There was an old microfiche machine at my office when I started in this business. It would be awhile before plat maps went online. The Mr. Coffee next to the old Xerox copier had yet to be replaced by the single-shot vacuum pack machination that would allow agents to select from a variety of roasts. The office itself teemed with Real Estate synergy as the exodus to the home office wouldn't begin in earnest for another five years or so.
Against the backdrop of what is now considered the Neolithic Era of the Real Estate Industry, those pioneers who embraced the radical technological advancements of email and personal websites scoffed at the hopelessly crude tools of the trade still wielded by the Paleolithic holdovers from days gone by. Quick to shovel dirt on the shallow graves these dinosaurs had themselves seemingly dug by ignoring the advancing world around them, the younger set was highly amused by one agent in particular who still used the rickety old typewriter in the work room for personal correspondence.
While derision for the curmudgeon's refusal to keep up with the times was less hostile than affectionate, that lone typewriter signaled, for many, the functional obsolescence of more than merely the machine itself. The sooner we could put that beast of burden out to pasture, the sooner our brokerage would live up to its reputation as industry leader within the Phoenix market. It's a competitive world out there, and you can't rest on yesterday's laurels if you wish to stay relevent, after all. To stay on that cutting edge, you must do some cutting. Though it was never verbalized, the insinuation that both man and machine should succumb gracefully to the scrap heap to make way for the new breed was palpable.
That was just over ten years ago. The typewriter is gone, but the agent remains. Was there a sudden epiphany about the direction of the business and a need to be at the forefront of the technological revolution? Certainly not. We simply dragged the typewriter outside one day after an office vote and beat the thing back into the Stone Age. Left with little alternative, the old guy grudgingly learned how to email and even used the fax machine on occasion. But websites? Search engine optimization? Let the hotshots figure that nonsense out. He would rather sell Real Estate than hop on every new trend.
And he did. One of the most successful agents in our brokerage, he pretty much sticks to managing his own investments at this point. Investments cultivated during the bust years. Remember when everyone was ditching their land holdings in the ‘80s as values tanked and interest rates spiked simultaneously? He held on. Remember the stagflation of the ‘70s? He amassed quite a portfolio amidst those treacherous market forces.
The man simply knows Real Estate.
Dinosaurs get to be dinosaurs in this business for a reason. In an industry that has more attrition than the lineup for Guns ‘N Roses, only those who have the market cornered on business acumen and opportunistic savvy linger long enough to be subjected to the ignominious rebukes and condescension of the next generation. Those of us who would spread our peacock feathers to boast of our rising profiles in comparison to the sagging numbers of our predecessors would be better served to squeeze every last drop of knowledge and advice from their battle-tested minds.
So we are the big dogs today. Big deal. This porch has been occupied by far better agents in years past. Agents that made presentations face to face instead of via email and fax. Agents who actually employed salesmanship and personal skills to seal transactions versus simply heaping reams of readily available data upon their subjects. Agents who can recognize the oncoming booms and busts because they have experienced these cycles many times over. Agents who have thrived in the face of all manner of advancing technologies (for those who would assert otherwise, technology didn't just suddenly appear post 2000). Agents who know what works for their business and what does not. Agents who do not confuse the tools of selling Real Estate with the actual business of selling Real Estate.
Like those ancient machines that once inhabited our offices paved the way for the next generation of technology, so have those who plied their abilities in days of yore been pre-requiste for the current crop of agents. We have gotten to where we are now on the backs of our predecessors. Ironically, some would deign to call the older generation of agents blind to new technology while not recognizing their own limited sight. Such hasty and dismissive judgment renders one blind to the positive attributes that have crafted long, successful careers. Any comet can streak brightly across the sky for a short period of time. The trick is in maintaining a lifespan past the initial fluorescent brilliance.
The more I think about it, the more I find the term "dinosaur" to be quite appropriate. As opposed to those who throw it about with such arrogance and disdain, however, I liken it more to the way many productive old timers will eventually leave the industry. Forget the magic bullet of SEO, blogging or any other marketing flavor of the month; it's going to take nothing short of a meteor strike to kill those careers. Instead of chastising these agents for what they are not, I seek to absorb what they are in vain attempt to distill the core secret to their longevity down to its very essence. I would recommend some of the more vocal online detractors of our industry elders do the same. We should all be so lucky to stick around long enough to earn such scorn.
Funny thing, but about 75% of the agents who mocked that agent ten years ago are nowhere to be found today; knocked off their lofty perches by a brutal market they didn't see coming. Meanwhile, he keeps on keeping on, trying to figure out how to change the ribbon on the office PC. Try not to feel too sorry for him as he outlasts the next wave of revolutionaries with quaint designs on yet another industry coup d'etat.
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Your observations are dead accurate, and just as important (if not more) to the learning process, as all of the secrets the "gurus" would sell you.
