Comments on: John Cook Interviews Redfin CEO: Redfin is “crazy-good” http://raincityguide.com/2006/01/09/john-cook-interviews-redfin-ceo-redfin-is-crazy-good/ Seattle's Leading Resource for Real Estate Information Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:47:42 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: 360Digest » The love that dare not speak its name http://raincityguide.com/2006/01/09/john-cook-interviews-redfin-ceo-redfin-is-crazy-good/#comment-16437 360Digest » The love that dare not speak its name Thu, 07 Sep 2006 06:17:43 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/?p=287#comment-16437 [...] Kelman seems to delight in escapades and the high-profile spoof, lives for the short memorable riff of “crazy addictive” male Valley talk and the quick hot-shot sizzle and spin when discussing his “disruptive” technology and “crazy awesome” website. Other people have noticed and are seemingly immune to his mischief, but there are plenty of other people out there who are hypnotized by his hustle and jive. [...] [...] Kelman seems to delight in escapades and the high-profile spoof, lives for the short memorable riff of “crazy addictive” male Valley talk and the quick hot-shot sizzle and spin when discussing his “disruptive” technology and “crazy awesome” website. Other people have noticed and are seemingly immune to his mischief, but there are plenty of other people out there who are hypnotized by his hustle and jive. [...]

]]> By: Galen http://raincityguide.com/2006/01/09/john-cook-interviews-redfin-ceo-redfin-is-crazy-good/#comment-1350 Galen Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:42:04 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/?p=287#comment-1350 Well, Giles, I'd take Redfin success over some non-Seattle real estate mapping company any day. And I'd take anyone's success over that of housevalues. Well, Giles, I’d take Redfin success over some non-Seattle real estate mapping company any day. And I’d take anyone’s success over that of housevalues.

]]> By: Giles http://raincityguide.com/2006/01/09/john-cook-interviews-redfin-ceo-redfin-is-crazy-good/#comment-1349 Giles Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:23:43 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/?p=287#comment-1349 Galen, Great read you guys.... I love the polite battle! Hopefully I will have some juicy details from some inovator here at the Inman real estate connect confrence to report soon! Galen,

Great read you guys…. I love the polite battle!

Hopefully I will have some juicy details from some inovator here at the Inman real estate connect confrence to report soon!

]]> By: Galen http://raincityguide.com/2006/01/09/john-cook-interviews-redfin-ceo-redfin-is-crazy-good/#comment-1348 Galen Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:03:05 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/?p=287#comment-1348 Glenn, I agree with you that allowing customers to pick agents and get agent information when they ask for it is immensely better than forcing agents on unsuspecting victims. I think this is a much better strategy for connecting with the public. So I apologize if I conflated your strategy with that of housevalues.com. I wish you the best with this approach - it is the nobler of the two. I guess my complaint, which I didn't really come out and say in the write up, is the same as Dustin's: where is the innovation? Redfin seemed so promising when it was introduced, but since then 20 sites that do nearly the same thing have sprouted up. I realize this really has nothing to do with you - you're new, so I look forward to seeing the innovation you bring to the site in the coming year. Glenn, I agree with you that allowing customers to pick agents and get agent information when they ask for it is immensely better than forcing agents on unsuspecting victims. I think this is a much better strategy for connecting with the public. So I apologize if I conflated your strategy with that of housevalues.com. I wish you the best with this approach – it is the nobler of the two.

I guess my complaint, which I didn’t really come out and say in the write up, is the same as Dustin’s: where is the innovation? Redfin seemed so promising when it was introduced, but since then 20 sites that do nearly the same thing have sprouted up. I realize this really has nothing to do with you – you’re new, so I look forward to seeing the innovation you bring to the site in the coming year.

