Back in the day, real estate wasn’t glamorous. Realtors lugged around giant MLS books the size of phone directories. Want to see what was for sale? You flipped through grainy black-and-white photos, circled listings with a pen, and prayed the house wasn’t already under contract (because the info was weeks old).
Marketing a home meant placing a newspaper ad, printing a postcard, and sticking a yard sign in the front lawn. And let’s be honest — the strategy wasn’t “aggressive marketing,” it was hoping the right buyer happened to drive by on the right day.
And the “tech” we thought was cutting edge? Fax machines that jammed every other page, pagers buzzing on your hip, and my trusty Palm Pilot — which sure felt like next-level innovation in the 90’s!
Real Estate in the 80’s and 90’s (The “Stone Age” of Selling Homes)
-
MLS Books: You weren’t logging in, you were lugging around a 5-pound book. And by the time it arrived, half the listings were already under contract.
-
Car Phones: You felt like James Bond until you stepped out of the car and realized you were disconnected from the world.
-
Pagers/Beepers: Nothing said “important Realtor” like your pager buzzing… only to find out it was your spouse reminding you to pick up milk.
-
Fax Machines: Contracts went through — page 1, page 2… then jammed forever on page 3. The real estate soundtrack of the 90’s was dial-up internet screeches and fax machine failures.
-
Palm Pilot “Tech”: A gray brick that promised to organize your life. In reality, you needed a stylus (which you always lost) just to write “Call Buyer at 3.”
-
Carbon Copies: Every contract meant writing in triplicate with messy carbon paper — nothing said “seasoned Realtor” like black ink smudged all over your hands and shirt cuffs.
-
Print Ads Were King: A full-page ad in the Sunday paper made you feel like you’d just landed the cover of Vogue.
-
Map Books: No GPS, no Google Maps. Just an atlas in the car and the navigational skills of Magellan. Showings across town? Pack snacks.
-
Disposable Cameras: Listing photos meant snapping pics on a throwaway camera, then praying Walgreens developed them before your open house. Half came back blurry with your finger in the frame.
-
Answering Machines: Lead management was literally rewinding a cassette tape. Miss the beep? Miss the buyer.
-
AOL Email: The first taste of “going digital” — nothing said high-tech Realtor like handing out a business card that read [email protected]. If you were really fancy, you might’ve even had the dial-up “You’ve Got Mail!” sound as your ringtone. (Spoiler: no luxury buyer was ever impressed by your AOL address.)
-
Dress Code: Suits in 110-degree heat. Shoulder pads. Big hair. Power ties. Polyester. Showing a house was basically a cardio session.
The New School of Real Estate
Fast forward to today, and the game has completely changed. The MLS and a yard sign? They’re not the big drivers anymore. They’re basic — like pencils on a desk. Necessary, but not what moves millions.
Now it’s all about:
-
Cinematic property videos that showcase lifestyle, not just square footage.
-
Social media campaigns that can go viral overnight.
-
Global exposure that puts your Oklahoma estate in front of buyers in LA, New York, Dallas, and even London.
-
AI-driven marketing that tracks buyers, analyzes behavior, and gets listings in front of people who can actually afford them.
The new generation of real estate is about storytelling, data, and reach. Buyers aren’t finding homes by flipping pages in a book anymore — they’re swiping, scrolling, and clicking.
The Agency: The Next Generation
Here’s where The Agency comes in. We are not a profit-sharing company. We are not a CAP company.
Our one mission is clear:
REAL ESTATE.
We don’t waste time building pyramids or selling the idea of profit-sharing checks. We sell homes. At the highest level.
At The Agency, our strategy goes far beyond yard signs and the MLS:
-
Property-specific websites with custom domains.
-
High-end photography, drone, and lifestyle shoots.
-
Paid digital campaigns targeting luxury buyers worldwide.
-
Global referral network across 140+ offices.
-
Aggressive, tech-driven marketing designed to make your listing impossible to ignore.
This isn’t theory — it’s the future of real estate, happening right now.
The Future
The old-school way was limited. The new-school way is limitless. Sellers deserve more than the basics — they deserve marketing that feels like Madison Avenue, exposure that’s global, and a strategy that creates demand before a buyer even searches Zillow.
As one of my favorite sayings goes:
“The business of real estate is no longer about selling houses. It’s about selling lifestyles, stories, and dreams.”
And that’s exactly what we do at The Agency.
Ready for the Next Generation?
If you’re ready to experience the future of real estate, let’s connect. The next generation is here — and it’s aggressive, tech-driven, and built to win.
Wyatt Poindexter
Managing Partner – The Agency Oklahoma
📞 405-417-5466
🌐 www.OKLuxuryHomes.com