Jon - I read so much mistaken nonsense on the net about the inexorable demise of the "traditional" agent who doesn't employ whatever latest trend is all the present rage. The dismissal of 30-40+ year careers because the agents may not blog is simply stunning in its pompousness. Yes, we younger agents may have a technological advantage, but we would be incredibly naive and brash to disregard those attributes which outpace our own through decades of practical application and experience. I have a distinct affection for those who did it when it wasn't as easy to do.
This is timely for me as I've recently run into an old "dinosaur" from a neighboring market. He is hanging in there and has given into technology only because the MLS stopped publishing books and went online requiring him to have internet access and because some clients will only communicate via email, he two-finger pecks his responses, not caring how long it takes to draft.
I found myself wondering if he knows how much more business he could have if he embraced new technology....and then I thought, would he care? He seemed happy and content so who am I to question it right?
Beautifully written as always ;-)
Hi Colleen,
Some come kicking and screaming, and some come not at all. While the MLS has gone online and rudimentary tech skills are necessary for many, some continue to operate completely outside of this paradigm. This particular agent has little use for the MLS, as do many other successful older agents in the office who established niche market presence before niche marketing was even en vogue. Rural property, personal investments, etc. There are also those consumers who disdain new technology and would rather have the guy or gal who has been around the block a time or twelve as opposed to the kid with the whiz bang power point presentation and reams of superflous data (just give me your damn opinion!). While it is always an advantage to position yourself for what is to come, I just find so much of the disparagement that I read of these vets to be distasteful and foolhardy. There is always something to learn. Even for those who think they have everything wired. If the old guard of the industry are to be maligned for not adapting, so too should the new guard for the breezy dismissal of their contributions and attributes.
AWESOME! Best thing I've read in a long time on the subject and an excellent overview of technology with a nod to "business acumen and opportunistic savvy" at the same time.
"The man simply knows Real Estate"
Old fashioned basics and hard work never go out of style and funny thing, we still have an IBM around the office. A short time ago, one of the new assistants was filling in some sort of form and asked me, "where is the DELETE" button?
I hope this is featured!
Paul,
Much of what you shared will be lost. Casting pearls before swine....those that will not sit and listen carry the label...SWINE....SURE WE IGNORE NECESSARY EDUCATION....computers and the interweb (note wikopedia) live and die by the adage...garbage in, garbage out..........the wisdom garnered out where the rubber meets the road can not be found neatly tucked in the corner of a blog nor will it be found racing from here to there in last years cheap cut polyester knock off italian style suit..........the dinosaur will be in the drive thru when most of today's agents are asking...would you like fries with that.........and he willl drive off, munching fries on his way to another appointment........
Featured @ Club Chaos
Paul, I watched a show about Richard Branson (Virgin) a while back and it showed him sitting in his hammock on his private island conducting business by talking on his phone and writing notes on his hand. That was it. That was the extent of his technology.
There are many ways to sell real estate. Personally I use a combination of old ways, new ways and ways yet to be divulged :)
Slaybaugh - The lender's side is even worse, or at least a different taste of how technology can bite, grab, but rarely intervene on long standing traditions of doing business. While I sometimes detest the thought, no blog I've ever wrote can replace the fuel that allows me to revamp when talking to someone face to face. For me, every projectile thrown into the abyss that is the Internet has been a meager attempt to beat the system and years of tradition along the way. On one account, the seeds planted now make me one step ahead of the game going forward. On the other, it has granted me the abysmal attitude that what I'm doing can outright replace what many have done way before little old me. All I've learned is that I haven't mastered either craft, and need to get better at both.
Well written post. Agreed, however after recently closing a transaction for an "ole timer" who refused to capitulate and carry a cell phone......well...... how do his buyers even find him.
The yellow pages? The real ones that they still deliver to my home once a year God knows why?
We have an agent in Mobile who is over 90 and still works regularly. She lists & sales property. She also attends board functions and is one of the most popular dance partners on the floor. What a role model!
Paul,
Thank you for writing so eloquently what I could not put into words. I read a blog a couple of days ago that may have inspired you, and I was so irritated, and annoyed with the hubris the writer of that blog and the majority of the commenters displayed ("Can't wait to blow past him"...) that I felt like 1. retching and 2. never logging on to Active Rain again. I notice none of those smarty-pants agents have commented on your blog.
Your observation of knowing the difference between the TOOLS of reals estate and the real estate BUSINESS itself was very concise.
Thank you again for your respectful and insightful commentary.
Just Poetic Paul! :) People are starting to figure out that not all marketing works for everyone..including technology! There is something to be said for those that prefer face to face...being heavily involved in their communities and still keep their business at a decent level along with mentoring agents..even without mentoring you can sit with a dinosaur for hours and learn a great deal! Yes dinosaur is indeed a compliment almost as honorable as you are one of a kind! Great post it put a smile on my face.
Paul, Thanks for that.
I often struggle with agents that want me to fax my 40 or so page with color pictures reports. Then wonder how they can be #1 in their market!
It just goes to show me that I am the flash that just started to light in their sky.
Thanks again.
It's great to learn for an old pro and mix that in with the new technology.
... you gotta compile some of these into a "publishable" entity brutha !
They are just simply too brilliant for the lowly blogosphere !
