Changing Times: How do I transform an "old time" office?

Your job is Realtor.  Is there an office you can join and take advantage of their computers, scanners, Wi-Fi, etc., so you can focus on being a Realtor?  Once you get technology into the office you will be the trainer, the help-desk, and the maintenance department.  That's fine if you want it and they will pay you a salary but it sounds like a huge undertaking.  When would you be practicing Real Estate?

Nick,

You sound like a loyal guy and wants to help your office.  That is commendable!  I would have a talk with your broker/owner about your needs.  I would hope they are willing to assist you with growing and having the latest technology.  I have my own brokerage and currently have 6 offices.  It is always a challenge keeping up with technology and balancing it with the need to keep cost down.  If your broker/owner does not provide you the extra services you need or make up for it in other ways, I would agree with David and Jon about looking for another office.  I checked your profile and it looks like your broker has 35 years of experience so you might have other benefits to make up for the lack of technology.  I love your attitude of trying to help your office and loyalty.  I am sure it will work out.

Remember to use technology as a tool and not become a slave to it.  I hope that helps!

 

Ernie Cabrera

REAL ESTATE AMERICA

www.rearealtors.com

We have the oppisite problem; about half our agents do not want to grab hold of technology.

Nick, I was in your shoes 7 years ago.  One day after writing an offer for clients in a restaurant (because we only had one conference room and agents were using it for a party), taking it to Kinkos (because our ONE copier was out of order - again) and faxing it from home (because our fax was out of order again) I went home, drew up a list of WHY I was with the broker that I was, and decided that I would make a change.

That was a long sentence...sorry.

What I'm trying to say is this:  You may want to seriously consider the brokerage firm that you bringing your skills and business to.  YOU aren't going to change them, and if change does come it will be so slowly that it will drive you bonkers.

This surprises me a little; I've always thought of Windermere as a company that makes great use of technology. It's possible that others in your office are only seeing the potential difficulty and time involved in learning new technology. Show them some benefits (increased productivity, reduced costs, more free time) and maybe offer to teach a class a couple of times a month on implementing new ideas.

Move to a new office!  Is that an option?

You can't help them unless they want to be helped or you will be doing it all by yourself.  My home office has the best of everything.  Why work at an office that frustrates you?  Either move (as Jason suggests) or make your home office what you want it to be!  

Having a home office with everything that is user friendly (to me) makes life and my job VERY easy.   

Sounds like you need to switch to a brokerage that is up to date.  No idea how you do business under those conditions...

Nick,

I was surprised that my comment has been deleted. Do not understand the reason, but this is OK. I wanted to add that you may find yourself involved in doing something that is not perceived as needed. Someone said that you can only help to those, who are ready for help. You are not going to change it.

You can either have a setting where you are on the same footing, or you have too much time on your hands to be changing the world.

Also, loyalty or not loyalty, but the way the industry operates, your office is not a ship, it is more like a bunch of smal boats loosely connected with a rope, and everyone has their own sail. So, when you say that you are loyal to the office, it is like being loyal to a place, where your license is.

Not that there is anything wrong with that, these are simply twoo different occupations: one is real estate of today, the other is more in the social services field, where you are trying to force the advancement of others.

Good luck to you.

I treat my job as a business too even though it is based out of my home.  I understand that some people work better in their home and some people work better within their brokerage office.

I have control of what is available to me in my home office and I also don't get sidetracked by collegues there.  It's just a matter of personal preference.

I hope you find a happy medium but let me just share with you from personal experience: don't invest too much time in helping out your brokerage UNLESS you get a new contract, OK? 

I believe in real estate the office is there to support your business, not the other way around. I appreciate loyalty a lot, but if I were in your shoes I'd consider switching brokerages.