]]> By: Dustin http://raincityguide.com/2006/01/09/john-cook-interviews-redfin-ceo-redfin-is-crazy-good/#comment-1347 Dustin Tue, 10 Jan 2006 17:43:29 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/?p=287#comment-1347 Glenn, Thanks for the wonderful feedback... I think that more than anything else, a lot of us are frustrated with Redfin because you guys have such a great idea, a year jump on the competition, and yet, it seems that you guys are playing catchup at this point. One of my very first posts on Rain City Guide was talking about <a href="http://www.raincityguide.com/2005/03/22/mapping-seattle/" rel="nofollow">how much I enjoyed Redfin</a>... I loved zooming around Seattle and checking out all of the wonderful information that you made available. I even had some contact with David Ecker and Savan Kong in a hope that we could somehow work together to everyone's benefit. But instead, I only got the feeling from Redfin staff that they loved it when I complimented their site (who wouldn’t?), but didn’t want to hear about any ideas for improving their site. By the way, I did enjoy the enthusiasm you displayed in the interview and I think it bodes well for Redfin that they brought you on board. Best. Glenn,

Thanks for the wonderful feedback…

I think that more than anything else, a lot of us are frustrated with Redfin because you guys have such a great idea, a year jump on the competition, and yet, it seems that you guys are playing catchup at this point.

One of my very first posts on Rain City Guide was talking about how much I enjoyed Redfin… I loved zooming around Seattle and checking out all of the wonderful information that you made available. I even had some contact with David Ecker and Savan Kong in a hope that we could somehow work together to everyone’s benefit. But instead, I only got the feeling from Redfin staff that they loved it when I complimented their site (who wouldn’t?), but didn’t want to hear about any ideas for improving their site.

By the way, I did enjoy the enthusiasm you displayed in the interview and I think it bodes well for Redfin that they brought you on board.

Best.

]]> By: Glenn Kelman, Redfin http://raincityguide.com/2006/01/09/john-cook-interviews-redfin-ceo-redfin-is-crazy-good/#comment-1346 Glenn Kelman, Redfin Tue, 10 Jan 2006 17:20:05 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/?p=287#comment-1346 First, thanks for your comments on the interview. I can't quibble with your complaints about my goofy style, except to say that we're sincere in our enthusiasm for Redfin's current site, and in our commitment to making it even better. I also agree with you that it's important for Redfin to be clear about its strategy. Our strategy is simple: we believe in customer choice. Many customers will want to work with a traditional real estate agent. Redfin connects those customers with a partner. It is important to us that customers choose to work with a Redfin partner, rather than being turned over to an agent before they are ready. And yet everyone in the industry recognizes that some customers may want different levels of service, with more services being delivered electronically all the time. Redfin is open to this possibility. We will not require our customers to work with our partners, just as we do not expect our partners to require their customers to work with us. This does not to us seem two-faced. No one accuses a pizza parlor of being anti-pepperoni, or of being two-faced about its pepperoni service, simply because it offers customers a choice of pepperoni or no pepperoni. Any business service, even one as important and valuable as a real estate service, is a matter of customer choice. It hardly seems controversial to say that there may be other customer choices, and that we will support those choices as well. This is what we mean by a customer-centered strategy. Thanks again for your comments. Regards, Glenn First, thanks for your comments on the interview. I can’t quibble with your complaints about my goofy style, except to say that we’re sincere in our enthusiasm for Redfin’s current site, and in our commitment to making it even better.

I also agree with you that it’s important for Redfin to be clear about its strategy. Our strategy is simple: we believe in customer choice. Many customers will want to work with a traditional real estate agent. Redfin connects those customers with a partner. It is important to us that customers choose to work with a Redfin partner, rather than being turned over to an agent before they are ready.

And yet everyone in the industry recognizes that some customers may want different levels of service, with more services being delivered electronically all the time. Redfin is open to this possibility. We will not require our customers to work with our partners, just as we do not expect our partners to require their customers to work with us.

This does not to us seem two-faced. No one accuses a pizza parlor of being anti-pepperoni, or of being two-faced about its pepperoni service, simply because it offers customers a choice of pepperoni or no pepperoni. Any business service, even one as important and valuable as a real estate service, is a matter of customer choice.

It hardly seems controversial to say that there may be other customer choices, and that we will support those choices as well. This is what we mean by a customer-centered strategy.

Thanks again for your comments.

Regards,
Glenn

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