With regards to the dinosaur - good for him ! He stays true to his beliefs, never whines or waivers, and keeps making the grade - no matter what the 'edgier' colleagues say !
I too smiled all the way through this !
Cheers Paul !
Sheldon
Many of the young whipper snappers fail to realize that the percentage of real estate licensees who actually make a decent living embracing the Internet and the gadgets and widgets and other signs of "success" is actually quite small.
As a proud card carrying cantankerous old goat, I have not abandoned any of the skills or procedures learned in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I have rather added the new technology as I need, not because it's there or someone believes I should.
I have no fear of new technology or new systems, I simply refuse to be a slave to them. I'm not alone.
I have agents in my network who are always bragging about this or that new toy or sytem. Yet, it is I who bring in 99.5% of the business for everyone.
Go figure.
Beautiful, Paul - just beutiful...:-)
Thanks Paul. Longevity in this business speaks volumes. And I think experience trumps technology.
Linda Metallo, Re/max Impact, Lockport, Il.
Paul,
Beautiful and thoughtfully written. I think we dismiss "dinosaurs" at our own peril. It reminds me of the Michael J. Fox movie, Doc Hollywood, about a young hot, shot doctor who is in a fender bender is a smal rural town. He ends up doing "community service" at the local hospital when a young boy is brought in with stomach pains. He immediately diagnoses a life threatening illness and arranges for transport to Atlanta where he will have a battery of tests and then surgery at the hands of a demi-god. In the meantme, the boy's family doctor (old, slow, balding,etc.) shows up and says "ah heck, just give him a swig of cola." They do, they boy burps, the pain goes away.
Sometimes dinosaurs really know their business.
Michael
"Rangers Lead the Way"
Arrogance is not good for the soul. It is a human flaw that we jump on the bandwagon when others espouse our same thoughts and condemn those that don't. None of the top producers in my area spend much time online or have a large internet presence. They branded themselves a long time ago and get to reap the rewards of working their hinnies off many years ago.
I don't condemn them for not doing what I do and am thankful they don't. I'd get spanked in the real estate marketplace if they were online with me.
Hear, hear! There are a couple of ol' veterans out there that pointed me in the right direction back when I was a newbie, and I will be always grateful. Nothing, but respect for those that paved the way. -Cory
I agree totally with the above comment by Cory
Patricia Aulson/portsmouth nh homes
Paul...
Can I just comment here to get my comment tally in? Most of the time I simply don't understand you. But, I love you anyway :)
TLW...ROAR!
Some of the old traditional agents are still making it. They have a good customer base and still helping those people
Oh...
And just so you know BB and I just make it all up as we go along :)
P.S. That's a pointless comment any which way I look at it. Don't mind, me in my happy place this evening :)
TLW...ROAR!
Paul, lovely read.
I have always been on the cutting edge. Now I see more of a need to embrace the tried and true 'old ways'.
I'm watching the diny-saurs!
Everybody walk the dinosaur 1.2
Paul, Great post and well written...especially in light of my ferocious one the other day. A dinosaur who knows what he is doing will outlast someone with all the technie knowledge and no staying power any day.
Slaybaugh - Not to worry, TLW doesn't understand anybody. That's why she is delightful around these parts;)
Well written post. This should be featured.
The world moves on. I think we all need to learn new technology just to be able give our coustomers better service.
"The man simply knows real estate." Try as I might I can not think of loftier praise nor a more suitable goal for one who endeavors to earn a living in this profession. Congrats on another well-deserved feature!
HI Paul - Very articulate and important post. We can make fun of those who became successful without all the gadgets we have today, or we can listen and learn how in the world they were able to do it.
In the market we have experienced the last couple of years, some of those old ways have brought me some success - going door-to-door to meet people isn't done any more as we cling to our computer screens, but people are friendly and fun to meet and it is a way to get leads! People to people stil works better than contact only by computer (but don't take my computer away - I'd go nuts! I need both).
Very unique writing style Paul. Old timers used the tools they had available at the time - and that hasn't changed - just different. I don't think too many people would rather use a typewriter these days. Tools don't insure success - the fanciest hammer in the world is no good in the hands of an inexperienced carpenter.
I don't know of anyone who makes fun of "old timers." I respect them, since I'm probably one of them. ;-)
PAUL-BRAVO! Beautifully written-your editorial acumen and tutelage of the older experienced agents portray him not, as a harridan but rather extols the virtues of his lifelong commitment to his craft.
Though he may be hoary, his career is anything but evanescent.
Paul, this is by far the best line of your post:
Agents who do not confuse the tools of selling Real Estate with the actual business of selling Real Estate.
There are a lot of agents today walking around confused.
Hi Paul, what a terrific post and reminder to keep the ego in check ~ Your writing skills are outstanding and I look forward to reading more from you.
Paul, I do think it's ironic(?) that another post was written recently that takes the opposing view. It was move "keep up or get out of the way." I'm taking my Admin Brokers test this coming week. (All Realtors in CO are brokers and work up from therea) with all of this in mind.
