Back to Basics: Why I am Returning to the Art of Personal Relationships

Today, I read an ActiveRain post on whether or not we are overexposed by social media--particularly Facebook Places and other such "check-in" sites (Foursquare). There is no doubt in my mind that we ARE certainly overexposed, and there is an increasingly less indelible line between my public and private persona.

"Public" and "Private" are two words which have extraordinary meaning in our household. You may recall from your childhood a time when there was a difference in how you should behave "in public"? This idea is fading from common memory--though I secretly think we all know it when there is a bratty kid running around the grocery store, or when there are people sitting next to you at the restaurant talking about things in such a crude or vulgar way that it makes you uncomfortable. It is my opinion that is a figment of our collective imagination that something isn't LOST in being overexposed.

And despite knowing the intimate details of my Facebook friends thoughts (and them knowing mine) or what they are doing and where they are going at any one given moment, I can't help but feel like I actually know people a little bit LESS for it. After a while, I think, these are not the spontaneous thoughts of a friend--these are the intentionally shared thoughts (especially for those of us who consider social networking a tool) of one person to many. The intimacy is lost in the mere virtue of the fact that everyone can see everything.

Don't get me wrong--Facebook is a great way to keep up with people without inconvenience, and it is a great place to publicize listings and open houses. But...I'm going to make a conscious effort to make my client relationships more personal than email newsletters and Facebook updates. I'm returning to the good old fashioned mail, personal note, and client lunch. Getting to know my clients is important to me, and frankly, I have much more to offer in person.

It's worth the investment of time.

Courtney Poulos, Partner

Realtor, GREEN, EcoBroker Certified

deasy/penner&poulos

9701 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 800

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

(323) 919.0375 direct

(323) 301.4156 fax

DRE #01882678