I had just returned to my office, after sitting for a couple of hours talking to a potential listing. The seller and I connected really well, we could have talked for hours and hours. I came back to the office, and had just sat down at my desk.
I was beginning a perusal of the MLS to see what comparables ("comps" for you techies) lined up for my new potential listing, as I begin to build a CMA to present to her, and my cell phone rang, an unknown number, and a 508 area code. Now I don't usually answer "unknown" calls... i figure if it's important they'll leave a message and if I deem it necessary, I'll call them back. But something possessed me to answer this call.
On the other end of the phone, after I answered with a terse "Alan May!", was a sultry voice who introduced herself as Claudette... now, what went through my mind, in a nanosecond, is "hmmm... Claudette, that sounds like a sexy French name...I wonder what she's going to try to sell me?" but she seemed to have a bit of a British clip to her voice... until she completed the sentence with her last name "Millette"... (another nano-second here... "hey! I know that name... there's a Massachusetts Realtor ... yes, I can manage to spell Massachusetts!!)... and dang if it wasn't Claudette Millette from Active Rain! And as we spoke further it turned out that she didn't have a British accent at all... in fact, very much like me, she didn't have much of an accent at all... no Boston accent... no hint of Boston... if anything, she might sound somewhat Canadian. Long live Canadia!! (which she's not). (and yes, I know.. I wrote Canadia... on purpose... I do know how to spell Canada properly... it's just fun... sorry Liz Moras).
Claudette mentioned that she, also, knew how to spell "doofus" (ohmigosh...she really DOES read my blog!)
Now I might have guessed that this might happen, as Claudette had been talking on her blog when she posted "paying it forward by calling Active Rainers" that Lizette Fitzpatrick (another Rainer) had decided she was going to call at least 3 rainers, just to say "Hello", and make a connection. And Claudette had been one of those she contacted. And now, she was paying it forward, by calling ME! Whoda thunk?
We spent a few minutes on the phone (okay, more like 20 minutes)... talking, laughing, discussing our posts, and making references to old posts, and really making fun of the rest of y'all! That's right... if you're not on the phone call, we're gonna make fun of you!
nah... Claudette couldn't have been nicer, she was light-hearted, we talked as though we were old friends, she gave me a couple of compliments (she knows me really well, and knows how to get on my good side) and I returned the favour.
She's just a charming as I knew she would be, because I've been reading her for over a year, and you know what... we ARE old friends.
She told me that on her "outside blog" @ thebuyerscounsel.com she has a book on how to buy a home that you can download and read. I was so impressed... I've always wanted to write a book, and I'm so impressed that she already has. I know there's a book in me somewhere, 'cause it hasn't come out yet.
Do yourself a favour... follow Claudette's lead. Call a fellow rainer, and make that connection. In fact, I think it'd be funny if all of you, who are considering calling a fellow rainer, would give Claudette a call. I'm sure she'd welcome the call and the link, and you'll have a fun and enjoyable conversation.
Tell her hello from me! Thanks for calling Claudette, it was a welcome diversion in the midst of a very busy day, and an unbelievable pleasure talking to you!
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