08
Jan
2022
Active Rain Challenge 100 things lost to the internet
Gary Frimmann and Kathleen Daniels posted a challenge to active Rain about the 100 things we lost to the internet and the biggest changes the internet has brought to our real estate business. I got my first real estate license in 1985. I was one of the only geeks around that owned a commodore 64 and boy was I good, I could program that pup to say HELLO one hundred times. Yippee As for anything useful I would have to wait another decade and the typewriter was my go-to professional tool. Listings were printed in thick mls books resembling old phone books every 2 weeks. Now nobody even uses phone books, we just google it. I would probably be hard pressed to find anyone that owns a full set of leather bound encyclopedias. Contracts were written on triplicate packs with carbon paper in between. We would write it up, tear off a copy for the client, one for us and one for the office. (There are times I miss that one) All the transaction notes were written on the envelope at the office. 
Farm packages were printed on continuous paper with the names, address and phone number and the book number where we could go to the county and research the map. Our database was comprised of color coded 3×5 index cards in recipe boxes and rolodexes. Appointments were written on daily calendars and we all maintained our tickler files so we never forgot to follow up. Most things were sent out via snail mail and everything took at least a week to get back to us usually two. 
We had special round keys for the lock boxes and the threat of jail time and huge fines if we lost the key, because every single lock box in the county would have to have the lock changed. Property photos were taken with film cameras and sent in to develop and then photos sent to the mls and to the local paper and magazines. The average house sale was under 50k and being in the million dollar club was a BIG deal.
All property inquiries and communication went to the office phone and once a day agents would go to a payphone for a dime and collect messages and call everyone back. Appointments were almost always at the office to avoid misconnections and the agent always drove clients to each showing. The office had a Mimeograph machine for the first year and then we upgraded to a photocopier machine. WOW!
Fast forward through the stage of big bulky car phones, fax machines, pagers. Finally the office had one computer that could pull 1 printout of a hotsheet that we could look at and write down notes. 
Finally came emails, scans, websites, digital calendars, listing syndication, google maps, computerized listing searches, social media, blogging. We take photos and videos on our cell phones and create 3 D virtual tours with doll house floor plans with measurements. We can fly over properties and send aerial views to our clients, attend zoom showings, meetings and classes. We post on facebook, youtube, google business, pinterest, linked in and our blogs so that our clients can find us and know us before ever meeting us face to face. We network across the country and build relationships and resources nationwide. We have smart phones, that pull up listings, scans documents, schedule showings, lets our clients sign on our tablets, and text for quick information. We use our phones with onx hunt apps to find property corners or to get emergency text logs of where the accidents are so we can avoid that route. If I had to name just one thing that was the biggest change it would be that we have the world at our fingertips to do our jobs well and the ability to take incredible care of our clients needs. Rain Silverhawk
Farm packages were printed on continuous paper with the names, address and phone number and the book number where we could go to the county and research the map. Our database was comprised of color coded 3×5 index cards in recipe boxes and rolodexes. Appointments were written on daily calendars and we all maintained our tickler files so we never forgot to follow up. Most things were sent out via snail mail and everything took at least a week to get back to us usually two. We had special round keys for the lock boxes and the threat of jail time and huge fines if we lost the key, because every single lock box in the county would have to have the lock changed. Property photos were taken with film cameras and sent in to develop and then photos sent to the mls and to the local paper and magazines. The average house sale was under 50k and being in the million dollar club was a BIG deal.All property inquiries and communication went to the office phone and once a day agents would go to a payphone for a dime and collect messages and call everyone back. Appointments were almost always at the office to avoid misconnections and the agent always drove clients to each showing. The office had a Mimeograph machine for the first year and then we upgraded to a photocopier machine. WOW! Fast forward through the stage of big bulky car phones, fax machines, pagers. Finally the office had one computer that could pull 1 printout of a hotsheet that we could look at and write down notes. Finally came emails, scans, websites, digital calendars, listing syndication, google maps, computerized listing searches, social media, blogging. We take photos and videos on our cell phones and create 3 D virtual tours with doll house floor plans with measurements. We can fly over properties and send aerial views to our clients, attend zoom showings, meetings and classes. We post on facebook, youtube, google business, pinterest, linked in and our blogs so that our clients can find us and know us before ever meeting us face to face. We network across the country and build relationships and resources nationwide. We have smart phones, that pull up listings, scans documents, schedule showings, lets our clients sign on our tablets, and text for quick information. We use our phones with onx hunt apps to find property corners or to get emergency text logs of where the accidents are so we can avoid that route. If I had to name just one thing that was the biggest change it would be that we have the world at our fingertips to do our jobs well and the ability to take incredible care of our clients needs. Rain Silverhawk
Come See Listings or more about Rain Silverhawk at
http://www.northidahosandpoint.com
http://www.sandpointlisting.com
rain@lakeandhomes.comRain Silverhawk RealtorSandpoint Realty LLC1205 Hwy 2 STE 203 B | Sandpoint, ID. 83864 Phone (208) 610-0011
Share this:
[top]