I'm finding that many of the older agents are falling away because they can't keep up and don't want to either. But there is something to be said for a warm hand shake and a conversation as well. It doesn't have to be all bells and whistles - sincerity goes farther that flattery. Thanks for brushing off the thesaurus. Is it time for all of us to re-read Dale Caragie How to Win Friends and Influence People?
I agree with you. I don'thave time to tweet. facebook and all the other new stuff. i am busy doing face to face real estate. that is where the sale is made. the technology is great for servcing the client before and after the sale the sale is made face to face. That takes talent.
Very eloquently stated! There is much to learn from those who have preceeded.
Thanks for your post!!
Watch out for that old dinosaur. He might step on you. Ouch!!!
Great post and a good lesson to be learned.
Paul - Couldn't agree more! The old pros: "Agents who do not confuse the tools of selling Real Estate with the actual business of selling Real Estate."
Great job. Sounds like you may have taken a few english classes in school.
Paul, a beautiful post. I really did not have time to read this, however I could not stop.....great writing as usual! We should all be so fortunate to view our world with this perspective.
In Real Estate there is more than one way to skin a cat. What one agent does successfully may be totally different than the next person.
Great post...I myself am somewhat of a Dinosaur...in age anyway. I have only been in real estate 5 years now, but in business for decades now. I probably know more about technology that at least 80% of those at my age. Of course the opnly reason I can keep up now is I started with personal computers back in the 80's - so I have near a quarter of a centrury with my own computer.
What I can say about real Dinosaurs is they have had more of an impact on the modern world than any part of the history of the world - perhaps even more than religion. After all, if it weren't for the Dinosaurs we would not have our fossil fuels and without them how would our society have evolved?
Power to (and from) the Dinosaurs!
Paul, This is a BRILLIANT post! I was just thinking the other day where I fall in the "lifespan of a Realtor" I feel like I'm topping out at just past middle age and wondering if I'm going to have the stamina stomach to keep learning the "new stuff" to keep me current while still doing what I do best...selling real estate. :)
Door knocking, postcards, expireds, FSBOs, even {gasp!} cold calling have worked for 50+ years. And they'll work 50+ years from now.
"Funny thing, but about 75% of the agents who mocked that agent ten years ago are nowhere to be found today"
I bet it's closer to 90%.
Great post Paul
The learning curve in Real Estate the last 3 years has been steep and at times brutal. The technology side of things and marketing comes to us fast and furious as we strive to learn new things and keep up. In the end, it comes down to...back to basics...networking, face-to-face interaction, and the art of writing a good letter vs. email. You have to adjust to each generation of clients that you are trying to reach and adapt a mode of communication that works for each one. Not always an easy task! The dinosuars have much to teach if you are an open vessel. We still have one agent in our office that has the "Old MLS Books" and refuses to give them up. Surprisingly they came in handy with a property that had a question about a buried fuel oil tank as to when it was installed. She cracked open the book and found the answer :^).
Great post! Even with all of the new technology that makes our work lives so much easier we can't forget to employ the basics of good sales techniques. Clients need to know that there is a live, caring person on their side. Talking on the phone or meeting face to face is essential to making your client "connect" with you.
Paul eloquently done! As a "lifer" in this career I feel vindicated by your words and also grateful that I am still young enough to enjoy keeping up with the fascinating changes in our business! I started selling right out of college with a calculator and a notepad and here I am 30 years later with a laptop, smart phone and a blog! The part that has never changed is the fact that this is a people business and regardless of how we reach "people" our years of knowledge and experience are relevant. There's a reason most of my clients are referrals...I LIKE people! Thank you!
I would suspect that not unlike the dinosaurs that smoke, you can always find the one successful person that smoked for 60 years and lived to be 100 years old. The 1000's that died are not around to tell their story and how they wished they had heeded the warnings.
With respect to your dinosaur, I would suggest that if he had kept up with technology he would have been far more successful then he was aka Lenn Harley.
Outstanding observations! I enjoyed the post and am gld you got featured.
Tim
Well written post. We would all do well to remember that we can learn much from those who came before us. It is amazing how technology can change how we do business today, yet business has been "getting done" for years, & I think you brought that point out very well. Congratulations on the featured post!
LOL @ Sardi...
Interestingly enough, I actually agree with that statement :)
TLW...ROAR!
Paul, Great post, I enjoyed reading it. I would take a hard earned 100% referral business over a web based business any day. You can see, even in a down market, that established agents continue to list and sell real estate. Don't get me wrong, I like the new tools of the trade, but at the end of the day you better be able to look at client in the eye, shake their hand and assure them that you do indeed know real estate. Being a salesman (sales person) is an art, a craft that is not learned over the Internet.
