# Who's going to disrupt real estate?

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2014-01-14

disruption, disruptor, gerber-kawasaki, real-estate, ross-gerber, tech, uncategorized

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There’s an interesting article in Forbes (from last week) called, “[Invest in the Disruptors of the Real Estate Industry](http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/01/06/invest-in-the-disruptors-of-the-real-estate-industry/).” It’s by [Ross Gerber](https://twitter.com/GerberKawasaki) who runs a wealth and investment management firm out of LA called [Gerber Kawasaki](http://gerberkawasaki.com/). He’s also a fellow Penn alum.

I like the article because I agree with the problem he’s identified. The real estate market is [imperfect and inefficient](http://brandondonnelly.com/post/70936935729/why-real-estate-is-an-imperfect-market). We need a proper electronic marketplace.

But I disagree with where he feels the solution will (or may) come from. I don’t think it’ll come from an incumbent like [Zillow](http://www.zillow.com/). They make money from agents and if they’re perceived to be driving down commissions, those customers are going to flee.

Instead, I believe it’s going to come from a new entrant—a startup. And like most disruptors it’ll probably seem benign and, frankly, a bit crazy at first. Agents will dismiss it as a silly tool that will never cut into their business.

But slowly and surely, that’s exactly what it’ll do.

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/whos-going-to-disrupt-real-estate)*