Coweta Fayette Real Estate & Newnan Homes for sale blog by Richard Weisser of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers

Richard you are so correct. If we don't stay ahead of the curve we will get run over. So much to learn and keep up on.

Yes this is true, however you could certainly flourishh as a photographer!  You've got a back up plan!!

Richard..... there will always be "old time" methods that never grow old....they work as well now as they did thirty+ years ago...and if more new agents became familiar with "some of those old methods" they'd make more money....they might even have a better understanding of our profession and how to market properly....

Richard-I've only been in the resale business for 10 years so don't know much about the past.  When I have an agent call and want to send me a legal size fax I know I've encoutered an agent who hasn't caught up with today's way of doing business. 

 

The easiest path is acceptance and adaptability .

resist either of them and you are in a heap of trouble.

I love listening to stories about the glory days of real estate.  This is only our fourth year, so we are fascinated to hear how "easy" it used to be.  

I, too, have heard the tales of how easy it was in real estate just four, five years ago. I don't mind working hard but man, those days sure sound a lot simpler.

We must adapt to survive - but it doesn't hurt to be knowledgeable about the old ways because some of those methods are still applicable today.

I wasn't in the biz yet in 2004-2005 (started in 2006) but from what I hear, it was more like agents were order takers than real estate consultants, because the market was so hot.  I never had it that good and I've always had to work hard for the money.  Nothing easy every lasts, so cherish the fact that you own and run your own business, have a flexible schedule and don't work for THE MAN - even if the "glory" days are long gone.

I think it'll be a long time before the "good ol days" return and if they do, they won't last long.  It's important for those still in this business to focus their efforts and realize that longevity is measured by how well we do in the hard times, not the good ones.

 

Hi Richard.  The market is the market...

We just need to keep pushing on...

Keep smiling!

Ken

Through it all the things that always stand out are the people who work consistently hard in whatever they do...Hard work has been turned into hardly working and the rewards are just not the same...Good one here

It is all relative.  Just think, some of today's kids are going to look back at these times as the good ole days!  Looking forward is the only direction!

If you need a good laugh, check out this sneak peek of a Real Estate clip from Modern Family

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/photo.php?v=10150581490923204.  I am sure, many of you are like me, & know agents in your market that are just like this. LOL Funny, the ones I know are actually blonde women as well...

Merv & Natalie

Richard, I agree with Barbara #3 about methods. That said worrying about how good business was during the boom is counter productive. 

Richard - You're right looking back will get us no place quick so onward and upward with the real estate we have today!  Congrats on the Feature.

I started working as a Realtor in 2007 so have no idea what the boom times were like.  But I do know that I did not have the luxury of developing any bad (or lazy) habits!  Great post!

Richard- looking back is ok as long as you don't linger there.  Learning from the past, bringing the "good" into the future is necessary.  But then we have to say this is today.  Get with the way it is now if you want to keep moving forward. 

You're right, what would be the point?  Besides, it seems so long ago now.

Hi Richard, learn to adapt, and learn to live in it, but learn to love it?  Not me, I love the good old days!

Jim...

And we never stop learning. THX.

Cindy...

It's one of my passions, and thank you so much for the support!

Barbara...

Do I sense an upcoming post about that? Thanks.

Josh...

You're welcome.

Cindy J...

Ten years makes you a survivor!!! Thanks.

Richard, life is full of change you need to remind them, not just in real estate either. Adapt or die.

Richard - As with other things in life, I prefer to believe that the best days lie ahead of us. Great post!

Hi Richard... Great post that gets one thinking....I, too, was around long before computers n cell phones ... When we got the weekly books and had to actually MAP out the 'routes' we would travel to show the homes... When we had to photograph the homes with FILM that had to be processed.... Hey... U got me thinking about a topic for a blog!!!!! Thanks... Marianne

Seems the only constant is that there will be change. And many of the "tools" we have now to help us be productive sure beat those from the "glory days.". Besides - they couldn't have been glory days if they were before Active Rain, right??

Too old to quit. Too dumb to do anything else! Adapt and survive. Keep on movin'.

Life is a learning experience. It is the only way to mature.  Only then are we able to nurture the babies new agents.

BTW, great photo.

Richard, very well said! There are a few people that I know who need to read this blog! 

Richard: Thanks. Living in the present is key. That's reality anyway. Thanks again for the post1

This post is so true Richard. You must grow and be willing to change with the times.

 

Good Post Richard, I feel I am always behind and continuing to 'catch up'.  Now it's multiple social media outlets.

(back into history) One day, I'm at an open house and a buyer walks in, says "you're and AGENT and you don't have a CELLULAR PHONE!!!?  So, next day, I went out and bought my first cellular.  it was the big giant "BRICK" from Motorola.  Cost me $1400 and the going rate was $1.00 per minute.

Richard...My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there...The past is behind me.

I am looking forward to the new glory days.  Thiose will be when the bills are paid and I have an extra dollar in my pocket.

Richard:  And then there are those of us that have lived through many cycles of glory days ... to bust.  If I've learned anything over 35 years in this business, it's that real estate is cyclical.  This downturn has been severe, no doubt about it.  But it too shall pass ... I believe that and know that from experience ...

Gene

Hi Richard....Congratulations on your feature. Some of the Old ways are Still New, like building relationships with Real People over Coffee or Lunch and ask how you can help them. Having said that there are no Silver Bullets, we need to be everywhere with our marketing and lead generation and Follow up..One of the old Ways that is at the Top of any Realtors To Do List is ....Time Management...Plan Your Day

Ricahrd I picked up a basketball the other day and after the first shot  all my glory day memories faded. Good post guy and very on target

It is ok to reflect on the old days as long as we are producing right now. Always improve

Richard,

I love your phrase "we must learn to love it"

Very true

Thanks!