Many thanks to you all for your comments thus far. Heading out to show sell a little Real Estate this morning, but look forward to responding when I return. Seems like the eagerness with which some agents claw over the not quite dead bodies of those who provided the platform for their knowledge and subsequent success is as distasteful to others as it is to me. Many know that I work in loose affiliation with my father. He is not the agent about which I wrote, but he's a vet of 35 years in this industry. He keeps up with the tech world, just not necessarily to the degree that we younger agents do out of pure necessity. When you are within 5-10 years of retirement, it just makes sense that you dedicate the little time you have to fully servicing the client base you have cultivated over the years rather than chasing down every possible avenue for generating new ones. That makes agents in that enviable position no less skilled or productive, simply beneficiaries of decades worth of commitment and dilligence. The notion that I would somehow be a superior agent because I type a few random thoughts into this platform from time to time or have launched my own blogsite is completely and utterly laughable. He has forgotten more about selling houses than I have yet to learn. If at some point I endeavor long and hard enough to become his equal, it will not be cause for gloating, but for thankful appreciation. We seem to take everything that came before us for granted, even though years of collective knowledge have gone into the basis for all future innovation and success. Without our predecessors, there wouldn't even be a comprehensive system of MLS's. Would you ever expect to hear Michael Jordan denigrating Dr. J or Bill Russell? Hardly. Future generations always have the advantage of beginning from the ending point of the generation before, and thus SHOULD ultimately do the job as well or better. That does not mean they have more intrinsic value, but is rather reflective of those who passed the baton with perfect precision. Don't mock those who would make you greater than they.
And that's one to grow on ;)
Scott, can't leave without addressing your comment. Pure speculation. Could his millions could have instead been made billions with more tech skill? Perhaps. However, who are you or I to define his success? Perhaps, after a long and storied run, family time became more important than setting up a Twitter profile. As for the comparison to smoking, that's silly. We are only talking about the survivors here, after all. The ones who have made it through all of these years. They obviously have adopted enough know-how for their own business models to get to this point. The ones who fell by the wayside failed in one aspect of their career's or another, but that has little to do with the thrust of my post. There is no intent to trivialize the impact and import of the latest industry advancements. This is about respecting those who laid the foundation. All the tools in the world will not make an agent successful without the ability to marry them with the actual job. It's the actual job that many of the old-timers know so well and could teach us young'uns a thing or fifty about. Those who would ignore their wisdom in favor of mocking their inferiority in the tech department are the fools more likely to wind up in the Real Estate morgue.
Paul - I remember it all so very well. I became a real estate agent in 1981. And a few years after that, I remember a number of us sitting with our Broker while trying to coax him into letting go of $600. for an office fax machine, so we wouldn't need to drive across town to deliver offers, addendums and counter offers. That was the mid 1980s.
I'm not sure if your posts destroy my brain cells or add more wrinkles on my brain, but I read them anyway. Good and fair post, I must say. I agree about not becoming pompous, but pomposity occurs on both sides of this discussion, no?
Paul, thought provoking post. A little off topic, but... I have experienced the lightning speed and ease of email transactions from internet buyers and even sellers, yet I am left wondering... Would those buyers and sellers recognize me on the street? If they choose to buy or sell another home a few years from now, would they call me? Probably not. They would most likely google and get whoever is on the top of the page at the time, just like they found me - unless I use the proven dinosaur tactics, phone calls, a handwritten card or thank you letter - not just tools, but good old fashioned courtesy. I handled one transaction on the seller side almost completely by phone text with some supplemental emails to confirm instructions - I finally met him and was able to look him in the eye and shake his hand, only after that did he start calling me Virginia, instead of Vicki, or Veronica.
Great blog Paul!
Many years ago I remember buying my mom (who was about 60 years old at the time) a new television. I recall that she complained about the fact that it had a remote control. Imagine that; a TV with a remote control! She was all upset that we spent so much money on the set. Her exact words were, "I don't need a remote control; the other one was fine".
As the years passed and mom figured out how easy it was to use that remote she learned to love it. When it came time to get her a second set for the bedroom guess what? Another remote controlled set; and this time there was no complaining.
The mistake some people make is that they think gadgets and technology are the secret to achieving success in their business and they never take the time to learn the basics of what makes one truly successful.
Those "old dinosaurs" got to where they are because they knew the basics. We have to treat technology as simply a tool of the trade and not the foundation to build upon. It can help make us be more productive but it doesn't guarantee a spot as the top earner for the company. However you have to wonder to yourself, if those "old dinosaurs" are that successful without accepting the new tools offered to them, how much more productive could they be if the embraced it instead? Perhaps they don't care about more productivity and are happy with whatever they are currently producing at that given moment in time. That's all well and good.
As more time passed and my mom finally got cable TV, complete with over 100 channels. I couldn't help but think and chuckle to myself, "thank God for that remote control"!
Paul
My husband and I are a 33 year real estate dinosaur team. Condescending blogs actually cause me to chuckle
We have probably forgotten more about real estate than many of the critics have or ever will learn while tweeting.
We do embrace technology
Karen
Yes, all the technology in the world will never replace know-how and people skills. The hotshot techie kids could learn much from the dinosaurs if they'd stop to listen.
Your post reminded me of the time when our County discontinued paper plat maps that showed a whole section of land on one huge page. We hung on to those old map books until they were shredded.
Standing over them with a client or another agent, following the roads and looking at how different parcels sat in relationship to each other was FAR easier and more enlightening than clicking from tiny page to tiny page on a computer screen.
