I was recently asked to respond to a survey by the Houston Business Journal on how technology had changed my Real Estate career over the past couple of years? It was a great question, however since I have been selling Real Estate in the greater Houston, Katy & Sugar Land Texas area since 1976, thought it would be more interesting to go a little bit back futher. This is my response to HBJ. "Having started my Real Estate career in 1976, I am amazed to sometimes remember what it used to be like. No Internet, no computers, no cell phones, no e-mails, no faxes...how did we sell Real Estate? When you wrote an offer, you called the other agent and met them in a parking lot or at their home or office and dropped off the hand written offer which had carbon paper between, since we didn't have any copy machines. It was only one page, legal size, no addendum's, etc. just one legal size paper contract with carbon between the pages, which were the copies, hand written of course. We met each other in parking lots, Jan in the box, at their homes or office and dropped off the hand written offer...remember we did not have even a fax machine!. Then when the counter came in you met the other agent again driving your car to the destination, and then drove to the buyer or seller, got initials, and drove the offer back to the other agent. And so it wentuntill an offer was accepted. This sometimes continues late in the night driving around to all kind of places to meet the other agent, and your buyer or seller. All kinds of meeting places, at all hours of the day and night. I really don't know how we did it? Especially compared to today, but in a way it was a lot more personal, and kinda fun too. First came the fax, with that flimsy paper you had to tear off, then the cell phones. Before the cell phone very few agents had a 'CAR PHONE', a big bulky thing that stayed in you can with a rodder dialer, and cost a small fortunate, and you could not take it out of your car. Then came computer, e-mail,k and the Internet. I wish I still had one of the first fax machines. What a hoot that would be to my great nieces who are working on my team as the third generations of Liz Carter & Team Realty. These days are so much better. Everything is faster, neater, and more complete. Offers are e-mailed, or faxed nice, neat, clean, and you can read them. The best piece of equipment I have (of course other than my eight computers), is my combination scanner, fax machine, color or black and white, letter and legal size paper paper, and wen can scan and e-mail the offer in a couple of seconds, and you can read it. The buyer or seller can respond immediately and all can be done within 30 minuets to one hours, including the counters, vs several days or more. My other pice of equipments that I now cannot envision life without is my Real Estate software Top Producer, which is my web based. I can access my 3,000 past client data base, listings, pending, closings, complete with all the notes and phones #S anywhere in the world with a computer and a touch of a button. Talk about never being out of touch with your client, when they need you most! The other great thing I have is arch Telemcom. I had a rider on all my listing that someone can call 24/7 to get additional information about a home they are interested in and hear a detailed descriptions, it also alerts my buyers agent, and loan officer with in three minuets, with the callers name and phone # to follow up with getting them pre-qualify, and my buyers agents can call them back to set an appointment to show and sell my listing tool
arch telecom also allows me to get all the phones #'s in an area about one of my listings to call and see who they would like to have as a new neighbor! So I can activity prospect for my sellers home VS just waiting go my phone to ring. The data base I subscribe too will give me all the phone # S world wide, even secure #S. I listed a home for a good past client om Freeport. but did not want to take it, since it was over 2 hours form my office. After the agents in this small area told me that I had it overpriced and would not show it, even though they would get a 3% buyer side commission and that I had it "over priced", I pulled up everyone that lived in that area and stated calling the neighbors to tell them about my listing. It was a good day and the 4th person I called, sand "I can't believe you called, I have a friend that has been looking for a place by me for several years. I sold it full price in 1 week. Aggressively prospecting for buyers for you sellers works...if you do! My belief is that is what I'm getting paid to do, find buyers for my sellers, and fin homes for my buyers! The technology today has mde it much easier to; just DO OUR JOB, FOR FINDING BUYERS FOR OUR SELLERS, AND FIND SELLERS FOR OUR BUYERSL lIZ Carter, OWNER/Broker, Liz Carter & Realty, your Real Estate recourse for life. Visit my web site, www.lizcarter.com, to lean what makes me rank in Houston Busies Jourentl Top Ten out of all 25,000 Realtors in Houston, Katy and Sugar Land TX, for every year they have been tracking #s for Homes Sold and total Volume. If you want a reprint of the articular please let me know. When you have buyers or sellers coming to the Houston, Katy or Sugar Land Texas area, I would truly applicate your referrals, take very special care of them and send you a check.
Liz Carter
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