A few weeks ago, I wrote a book review of Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate by Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff and Chief Economist Stan Humphries, for Inman News.  I thought it was pretty balanced, making the case that the book was interesting and insightful while still acknowledging the ambivalent relationship that many real estate professionals have for Zillow.

I was surprised, though, by some of the comments and some of the private email I got afterwards. A number of people commented to the tune of “why would I read this book, Zillow is robbing us” or stuff like that.

I don’t get why agents are “afraid” of Zillow and what it could do to the industry. For one thing, Zillow is only as powerful as the real estate industry allows it to be.  As I wrote on Inman last year, no one can disrupt our industry without our permission.  What do I mean by that? Simply that if you don’t like Zillow, then don’t promote your listings there. Certainly, don’t pay to advertise there.  It’s that simple.  But if you do decide to play ball with them, because you think that Zillow can do more for you as a partner than as your competitor’s partner, you have to adjust to their business model.

More importantly, I think that the attitude “I won’t read the book because Zillow is trying to destroy the industry” is a reflection of a self-conscious, self-hating, intimidated mindset in the real estate industry that I have always found self-defeating. Too many agents simply don’t believe in the value of their real estate industry.  They cut their commission because they don’t believe that they’re worth the price they’re trying to charge, and they’re desperate for the listing.  They’re intimidated by FSBOs, who they fear are going to show other people how “easy” it is to sell a house on your own.  And they live in fear that some technological change is going to come to disrupt their industry the way that they think travel agencies were disrupted.

That mindset has never made sense to me.  If you don’t believe in your industry, leave it.  If you believe that you’re overpaid, or that people can do your job on their own, or that someone could invent an internet program that could replace you, then you should probably be doing something else.  That’s not to say that you shouldn’t evolve and respond to the challenges posed by technological or cultural change, but simply that you shouldn’t be running around like Chicken Little every time Inman News publishes another profile of some tech startup that’s going to “replace” the traditional real estate industry.

Ironically, anyone who reads Zillow Talk will come away with a  healthier regard for the real estate industry — including real estate agents.  That’s why, after I wrote the book review and saw how many agents were closing their minds to the possibility of learning something from Zillow Talk, I put together the series of “takeaways” that we published last week.  All of the takeaways were built around the idea that Zillow Talk had something to say to real estate agents that was either affirming or instructive:

Takeaway #1: Know Your Worth
Even the CEO and Chief Economist of Zillow acknowledge the value of real estate agents, saying “Real estate agents are still incredibly important, and they’re not going anywhere.”  So stop doubting yourself!

Takeaway #2: If You’re a New Agent, Don’t Be Intimidated
If you’re a new agent concerned that you don’t have a “pitch” for a potential client, check out the Zillow Talk finding that new agents tend to sell homes faster (and for the same price) as more experienced agents.  So have some confidence going into your next listing presentation!

Takeaway #3: Write Longer Property Descriptions, Already!
Great advice for real estate agents: write longer property descriptions, and get a better price.  Rascoff and Humphries found that property listings with longer descriptions sold for a better price than those with shorter descriptions.  So start writing!

Takeaway #4: Help Your Clients Price Their Home to the Market
More great advice for real estate agents: help your clients price to the market. More importantly, show them how Zillow Talk crunched the numbers and found that people who initially overprice ultimately tend to get LESS for their home than people who price to the market.  So don’t be afraid to talk truth to your clients!

Takeaway #5: Stop Worrying, Real Estate is Still a Great Investment
If you’re still spooked about giving advice to your clients about whether they should be buying real estate, get over it.  As Zillow Talk shows, real estate has been a great investment for the past 40 years, outperforming the S&P 500. So have some faith in your asset class!

Here’s my overall point: have some faith in yourself, what you do, and what your industry does.  And if you’re doubting yourself, check out the data-driven advice in Zillow Talk to buck yourself up.