Sometimes the old stuff is just better than the new.
Paul,
Beautiful, thoughtfully written post.
Since real estate is a relationship business, all of the technology and the techie tools in existence should be examined with a view to how they enhance (or not) peoples' abilities to create and sustain relationships and to generate and facilitate the transactions that flow from those relationships. In that context the behavior of the various demographic sectors in the marketplace must be understood. And, without question, tools will never outweigh interpersonal skills in any relationship based business. Tools that don't help create and sustain relationships are largely a waste of time and money. People who sell tools whose value proposition is simply their "coolness" are today's snake oil salesmen. Avoid them like the plague.
I believe that the best combination for success is a combination of traditional skills and some carefully and selectively chosen technology tools. Tools that enhance the creation and sustaining of relationships with those groups of people who like and use what technology can provide - access to information, faster communication and new ways to connect with people they would not otherwise meet. Tools that truly meet those criteria have a place in today's world. So do people who have mastered their craft based on a foundation of solid people skills and a deep knoweledge of the business they are in.
Thanks again for your well written observations and lessons.
Well Written post. I think the issue is that the man knows real estate and cultivated relationships and a reputation that has lasted. I would not want to start as a dinosaur.
Hi Paul. Really well written and conceived post. I agree and disagree with you here. No doubt the sales skills and personal touches that the old-timers exhibit are fundamental to a sucessful real estate career. But I have found that those old-timers that are willing to learn and keep up to date with the changing technology AND maintain their personal, sometimes antiquated, means of business are the ones who REALLY maintain a high level of sucess in this industry. This downturn has shaken out a lot of the fly by night agents as well as a lot of the long timers. It's Darwinism condensed down to an industry. Only those who can adapt will survive. Great post and best of luck to you.
Thank you for this post. I also read the post stating the opposite view and was disappointed by many of the comments. I've been selling for close to 18 years and have been ahead of the curve with technology, but for some reason felt personally offended by the other blogger's post.
When I need help I ask the dinosaurs- they have knowledge and experience. I had someone ask me recently how to amoratize a loan- I felt like asking if he made it through 7th grade math. The dinosaurs can do it with pencil and paper.
It takes a huge set of stones for an agent with 2 or 3 years of real estate experience under their belt to criticize an agent who has been around 20 or 30 or 50 years. The odds are that agent won't be around in 20 years.
Nothing takes the place of personal contact, good follow up, advise based on knowledge and experience. That is both old school and new school.
Paul - Such pleasure to read your post...words, words beautiful words...almost a lost art nowdays...
Congratulations on the feature - well deserved!
Nothing will replace a human touch, doesn't matter what generation X or Y claims...we humans are simply wired this way and long for a real companionship, good conversation and a fondly embrace.
I have learned a lot from the 'dinasours' and treat them with r-e-s-p-e-c-t!!
With smiles,
Bo in Yukon
Paul:
Thank you for writing such an articulate and thoughtful post on this subject.
We live in a society that, unfortunately, does not always give due respect to our elders who came before us and paved the way. I hate to see that feeling amplified in this profession due to the proliferation of technology that, perhaps, some people simply do not choose to embrace.
Not everyone needs to be blogging, tweeting and text messaging. For some, the older methods are still working and from those people, we have a lot to learn. I was, particularly moved by what you wrote about your father and his "actual job" wisdom.
And, leave it to a guy to give us such an appropriate sports analogy for the situation:
"Would you ever expect to hear Michael Jordan denigrating Dr. J or Bill Russell? Hardly."
I love that.
Hi Paul,
A great article! Below is my rebuttal to an earlier blog from Kicking Your Butt which many have commented on above and which irritated many readers:
Dear Mr. Kicking-your-butt,
While you are busy spending 2-3 hours every day updating MySpace, Twitter, Facebook,
WhoFlungDung blogs and all the myriad of social websites, I am out farming my town.
I’m knocking on doors, greeting folks in the bank, in grocery stores,
in the street (yes I do!). I meet them face to face and there is NO substitute for it.
The other day I was in Home Depot and spotted a person purchasing a FSBO sign.
What would you expect me to do? Yes I did and now I have the listing.
Oh..I still use texting and referrals but I’m not trying to add 200 new agents to my
social site every day.
You said that we have to adapt or die and that’s true but don’t forget the other saying,
“the more things change the more they stay the same.”
I may have picked up the odd referral here and there from these social sites but I have found
TEN times that amount from the good old fashioned policing the beat methods mentioned above.
I would never force my sphere of influence to be bombed out by constant contacting, twittering, etc.
If they want me, they will find me.
Many folks are simply fedup with reading repetitious “market trends” from agents
filling up their mailboxes.
But good luck with the social networking and if you want to contact me don’t twitter me.
I never read them.
Well written and timely, although I doubt many of the new agents will heed it's inherent truthfulness.
