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Admittedly, I’ve offered some strong opinions here recently about the government’s new take on the mortgage and real estate industry.  I stand behind those and remain cynical that anything leaking out of our nation’s capital under the guise of a “solution” is really that.

But I had a revelation this week as I talked to an executive in the industry.  This gentleman works for one of the firms likely to be hit hardest by the waves of reactionary legislation and rulemaking in the works.   His business model is being upended.  Yet, he seemed serene about it.

Now, when I say “serene,” I don’t mean “happy.”  Nevertheless, he was at peace with it.  “It is what it is,” he said.  “I can’t do much about it right now, but I can get used to it faster than my competitors.”

A great point.

As a marketing guy for one of the most regulated industries in our economy, I can tell you firsthand how hard it is to differentiate from a competitor.  Pricing?  Not really an option.  Volume?  Not everyone can do that.  New widgets that revolutionize the home buying process?  Still waiting.

So we usually settle on service as our proclaimed differentiator.  Unfortunately,  this usually leads to a publication filled with ads screaming about the best customer service ever.  From about 15 different firms, with another 500 lined up behind them with the same message.

Adaptation is not a word most executives like to hear.  It  means change, or more accurately, the ability to adjust a plan to meet change.  As we all know, change is not always an owner or board’s biggest friend when building a business plan.  As we further know, the climate of impending change and uncertainty is a market killer.  So we don’t like to talk about adaptation.

But we have to now.  The clamped-down regulatory climate we live in isn’t about to change.  The rules, laws and knee-jerk solutions are likely to continue spewing in our general direction.  But in that change, there is an opportunity.  It’s just going to take a lot of work. And a lot of adjustment, or adaptation. 

So to my friend the executive, it is indeed what it is.  Kudos to those who, like it or not, accept reality and continue the preparations for change.  They’ll be the ones who win in the end.