLO?

M.R.: I look at what 's out there and try to make some sense out of it. I am interested in helping the entire industry make this transition. I don't have a position on designated agency; right now, my focus is the Internet and its impact. With the impact of XML the sellers will pay the sellers agent and the buyer will pay the buyer's agent. The unbundling of services due to XML will have an impact. That is why ARELLO needs to get strong, but they can't force jurisdictions to do anything. They are an influencing body, not a governing body. They are trying to look at these issues from a broad and cross jurisdictional issues an they are asserting their leadership.

B.E.: Isn't it all about the Internet, because the Internet eliminates "jurisdictions?"

M.R.: Interesting question. The Internet makes it stickier because of its cross jurisdictional capability. It is near the heart. Internet law is a brand new field. It is going to interesting.

B.E.: How do you fit all this in with a home life?

M.R.: I do the writing and the speaking. My wife helps me and she used to be on the road with me. I do have a virtual organization and people who work for me whom I have never met. The organization works very well. I don't care where they are located. This is a topic I expect to speak about. A natural progression is the virtual team. The Internet allows you to get a lot done without being in an office. Career women are choosing to have a family and they have skill sets and the Internet is perfect for working at home. Distance doesn't mean anything. You can get high-powered talent and not in your own locale.

I have more time with my kids than most parents. I work out of my home. I have people all over the country handling the details, so I have more time. I get my kids up for school, get their breakfast and read 'em a story at night. We used to have a nice office and I don't miss it one bit. This is a lifestyle choice.

B.E.: What is the message that you most want agents and management to get?

MR.: That the Internet is like going from a water-breathing environment to an air environment and it is happening rapidly. The consumer I met on the plane validated this. Management and agents need to realize this. Agents can learn to use the Internet to strengthen their interpersonal skills. The Internet is all about the art of the thread of a relationship.

Articles By Michael J. Russer:

Published: June 10, 1999

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.