I too have been called "old fashioned" and a "dinosaur" as late as 8 or 9 years ago. I still don't own and iPhone, a BMW, large home, or a home office that would be the envy of the majority of the agents in business these days. I don't encourage my agents to do so either. I don't do business like most agents these days either...seldom work weekends, don't answer my phone after 7pm, spend Sunday with my family rather than at an open house with someone else's family, work when I want and go on vacation when I choose. To me, this is what living and being self employed is all about.
There are plenty of agents who dress to impress, have every new toy imaginable and still struggle to find their next client. With only 11 years in business and a couple of years as broker/owner of my independent brokerage firm, I say those who understand the basics and become students of the business rather than masters of self marketing will have the advantage during the tough times. I recently saw the homes of a couple of top agents in our market at the foreclosure auction...what an eye opener for all involved I'm sure.
Great post and one that should be required reading in every real estate curriculum.
Yes, those pompous peacocks .... they are truly annonying! I agree that nothing short of a meteor shower is going to get rid of the current bunch of dinosaurs. Really great post.
Great! Great! Great! I'm not sure if I like this because I've been doing this "real estate stuff" for over 38 years or if it's because I see how important combining the best of the old with the best of the new can be - but I LOVE the post. Thanks so much - it was a wonderful read on a Labor Day weekend!
I started in 79. We had a memeo machine from an old public school to make fliers. Your observations are spot on. Most of the financially secure people Ive known didnt spend countless hours learning html, spreading blogs all over the net and becoming proficient in Excel, etc. Like a slap in the face Im sitting here thinking about how much I could have done in the last 15 years had I been into BASICS instead of now being able to build network systems and beta test software. Door knocking, BUYING FOR YOUR OWN ACCOUNT instead of only making others wealthy, meeting people for old fashioned networking, just spreading yourself around and MAKING DEALS.
Bet I would have three times the money in the bank if I had been shaking hands and looking for steals instead of being able qualified to be a tech support person for a PC store. Wow. I'll see you later---I have to go start a neighborhood farm. Anyone done a farm the right way? In the 80s I had a 500 home farm that provided constant income. After a year or so I could tell you what anyone of those 500 families was having for dinner, lol
Interesting post and comments from all. I try to learn from the dinosaurs and I try to learn from the 24 year old, who looks 17 twitter freak in my office.
Excellent piece! After reading all the comments there isn't much more that I can add that has not already been said. I absolutely loved the tribute to the "traditional" agent. I started out in the business before computers. We had the old micro fiche too. I hated those things. Made me dizzy to look at them. And ah... the typewriter. I remember back then how glad I was that it was ELECTRIC and had correction tape. I wonder if people even use white out anymore? LOL!
I am grateful for the new techology as it helps me to reach more people and it leverages the ability for marketing. Used to be you had to have lots of $$$ for marketing materials, phamplets, etc.
All I can say is "wow!"
P.S.: Your grasp of the English language is truly remarkable...
Kudos for recognizing the invaluable wealth of knowledge and expertise of the "dinosaur". There will always be the pompous, ego-centric agent who already knows everything, they come and go with the market cycles.
No matter how much technology is available, my customers determine how I communicate with them.
For example, I'm working with a buyer now. I asked him my "normal" contact information questions: "May I have your phone number?" Sure 123-456-7890; "What is your email address?" I don't have one. "You don't use email?" No. "Gee, I thought I could better serve you by emailing listing details to you." I don't go in for all this technology, you can fax me though. "Well okay, what's that number?"
With other customers their email address is the first thing they give me.
Different strokes for different folks.
Well written post Paul, You have a gift of writing.
Not only is there a lot for us to learn in the work place from those who have been in the business for a long time but in life in general we can learn so much from our elders.
Thank you for taking the time to shine a light on this subject.
You have touched many experienced agents on Active Rain who have endured snide comments about their age and technological abilities. Their wealth of knowlege and their perseverence has shown the way for new agents to come into the business and succeed. Any agent who does not recognize and respect this will not be around long, no matter how tech savvy they are.
Paul - hello from your neighbor in NM. Your post was thought provoking and eloquently written. Respect never goes out of style. I can't imagine running my business without the conveniences of technology but I hope I never assume my savvy replaces experience. Anyone can fill out the forms of a contract or burp out the latest stats from the MLS and send an email blast to the pipeline touting oneself as the "local expert," but nothing, NOTHING will replace hard won experience or time-worn relationships. I try to practice the ART of real estate and I will gladly give deference to those before me. Bravo!
Wonderful Paul! I like your sense of humor and your way if enlightenment on a topic of 'elders'. Lucky you to have someone so seasoned in the profession and the field of real estate from which to learn. Nothing wrong, as far as I can see, for embracing the old and the new!
Beautiful post. The mad irony is that the so called tech-savvy stars of today may well be dismissed as the dinosaurs of tomorrow for similar reasons. Technology and various forms of automation are static. Genuine talent is not. In my field, I was fortunate to have been mentored by iconic dinosaurs, albeit rather flamboyant ones. Old school, gay male, interior designers who still can run infinitely scaled kaleidoscope-like changing circles around many of the new fangled designers and most likely could for countless decades more if it were humanly possible. With or without CAD or any contemporary device. In any field, in any endeavor - it's lasting magic when art and skill are combined in potent doses. But having said that, I did once work briefly, for a dinosaur and a donkey team, now that was tough.
