In the early days of the economic downturn, many broker owners took a “wait and see” position, hopeful that the market would turn around quickly. As the bad news continued, survival mode kicked in and brokers found themselves playing catch up and making tough decisions they never thought they would have to make such as closing offices, downsizing staff, merging with competitors. The focus was primarily on doing the things in the present that would help guarantee a place in the future. Times such as these do not allow most of us the luxury of thinking ahead and planning for what the future will look like in this industry.