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FloridaHomesMag.com | 27 Eben Mor an, Entrepreneur Real Estate Broker Fascinating Floridian P I had the pleasure of meeting Eben Moran at the Naples Board of Realtors seminar on Global Marketing where he was a fellow panelist. I was initially struck by his youth, as he is an active Board member of the Naples Board of Realtors. However, it became quick ly obvious that he possesses a positive confidence and maturity beyond his 33 years, as well as a quick smile and wit to match. I was im- mediately intrigued to hear Mr. Moran's stor y. Within minutes we established a bond, as we are both from Atlanta, a rarity in these parts. Eben explained to me how he first got his start in real estate working for Jenny Prui, a formidable business woman who built a multi-million dollar brokerage company and a legend in Atlanta real estate. I could see why he was selected to be the youngest ever board member on the Naples Board of Realtors. Eben repre- sents the new breed of realtors taking the forefront of the industr y aer the recent ruin of the economic downturn. Real estate, perhaps more than most industries, has fundamentally changed in the past 10 years, with an ever increasing pace of change within the past 5 years. e emergence of technolog y and readily available information has changed the way buyers and sellers approach the process and certainly the way realtors do business. Recognizing the new realty of the real es- tate industr y, Eben and a few partners are in fact launching a new boutique broker- age firm, Selling Southwest Florida, with offices on Fih Avenue in downtown Naples. W hat motivated you to open your own firm? Moran: My partners and I felt the need for a new type of brokerage firm in Naples, with a esh, more modern approach that was technolog y focused. We wanted to get away om the anchise model as well as some of the rigidity of some of the larger firms. We wanted to be more flexible for agents, with an international and luxury market focus. So technology is a big part of your business model? Moran: Yes. We definitely wanted to have technolog y be an integral part of our business, to create a completely paperless mobile atmosphere. Today in real estate you can operate om almost anywhere in the world, except when showing properties. We want to allow our agents to be completely mobile, to obtain contracts, get signatures and complete transactions on site. Some firms are ap- proaching this level, but none are quite there yet. We are also interested in giving our agents an edge through the use of social media. W hat are the emerging trends you foresee in the industry? Do you think realtors will become less important as technology evolves? Moran: I think brokers and agents are actually becoming more important. For awhile there were some concerns with the agents' role, with all of the Trulias and Zillows coming in. With all of the information being accessible to our clients that traditionally was only available through a licensed professional, there was real concern about these positions being marginalized. But I have found that the more information a client has access to, the more questions they have, and the more they rely on our expertise. W hat I do see happening in the near future is that the traditional office model is going to change. I think you are going to see smaller of- fices. I think our administrative side is going to shrink . rough the use of technolog y, agents are going to be more mobile and are not going to need as much of a traditional office. I also think we are going to see agents om any " " My partners and I felt the need for a new type of brokerage firm in Naples, with a esh more modern approach. By Jules Lewis Gibson Photography by Robert Maves Jr Continued on page 28

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