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Got a Chuckle --- Looking back over the Years!

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 DRE# ER40011786

I hate to even admit it, but have kept the files from all my transactions, and even moved them 4 years ago into my basement.

Thinking that sometime in the near future I will partially retire, thinking I may not need all those files.   The real estate commission says if you have them past the 4 year requirement, they can review them too.

 

There is a shredding event on Saturday where you can take up to 3 banker boxes, so working hard to get through as many years as possible.    A while ago, I got through my first year and stopped.   I was only shredding those documents with social security numbers.   I found EM checks with SS numbers on them!  OH MY, that has sure changed!  So far, I have gotten through three more years.   I do think this will be a LONG process.   I may need a few more shredding events before my basement is free of all those boxes of files!

BUT, the fun part is from 25 years ago looking at how we did business is pretty funny.   I kept all my fax pages for proof.   The MLS pages were WAY different, and no file had email in it.    The other observation was --- some of the names did not come to mind.    I DID NOT STAY IN TOUCH IN THOSE EARLY YEARS!

 

So, went through files, looked up addresses, found the buyers and sellers, most of which are no longer in Colorado.   A few I still have for clients over all these years!

 

What was really funny, was my flyers!    I think I did these on PrintShop and top the photos with my camera, then TAPED the picture onto the flyers.   OH MY!

 

The other thing I found, and had forgotten all about them -- the Property Showing Sheets our office put into our mailboxes to let us know who was showing.    It was also very fun to see how many listings I had to show most of the buyers!   PAGES and PAGES of listings!   We had inventory then!

 

Posted by

Joan Cox
Broker/Owner, REALTOR®
House to Home, Inc.

Serving the Denver Metro area including all suburbs


Helping Buyers and Sellers achieve their real estate dreams, one house at a time!

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Comments(34)

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

Joan, things have changed so much over the years. I remember FAXING everything from an offer over to the other agent...no longer had to drive over and drop it off. How cool was that  :)

May 14, 2022 10:16 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Joan,

What an interesting and fun look back.  It was harder to stay in touch because there were no email addresses and only a Rolodex to store phone numbers.  The only files I have kept are the ones from my personal homes.

Funny thing, one of our escrow companies is offering a shredding event next Saturday also!

May 14, 2022 03:11 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Joan- loved your taking a look back. It's interesting what you may or may not learn when looking over your old files. And Grant Schneider brings up a very good point about not keeping files longer than is required. 

May 14, 2022 06:50 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

May 14, 2022 07:03 PM
Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, CRS
Fathom Realty Washington LLC - Tacoma, WA
South Puget Sound Washington Agent/Broker!

I always appreciate a chuckle to brighten my day. Thank you for sharing Joan 🙂

May 14, 2022 10:20 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Jeff, yes, had a zillion "fax pages", and the MLS sheets sure have changed over the years too.

May 15, 2022 08:05 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Sheri, and for some of the time, there was no voice mail either, so you had to hope they answered when you called.

May 15, 2022 08:06 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Kathy, I have known that too, but when a client calls and wants to sell, I have their file when they purchased, so had all the info.

May 15, 2022 08:06 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

THANKS Kathy for featuring my post in your weekly post.

May 15, 2022 08:07 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

You are welcome Paul!

May 15, 2022 08:07 AM
Rocky Dickerson
Realty One Group - Las Vegas, NV
Superior Service!

I could cringe when I think about mistakes I made all the way back in the 80s (let alone last week)

May 15, 2022 08:18 PM
Vickie Teel
RE/MAX PALM REALTY - Port Charlotte, FL
Sharing Florida sunshine one homeowner at a time!

Ahhhhh yes - what a good feeling to purge all those papers.  It’s great to walk down memory lane while doing so and to see how much things have changed.  Great job getting it done

May 16, 2022 04:31 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Thank you for the look back. I wasn't in real estate until 2010-11  when everything was already more technologically advanced.

May 16, 2022 05:40 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Rocky, luckily haven't made any mistakes lately, but in those early years....

May 16, 2022 06:46 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Vickie Teel it has been fun, and know I will be working on files for quite some time to get these done!

May 16, 2022 06:47 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Kat Palmiotti that is Laura too, and she shakes her head at my paper!  LOL

May 16, 2022 06:47 AM
Ray Henson
eXp Realty of California, Inc. (lic. #01878277) - Elk Grove, CA
Realtor

With our move, I have recently started going through all of my old files.  They are heavy and I found them much easier to shred than move.  You know, I work very hard to be lazy! 

May 16, 2022 07:16 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Raymond Henson, eXp Realty I have always thought I wanted the buy folder when they sold, so have all the pertinent info, so now shredded all the folders from clients either that have moved already or didn't keep them on my database.   Sadly, I paid to have my boxes and boxes moved!

May 16, 2022 07:22 AM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Thing were definitely different back in the day! 

May 18, 2022 05:19 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Jan, just looking through the folder, I was laughing!

May 19, 2022 12:27 PM