Who Needs a Parachute!

I am confident you'll do fabulous. Conversely, we're becoming part of a larger firm in the near future and will have an office - mainly for training purposes, but still, part of me wonders why?  I know you're a chicky who will not only land on her feet, but fly. 

OK, here's the thing.  I have a bunch of amazing colleagues and I love the energy level in my office.  It's incredibly well-equipped and this year I'm planning to spend a lot more time there - I get so much more done when I work there than when I don't.  But for anyone who has the discipline to stay focused without this kind of environment, I don't think consumers really care where you do your work.  Whatever it takes to get the results they want is what works.

Hi Melinda, I share in your enthusiasm to accomplish this. Our office is switching over to a full paperless office as we speak. The company they are using is called Skyslope. A CD of the  transaction paperwork and all communications will be then given to the client at the end. 

You'll do great! I haven't had a brick and mortar office in almost a year and it hasn't slowed me or my clients down one bit. My clients are more than willing to stop in to my home office which is very well equipped to handle anything I need done. Plus all of my agents are digital and mobile themselves. They have no need for a traditional office. 

Hi, Melinda!  You can find this post on today's "Last Week's Favorites". 

Mel, I would love an update on how this goes for you.  I would love to go paperless, and in fact my office has been talking about morphing into this.  One thing is for sure, there's a lot less clutter, and with less clutter there's more production!

I meet clients all over town at different coffee shops, at their homes or mine. It has never been a problem at all.  Now for all the paper stacked on my desk...I just like the feel of it.

I have a small office for my brokerage in the heart of town which is great for meeting clients or for me since I don't work out of a home office in Carmel-by-the-Sea. This is actually fairly new to have a brick and mortar office and I love it! It's a great place to regroup when I've been out seeing clients. When I worked from home, it seemed like I was never "off work". Although I still do what is necessary and answer calls and emails outside of the office. Having everything electronically makes this easy.

I have an idea that it matters where you are. In our small town we're always about 15 years behind whatever is going on in the world, so an agent without an office would probably not be found. People still want to walk in and talk to someone, and to stand outside in the evening and read the property posters in the windows. 

Best move I ever made.  I don't go paperless, paperless since I have my buyers sign their offers.  Too many times I went with Docusign and their lenders based in back waiting wet signatures.  I can understand that from the buyers side, the ones making the offer, the ones loan committing.  Best of luck.

Mel, love this song! And I think you will be hugely successful going paperless and virtual. We are all practically virtual anyway as far as our buyers and sellers are concerned. How many of them come to the office anymore? It's a very small percentage. They hire us for us, not for the bricks and mortar. Yes, with the Big Guy on your side, you don't need a parachute :)

Let us know how this goes.  I think I will adopt a hybrid approach until I am confident that paperless and mortarless is safe.

Melinda (Mel) Peterson our office became paperless about couple of years ago. And yes, this is the step in right direction - no parachute needed.

Good morning Melinda,

There is no doubt in my mind you will land on your feet! I loved reading the comments..our office is using Skyslope just like William Johnson and it's working out very well.

Our office just became paperless January 1 of this year.  We are now almost 3 weeks into it!!  Everything is online in the 'loop'.  It feels crazy going to closing with no file.  Good luck.  I'm sure we will all adapt!

When I was first licensed in 1981, real estate transactions were a mere one page contract with no disclosures.  We were almost paperless.  From there we quickly went to the multitude of contract pages and an abundance of disclosures.  It takes a lot of paragraphs to close a contract.  BUT, increasingly, we are finding ways to become paperless.

Hooray for paperless!  You are going to be just fine.

I had a SPQ (seller property questionnaire... 4 pages of small type for the seller to fill out, not super fun for them) Fly out my car window on the freeway.  I had to ask the sellers to fill it out all over again, I was embarrassed, they were sad.  It all worked out, but now I scan those puppies the minute I get them.

So again, Hooray for paperless. (and also for Divine reminders that everything will be OK)

Adrenaline...not for the weak.

But then, you aren't weak.

Smart. Stong.  and within a few months, you'll wonder why you'd not gone fully mobile earlier.

Combining the use of the paper and paperless works well for me.  It also gives me the peace of mind of having a "back up" just in case. 

As for not having a "brick & mortar" office - I love it.  I have been working that way for almost 15 years.  I love the freedom and the people I work with love feeling that they are important enough to me that I will meet them at a location that is convenient for them instead of them having to go out of their way to come to me or my office.

With your enthusiasm and faith, 2015 looks bright for you.  Good luck in your new adventure!

Mel, I was thrilled to meet you today, since I never followed you it was a special surprise...the benefits of AR living proof positive, loved your reaction of discovering that Dick Greenberg  also showed  up at our gathering....  I also loved your motto,  your slogan and most of all your attitude. I am confident you will succeed and exceed expectations,. Look forward to get to know you better, Endre