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"I AM NOT TECH SAVVY, NOR DO I WANT TO BE!!!" Go Ahead, Admit It! It's OK!

By Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Real Estate Agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate 30HA0800896

August 29, 2012 01:53 PM

"I AM NOT TECH SAVVY, NOR DO I WANT TO BE!!!" Go ahead, admit it! It's OK!

In a response to a comment on my last post, I got a little edgy when for the umpteenth time, someone came to my "rescue" and with the best of intentions confused me even further by a "helpful" answer! In dealing with the issues here on AR with my posts dissappearing, I have found myself defending the fact that I don't want to go elsewhere to post and then copy and paste here on AR...Now, I do know what copy and pasting is, and I do know a few other terms (well, more than a few!) that apply to technology when blogging. But I am far from being a "techie" and I want to come clean and stop defending myself when confronted with a barage of: "You should know that you can post elsewhere first"...or: "I just go to Google pages (or whatever it is) and write my posts and then I go to BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!"

STOP!

If I were always blogging or if I was a real techie I would know of what you speak...however, I am a real estate agent who I BLOG--I AM NOT A TECH NERD! does so many other things like:

write ad copy
take photos
upload photos
photo shop those photos
embed those photos in REShows
create REShows
become an expert on real estate laws and disclosures so that I don't get sued
look at houses
expertly price those houses
create marketing plans
connect with many and varied people
untangle complicated deals
save those deals
negotiate like a real pro
properly deal with a big company website/email (that is not that great and is constantly breaking down)

WELL....you get the idea, NO???!

THERE IS SO MUCH TO LEARN! So, I really don't care to become a tech savvy person--I get by with this system here on AR and to get involved in all the other stuff just is too time consuming and too complicated for me to become adept at it....QR codes suck! This HTML stuff has never been clear to me--I have no idea what it stands for nor do I want to know--I used to see it at the top of the page here on AR while I was blogging but never wanted or needed to know exactly what those letters stand for. I JUST guess at most of the stuff here anyway...don't see that I want to get more involved than that!

Thanks for trying to help! But please don't try to make me a techie!

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Bob Crane

Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI

Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Hi Paula, I just noticed this blog but missed your last one until you mentioned it. I am a little confused, didnt you ask people to give you techy answers?

I can understand your desire to not be overwhelmed with all the high tech info, I run into agents all the time who are fantastic at selling real estate but would rather have an assistant do all of their computer work. Best to concentrate on what you are great at and hire someone else to do the things that you would rather not waste your time on.

Have a great weekend!

Bob

Aug 25, 2012 01:36 PM

Rob D. Shepherd

RETIRED - Florence, OR

RETIRED

I have just enought to get by. When I'm stuck I look for the closest 8 year old to bail me out!

Aug 25, 2012 02:19 PM

Lou Ludwig

Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL

Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Paula

Thanks for sharing your thoughts . . . . Love the post.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Aug 25, 2012 02:20 PM

Bryan Robertson

Los Altos, CA

I am a techy and I used to spend a lot of time doing all the things that made me happy but took up too much of my time. I trained an assistant to do what I like the way I like and now I'm back on track.

Aug 25, 2012 02:30 PM

Lottie Kendall

Compass - San Francisco, CA

Helping make your real estate dreams a reality

I'm with you, Paula. I like technology; I get excited about all the possibilities; BUT---- I'm a Realtor® and that's what I want to concentrate on and become better and better at! (Bad English, huh?)

Aug 25, 2012 03:01 PM

Scott Hayes

(512) 786-8300 - Austin, TX

Realty Austin, Broker Associate

Paula,

I'm right with you. Somethings are worth enlisting another person to do. This tech stuff- yea, I wish long ago, that I had done a better job of identifying tasks, that are better left to another, rather than try to take it on myself.

Aug 25, 2012 11:51 PM

Ken Brandon

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage (Jacksonville, NC) - Jacksonville, NC

Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, NC

No need to be a tech "expert". but if your business strategies demand leverage from technology, there are only two choices...learn the stuff yourself (and it sounds like your time is better spent NOT doing this) or pay someone that "plays" at the things you have to work at.

Aug 26, 2012 01:06 AM

Leslie G. Rojohn

MoonDancer Realty - Sylva, NC

GRI, ABR ~ MoonDancer Realty

I am right there with you. I think I get along just fine without all that tech stuff and frankly, I don't wish to live in a world where that consumes everything.

Aug 26, 2012 02:17 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Bob: Great suggestion but I can't really afford an assistant, which is what I would have to do to get help of this nature--I do appreaciate the idea that you are wondering why this post after tht last one where I asked for help--But the reason I asked for help was because I didn't know what to do and even though I have a better understanding now thanks to the help I got, it clarified the idea that I really don't want to be a technology expert ....That's what brought me to this point.

