As we enter into a New Year, it is fun to look back at last year, and past years. There have been business plans, budgets, technology and programs that helped our business grow! What will work best for the 2011 year of business?
It is exciting to look forward to the unknown and do a bit of hoping, it will be better than last year! I look forward to getting a new phone this year, and the frustration with learning a new system! We have new contracts that changed pretty drastically to study.
Have you looked back to see how things have changed? I was dusting my home office today and FINALLY threw
these away! Remember these? Fax Stickies. Shoot, even the fax machine itself is almost obsolete. Only HUD sends faxes, rather than scanning and emailing! For those that have been in the business for years - remember delivering the contracts? I got in after those times! How about picking up keys at the listing office? Do you remember --- I will carbon copy you? FUNNY!
Remember when buyers were not represented, and we only had seller representation? Look how we have progressed since then! I know agency differs from State to State, so will leave it at that!
As I was reviewing the new contracts on CTM e-contracts, was thinking about the NCR paper contracts we used to use! Those were the days you could write an offer on the hood of your car! I think I still have some inspection notices with NCR paper!
Remember the MLS book? That was sure cumbersome, and so out-of-date by the time we got them! I kept the last one I ever got, and knew I would get a chuckle seeing it again!
As of May 1998 - there were 300 income properties active, 2679 condos listed, 10,222 residential properties listed and 1512 pieces of land listed!
Remember when we would get 10 offers on ONE property? I remember sitting down with one seller with 13 offers in 8 hours! I think that was 1999 or 2000. That was difficult sorting through that many offers in hopes to find one that would close.
Remember getting offers for $1 higher than the best offer? Those were the DAYS! I did believe I had died and gone to heaven, and wondered WHY I had not gone into real estate much earlier! Remember the days when BLOG wasn't in our vocabulary? How about virtual offices are being the norm?
I remember charging sellers my "normal rate", and thinking I was getting paid SO WELL, since the property was not on the market long. Today, the sellers are asking for commission cuts, and properties are on the market longer! Go figure, just a sign of the times!
Today, I just HOPE not as many deals crash this coming year as in the past year! I hope the general public feels more confident with today's economy, and real estate is a bit easier.
Change is inevitable, whether we like it or not.
What have you seen change - that you can get a chuckle out of?
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