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Going Backward With Technology.

By
Real Estate Agent with Success! Real Estate

Active Rain Contests     The challenge put forth was to explain how we are going to implement technology in our businesses in 2014.  In the movie Caddyshack, the obnoxious Al Cervic, (played by  Rodney Dangerfield) instructed his stockbroker to do the opposite of everyone else.  “If everyone is buying, then sell,sell, sell, and if they are selling, then buy,buy, buy.”  That was his trading philosophy since he was a Real Estate developer and didn’t appear to know anything about stocks.

    

     As it was with Al in stocks, so it is with many of us with technology.  Armed with an IPhone, laptop, accounts with Active Rain Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and more, many of us are looking back fondly to ‘snail mail’, aka the United States Postal Service.  These people know where my clients live, and actually go to all of their houses every day.

 

     They will, for a fair and predictable price, deliver postcards and letters reminding people who know me that I can help them with their Real Estate needs. They get recipes, pictures of cute puppies in front of  my ‘Sold’ signs, and articles of interest that let them know that I am constantly looking out for their best interests.

 

     Going forward, technology will take up an increasing amount of time and will continue to get more user friendly.  It is indeed the wave of the future, but I still enjoy passing along trends in the written form from sources like Inman News.   

 

Show All Comments Sort:
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Aaron- it was never designed to be a profit making enterprise. 

Dec 18, 2013 08:10 AM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Carla- you know that would violate the golfing code of ethics. It also needs to be watched once every year.   

Dec 18, 2013 08:17 AM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Jeff- you are so right about that.  It's coming along for an old timer.

Dec 18, 2013 08:21 AM
Catherine Ulrey
Keller Williams Capital City - Salem, OR
Equestrian and Acreage Property Specialist

I am going to focus on more post cards myself in 2014, but not cut back on any of my technology, as it produces a fair amount of leads for me.  I just don't have email addresses for all of my farm area.

Dec 18, 2013 11:03 AM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Dan, personal notes are going to stay ahead of technology - perhaps forever!

Dec 18, 2013 03:01 PM
Michael Ha Elmhurst
Rego Park, Forest Hills, Jackson Heights, Corona, Middle Village - Elmhurst, NY
Woodside, Maspeth

I belive that Marketing and Service are best associated with Technology in every way possible to make a home sell. 

Dec 18, 2013 03:25 PM
Michael Ha Elmhurst
Rego Park, Forest Hills, Jackson Heights, Corona, Middle Village - Elmhurst, NY
Woodside, Maspeth

But no matter how far technology has gone, the Human brain and physical records are still a way lot better that any computer can provide.

Dec 18, 2013 03:28 PM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Catherine- Emails and texting are a huge part of every transaction, and they are here to stay.

Dec 18, 2013 09:20 PM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Praful- I'm with you on that.  A friendly 'how are you doing' phone call works too.

Dec 18, 2013 09:22 PM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Michael- The toolbox is filling up with both old and new methods to communicate

Dec 18, 2013 09:26 PM
Bryan Robertson
Los Altos, CA

There is such a thing as too much technology.  While email would be a less expensive way to let people know about you, most folks still like to get something (card, postcard, etc).

Dec 18, 2013 09:47 PM
Gwen Fowler SC Lakes & Mountains 864-710-4518
Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc - Walhalla, SC
Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc.

Computers save time but they make us all crazy, so I ask is it really the trade off we need to make?

Dec 18, 2013 10:08 PM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Bryan-It's hard to calculate how many emails that I delete without reaing during the course of a day. 

Dec 18, 2013 10:12 PM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Gwen- I'd love to visit your area some time. A vaction/retirement home on a lake sounds pretty good right now.  

Dec 18, 2013 10:15 PM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

I too am returning to the days of snail mail as my efforts have been rewarded with many leads now that many agents have given up farming. It was never that it didn't work for me - it was just nothing was selling so really nothing to report to them. Now the market is better & so start sending my postcards.

Dec 19, 2013 12:05 AM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Lyn- I slacked off from my quarterly mailings this year, and paid the price.

Dec 19, 2013 01:21 AM
Jimmy Faulkner
Florida. Homes Realty & Mortgage - Wantagh, NY
The Best Of St. Augustine

I do like when things were simpler and we had time to get to really know people. The technology is like a wall and it is all about m. NOT GOOD.

Dec 19, 2013 09:21 AM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Jimmy- I'm taking the new stuff one bite at a time.  Our 'Belly-to-belly' style of building the core of a business is not going to go away. 

Dec 19, 2013 10:03 AM
Connie Harvey
Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN
Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

Dan, I'm just finishing hand addressing my Christmas cards! I just stopped by to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Dec 21, 2013 05:22 AM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

Thank you Connie. You should have knocked on the door and come in for some pie and ice cream.

Dec 21, 2013 11:58 AM