Hi All,

Well, the time has finally arrived and I now commiting pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard in order to compose what I am sure will be the first of many blogs to come. 

Today I attended a seminar sponsored by Top Producer with an interesting topic and an exciting speaker.  The topic was Internet Relevance and Real Estate and the speaker was Dustin Luther.  Dustin is the genius behind Rain City Guide, a website about Seattle, Washington, Real Estate and everything else that might be of interest to anyone moving there.

Now, I am an education junkie.  I admit it, if there is a class available, I attend it, if there is a seminar I sit through it and if there is a book I read it.  When I am interested in something, I tend to immerse myself, to the point where I not only saturate myself by day, but actually start dreaming about it at night (scary I know, but I am sure some of you can relate :-).  I attended this very same seminar once before and went again because there was so much to learn and absorb that I really felt the need to return in hopes that more of the information, concepts and ideas would "stick" now that I had given them time to bop around in my brain.  And stick they did. 

Case in point, my appearance here on Active Rain.  Without the seminar I might have found this site, but it would definitely have taken longer. 

Sitting in a hotel ballroom with about 200 or so of my cohorts, I got to thinking and, I admit it, people watching a bit.  Dustin is a very enthusiastic speaker, with a passion for his topic and a wealth of information to impart and share.  His presentation style can best be described as Mach-50-with-his-hair-on-fire and as I gazed about the crowded room I noticed something.  I noticed that not all the heads were enthusiastically bobbing in accord with his presentation, but the ones that were all seemed to be attached to what I like to describe as the ebay generation. 

You know who they are, they have a wardrobe heavily steeped in denim, think Starbucks invented coffee and have thumbs that are "ripped" from texting.  In short, they were young.  Not immature, just youthful and this has nothing to do with chronological age.  My companion today was a Realtor who has been in the business for over 30 years.  After the seminar, we were talking and she said "I can't wait to start blogging, I have this marketing piece I can post and that marketing piece I can post...", not write about mind you, post.  I realized that she didn't get it.  Not one little bit.  She was seeing this as the Internet equivalent of a grocery store bulletin board where you tack up a flier and wait for the calls.  I said, you know that in order for this to be effective, you have to write something yourself, something interesting, relevant or at least fun. 

I got a blank stare as if to say, "Why do I need to do that?".  I might as well have been speaking a different language.  This is a very with-it gal.  But I just don't think she really understood.  Then it hit me, I wasspeaking a different language.  The language of the Internet initiated.  The language of the generation weaned on Atari and PlayStation and nourished by Google and Yahoo. 

As I thought back to the people I saw around the room I wondered how many of them would see the opportunity that lay before us for what it is, a chance to be part of the settling of a virtual frontier town.  Sure, some folks will test the waters, and some will wade in to their knees before abandoning the pursuit for the safety of the shore.  But there were a few out there who would catch the vision and see it for what it is, or for what it can be.  A chance to help forge an alliance with others in our profession and to share our passion about this business and about the privilege of being allowed to be an instrumental part of one of the most important acts in persons financial life.  I hope to count myself among them, diving in head-first just to see if I can swim.

Cheers! Tisza