Rob: You are lucky to have an 8 year old around to help you out, especially with tecnology taking over the business world as it is...

Lou: You are more than welcome--I will be interested to see how many other agents feel the way I do--and as time goes by I can see technology is getting more and more invasive to our business lives--making it harder and harder to do business without the knowledge that is necessary to function in a tech world!

Aug 26, 2012 02:39 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Bryan--Good for you! "With clarity of purpose comes clarity of mind!" I like to say! I now have clarity of purpose and it helps to de-clutter the mess of half known facts about technology and relieves me of the guilt that I felt for not really picking up on all the tech stuff and functioning like I know a lot about it when I don't! :)

Lottie..and good for you too for understanding that it is not the be all, end all if you don't know what a SMTP or HTML really means.."tech talk" is the way of future and as far as I can see it is all designed to make me feel stupid! :(

Scott: We now have a tam of two men who are here in the office every Thursday to help with this tech stuff and our system..the problem is: I work all the time and that includes weekends too up until all hours of the night! My email suddenly decided at 10:30 on a Saturday night, to stop letting me send emails--I was getting this pop-up that tells me I "need an ID card" or that "the encryption of my message is not allowed!!!"... What the He--???

Ken: Well said and I take that to heart now, now that I have admitted that I don't know a hash tag from an HTML!!!

Aug 26, 2012 03:07 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Leslie: Welcome to the un-informed "tech talk" crowd! I have given it up and will be very happy to settle back into doing what I do best---sell real estate!!!

Aug 26, 2012 03:09 AM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

I can't knock your honesty and humor LOL!

Love and light,

Laura

Aug 29, 2012 01:55 PM

Mike McCann Nebraska Land Broker

Mike McCann - Broker, Mach1 Realty Farm & Commercial Land Broker-Auctioneer Serving Nebraska - Kearney, NE

Farm & Commercial Property For Sale 308-627-3700

Paula I think the gib or ish factor is in play here. Perhaps you should start a new group called the "untech's"

If you do...let me know and I will join!!

Aug 29, 2012 01:58 PM

Karen Feltman

Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA KW Legacy Group - Cedar Rapids, IA

Relocation Specialist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I hired an assistant. I said for several years that I could not afford an assistant. Now, I would say that I cannot afford NOT to have an assistant. It has freed up more time for me to complete productive tasks and I have more time for me too. Best money I have ever spent was to hire April to reduce the work ie stress load. Good luck to you! Technology is great when it works. And it is only valuable if you know how to use it to its potential.

Aug 29, 2012 02:07 PM

Joe Petrowsky

Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT

Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

I may not be as tech savvy as many out there, but I have come a long way. 16 months ago I had never written a blog, actually never really knew what it meant.

Aug 29, 2012 09:53 PM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Laura: Thank you for seeing the point here--I value the others here on AR who DO want to be technology masters of the AR universe--Those are the members who craft the posts that can guide us in the basics about technology, the things that we just can't live without! ...But the rest of it???: Time consuming hoopla to me and it seems the more I try to get all of it the further away I am from really being able to use it all! I just throw up my hands and walk away from it! ...NOt good if you ask me....What ever happened to the "guide-book" mentality that is written in very simple, uncomplicated terms that the most simple of us can get?...Now that coild be a gold mine for someone to create!

Mike: Great idea! I think YOU should start the group and then I will join...we could use the "cut to the chase" concept that you mention here!

Karen: I think that is great that you can AFFORD to pay an assistant! I am finding it very hard to be able to support myself, much less pay another salary!! ...and I am a top producer! To manage an employee from every aspect is at the bottom of my list until things turn around and become more predictable--May I suggest you write a post on that topic: Just how is it possible that you CAN find a way to have an assistant in this market-place?

Aug 29, 2012 10:11 PM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Valerie: ON your samrt phone? I have just gotten into the swing of paying my bills on the internet---have adjusted to that nicely--but on my smart phone??? Maybe you can let us all know how you do that?

Joe: You had me fooled--I thought you were up there with the most techie of all the techies here on AR! :)

Aug 29, 2012 10:14 PM

Cynthia Larsen

Cotati, CA

Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

Thank goodness AR made it so easy to write a blog post, otherwise I wouldn't be blogging. This is "techy" enough for me.

Aug 30, 2012 02:56 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Cynthia: I agree; thank goodness for the helpful techies here in AR. I would not be doing anything that I do in my work if it were not for ActiveRain...I joined AR in 2007 and I will never forget the help I got right from the start...what a wonderful world for the agent who is willing to take the extra step.

Aug 30, 2012 04:44 AM