Great post! I had the misfortune of observing the rise and fall of a hot-shot, twenty-techo-something, in my office. The crash and burn was both ugly and unnecessary. If he had only learned the art of negotiating as well as he knew his social media, he may have been able to call himself a dinosaur one day! I tweeted a warning but was ignored. In all things moderation...this includes technology. We all need 'just enough'.
Very well written post, as I enjoyed reading it. With so many people in this business and even more of a variety of clients needing our services, there will always be a variety of agents out there. Some will be ultra-tech savvy and some will not. Those clients who embrace technology will probably not be attracted to someone who does not "speak their language", while others may be more interested in the years of experience that agent brings to the table. Different strokes for different folks as they say.
Yeah for the OLD GUY!!! Glad he's still hanging on! I hope I'm as wise as he is!
Wow! You have quite an impressive vocabulary, and I say that as a former English teacher. Good for you. As a bit of a curmudgeon myself, I still believe in embracing the new technology. It provides a mental challenge that I need at my age.
There are some things that only time can teach. I once heard an old successful fella say 'I don't much like to mentor, but if you hang around me long enough, you'll learn everything you need to be successful'. When I have someone that wants mentoring I first buy them a copy of the book 'How to win friends and influence people'. Very old school, but tried and true. Sales is about self development, the better you develop yourself as a person the better you will sell. The product is just semantics. Now the future agent will need to start now how to be a good balance of all skills; knowledge, understanding people, how to determine needs and wants and last but surely not least, technology.
Suffice it to say, I let a pile-up unfold on my blog without being present to help direct traffic. Some interesting thoughts all the way through the comment stream that I still intend to address as time permits. Thanks for all of your thoughts. Some sage words all the way through from some unlikely sources. Not everyone who embraces the new does so to the neglect of the old. Refreshing to see. Happy Labor Day, all.
Paul - Your post is full of wisdom, especially nuggets like this "would be better served to squeeze every last drop of knowledge and advice from their battle-tested minds" I think it boils down to doing what works. If someone has a way of doing business that works for them, great! But if they are sitting there with no business at all, it would be sensible to look into what new technology can do.
One of the best and thought provoking posts I have come across on AR.
Thank you Paul for this masterpiece.
There's so much for us to learn from these "dinosaurs". I'm fortunate that my mother has been in mortgages and the real estate business for over 30 years. I have no qualms about asking for her advice, and she comes to me for the more technological side of it. It works well for both of us.
What can I possibly say, except that you are right. I certainly don't intend to be one of those "young whipper snappers" who denigrate the experienced agents...far from it. And I most certainly intend to squeeze every last drop of knowledge from their battle tested minds. Can awesome posts like this be double featured? Maybe you might want to repeat this at a latter date...
That is a well-written post. I had to laugh about the dinosaur trying to change the ribbon on the PC, though! Which brought to mind...we had a receptionist once, (in the younger generation) who maybe hadn't ever seen a typewriter before-let alone actually touched one of the old relics-and...even though the correction ribbon was in place and ready to go (it wasn't the antique kind of relic)...she had been using white-out to correct her mistakes, and it was caked up all over the place! (I'm laughing with her...) I showed her where to find the correction key.
Microfiche and old books were how I started in the title business, and it's sometimes even still necessary, and faster, than pouring over the books at the Recorder's office...but that wasn't really so long ago (was it?). And no matter how much technology comes along for title insurance, there will always be a need for somone to actually examine the documents to check for errors-we will need the dinosaurs to show the newcomers the way!
Paul - What a great post! Had me LMAO all the way from "We simply dragged the typewriter outside one day after an office vote and beat the thing back into the Stone Age" to "Meanwhile, he keeps on keeping on, trying to figure out how to change the ribbon on the office PC" (as well as all the comments).
What else can I add other than I too enjoy talking to the "dinosaurs" sometimes. I recently had a really great conversation with a "dinosaur" underwriter. What a fascinating experience that was to talk to someone like that. I even learned some new things from her as well (never turn you nose at tips from an underwriter on how to get your loan done right).
Anyway, she was very pleasant to speak with and I respect her very much for her knowledge and wisdom.
Maybe that Dinosaur knows plenty we young whippersnappers don't. For instance the top of the line, cutting edge, do it all data system at our office crashed and burned this week! Many are still hysterically searching for names & phone numbers and contract tracking reports as the IT heads try to restore what we can no longer function without. I love my big fat paper backup files!
Paul,
Wow,
Probably late to the comment board, but what a great post.
Its funny we have a guy in my office that some would call the dinosaur for the ways he put his loans together. I go to this guy almost daily now for great advice.
Funny how life does a 360. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Paul - I always enjoy reading your posts and this one was no exception. With technology advancing as quickly as it is today, it is tough to try and stay on top of everything - no matter how open (or not) you are to all of the changes. Thanks!