Just last week a friend and I were chatting about real estate, and the outdated agent/broker system. The MLS is horrible, and most agents are too busy chasing new deals to court the ones they have. It’s a sloppy, inefficient mess.

“Why hasn’t someone shaken this up? It seems ripe for disruption.”

He’s right. Real estate is ripe, if not overdue for a sea change. But transforming a huge industry is hard. Which led us to the question:

Where does change in a giant stagnant industry come from?

I’ve only seen change come from two types of people: Newcomers and Renegades.

Newcomers look at things with untrained eyes. They see problems in the status quo, and have ambition to fix them. They are energetic, full of passion, and looking to make their mark.

Renegades worked in an industry long enough to understand it well, but became frustrated and left to do something else. The new business exposes them to alternative ways of thinking. Their youthful vigor and passion reignited, they see the old business with altered eyes.

Both of these people have something the entrenched worker-bee doesn’t. Fresh perspective. It allows them to see how to improve the business in ways they could never see from the trench of daily work.

How can you get fresh perspective on your business, career, life?

Change. Break your habits and routines, then form new ones. Make new friends. Go to new places. Shake it up.

Think like a newcomer. Be a renegade.