Counseling in an Era of Change. (Applications).

In reflecting upon the theme Global Cities in an Era of Change, the first thought that struck me was that there is not really a lot new here. After all, there have been, (relatively speaking at least) "global cities" for thousands of years. And I suspect that there may never have been an era in the history of mankind that would not have been described by those living at the time as "an era of change."

So although the specific characteristics ("the details") that we see in our world today appear extraordinary in their complexity, sophistication, and richness, it is much less clear whether or not there is anything fundamentally different about our current world, society, culture, etc.

This is not to say that fundamental changes do not occur. They do. But those fundamental changes generally can only be seen in retrospect, and usually with a fair amount of distance and perspective. Or put another way, those who think that there is necessarily an inexorable march towards the globalization of the world's economy should note that the Euro does not mark the first time (or even the second time) that Europe has tried a unified currency. And only time will tell if the current effort is 1) the successful culmination of a long-term trend, 2) an unsuccessful experiment during a brief period of pan-Europeanism, or 3) something in between.

So against that backdrop, I offer up the following four thoughts with respect to how the current trend towards globalization and urbanization/suburbanization will impact the practice of real estate counseling:

* Successfully cultivating and nurturing relationships will continue to be the single most important element of a counseling practice. This has been true for a long time, and is likely to be true no matter how far technology, or globalization, or any other trend changes the "details" of our world and society.

* Integrity and reputation will become increasingly important. Of course, integrity and reputation have always been important in a counseling practice. However, accessing information about people has heretofore been a rather haphazard affair. But in a world where people can easily send out an e-mail to hundreds of people that they know personally asking "I am thinking of doing a deal with Mr. or Mrs. X, do you know them?" counselors are likely to find that their history, as embodied in the corpus of their work and their reputation, becomes increasingly important.

* There will continue to be a squeeze on mid-sized firms. Large firms will be able to achieve some scale in order to accommodate large projects. And small firms will remain nimble and flexible as conditions change. But mid-sized firms will find themselves in the worst of both worlds.

* Continued improvements in technology will allow for small firms to partner on a project basis or a product-line basis. The market acceptance of this type of ad hoc counseling partnership will continue to increase, with the key factor being the ability to successfully convey the message to the client that the people involved can (and have) successfully worked) together.

Roy Schneiderman, CRE, is principal and founder of Bard Consulting in San Francisco.