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Non-Tech : Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: paul feldman who wrote (2821)	12/24/1998 9:46:00 PM
From: Thomas George Warner	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3627

Paul the oldest myth in the book is that management does not listen. Believe me management listens, but not to every unreasonable idea that some one thinks up. And not one without monetary constraints, and not ones that are not well thought out. Or not ones that may conflict with other planned changes that upper management already has approved. The realty business is not unique. A good salesman can sell anything. I sold life insurance early in my career and was good at it. I know how tough it is to be turned down 10 times in a row. In the case of both Century 21 or Coldwell Banker, they are not independent contractors in the true sense of the word, just like a General Motors authorized dealer is not an independent dealer. They pay a yearly franchise fee to use the franchise with certain stipulations. If you cross the line in certain areas you will feel the wrath of corporate Hq. I love to interface with people and sales people in particular, and I heartily agree with you about their attributes. However I learned a long time ago about the games that some play and no longer have the time to waste playing them. When it comes to buying cars,I want a fair price, and don't want to waste the time with floor salesmen who never have the authority to close the deal. I take the time to keep informed and do not believe that I should pay someone else for what I already know. I understand that when it comes to using a realtor it means that they work for me when I sell and they work for the seller when I am the buyer. I have no illusions about that. I hope that you did not misunderstand what I said or that I said it poorly. I believe the wave of the future is for an indirect sales system that for the most part bypasses the salesman. Ever hear of the General Motors Saturn? They use a fixed price and the salesman only writes the contract. And than think about amazon.com and similar internet businesses. Isn't that what they are doing, cutting out the salesman? In the case of Realtors more and more of them are going to digital photos that can be scanned and evaluated from our homes. We can look at the property in our price range, quickly secure financing and send in a purchase offer through our lawyers. What part does the agent play in this scenario? WE are in a quickly changing environment and I believe Henry Silverman understands this. That is why he is trying to tie the various parts of Cendant together and work off the synergy. Please I hope you did not take offense to my post as that was not the intention. have a good christmas