Change is a constant thing that is hard for some people to grasp.  Once we learn to embrace change things are better.  I am still trying!

I think innovation is fine but I agree with some of the other commentors ; the old methods that are tried and true stand the test of time. It is all about effective communication and building relationships

ah the good old days where you just had to pop a sign on the yard and then fight off the buyers and their agents...

 

Fun and I have to admit I am one of the "old timers" and yes I agree you have to move with the times....but I still feel very strong about the old fashion core values....service never goes out of style...

So many new agents I see dont respect the basic Common Courtesies ... bottom line... I see many "old times" that dont use computers and put many new agents to shame... its all about the relationship.... modern tools are just that ...tools

How right you are. This applies not only to the real estate industry, but to any industry and even our personal lives. You've got to move with the times.

Gretchen

Every industry has changed but I'm not sure it's for the better.  Was there more honesty, integrity, courtesy, pride in workmanship in the "glory days"?

I'm sure many agents miss the old days. I, for one, am happy with the new way to do business.

I think it is good to keep some of the "old" things that work... and celebrate the new!  Somethings never change... a high level of professionalism, relationships and service.

Oh my gosh....visions of word perfect 3.1, black and white MLS books, typewritten contracts and our first fax machine w/rolls of paper are dancing through my head.  I started in 1993. 

I cannot believe how much time I spend on a computer. 

Nice photo. Now then, thanks for reminding me of the good old days. Kidding, of course. Rats.

Richard - I'm with Erica.  It was fun to put a sign in the yard and let the buyers fight for it, but that doesn't exist any more.

Richard:

Things have changed.  We do have a new reality and we must adjust to survive.  That doesn't mean that we have to change what we have done in the past if it is still working. 

Richard

No one can argue that things have changed. Know your niche.

I'm lucky enough to not have been in real estate during that period.  So, all I hear is about the 'good old days' from those that were around.  But. I've heard that from every profession I've ever been in.

I started after those 'glory days.' Clearly you still love what you do! :))

I think it's important to keep the good take-aways/lessons learned/tactics that are still relevant from the good old days and combine them with the new, fresh approaches. Kind of the best of both worlds...and some of those "good old days" remedies still work very well today...what's old can become new, and not everyone wants to learn about a new listing by scanning a QR code. Variety, mixing old with new, ensures you're not missing a valuable market niche.

Good morning Richard,

I believe a blend of the old and new is a great mix - if you know what happened in the past, you can gauge the viability of the new technology, forms, attitudes.  One must stay current to be relevant and successful, but without the knowledge of history you won't understand the big picture.

Richard there are still some old time parts of real estate that will outlive many ne agents such as answering your phone, returning messages and actually providing service to your clients. The good ole days are happening right now with inventor being down and sales up this was the busiest winter season in 25 years of real estate. Thanks for the great blog with a nice conversation.

This is just a great post, and coincidentally I was just reading "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart" (which is very good, by the way), and wanted to copy one of the paragraphs here:

27) The only real paradises are those we have lost.  Nostalgia for an idealized past is common and usually harmless.  Memory can, however, distort our attemtps to come to terms with the the present.  When people speak wistfully of the way things used to be, it is almost always in contrast to what is happening now and relfects a kind of gloom about the future.

It is interesting to me how many agents who have been in the business a long time, mention answering phones as an old school standard that new agents don't maintain. I think that there may have been calls ringing off the hook with no one in the office to answer them and no voicemail to pick up either. And there may have been the agents who never picked up their phones back then either, but they didn't survive because they didnt have so many REO listings that had only be client they needed to service. I know that when my father passed away we started talking about him like he was a saint. I think it drove my mother crazy. He had his faults too. It is fun to look back for a moment especially to appreciate the things we have now. I for one can barely imagine real estate without a cell phone. I respect those who were in the business before cell phones, but if you don't have one now, it's time to get one!

Back when we were just taking buyers orders and filling them, anyone could do real estate.  If there's a silver lining to the crash at all it's that it thinned the herd.

Richard, i am late to this partee but i never had the 'glory' days in real estate since i got in late 2006 from the financial world...i'm waiting...

Especially in this business--it's an ever moving field and we have to stay on top of the changes and adjust. If not, you fall to the way side.

Richard,

I haven't been in the business long enough to know about the "glory days". But everything in business is cyclical. There are highs and lows constantly. We are experiencing a low right now, but that low will not last forever.

I call them "old school" realtors. Here's to hoping they retire soon....

These are the good ole days!! Real estate has never been more rewarding that it is now. I far prefer today's market over the boom.

The good old days when I actually got to sell real estate instead of stare at a computer portal....

I never went through those old glory days, since I didn't start until 2007.  I feel like I am right now coming into my first glory days.  I've never been as active as I am now.  It's starting to look really good, from my perspective!

Hi Richard, I agree!  My broker refers to those times as the days of order taking.  Fortunately I got into this business after that and had to learn the hard way.  Consequently, I am doing nearly the best in my market.

Regardless of your past, it's your attitude that propels your altitude. My motto is control the controllables and be ready to adapt as the landscape changes.

If that's a current picture you look to young to be calling yourself an "old-timer":)

It is definitely unproductive living in the past but it can afford you experience for the future.  Living in the now is definitely a healthier attitude.

Richard,

My response was so long that I turned it into a post. The Glory Days were great but there are more Glory Days today and in the future.

I think many of us look back on many things as the Glory Days.  They often become better with memory than they were at the time.  Live in the moment.

Hi Richard, Very true post. We must learn something new every day. It is impossible to stay in the same place. We are either progressing or falling behind. Many of the people talking about the past are not moving ahead.

Those of us who jumped in 2006, 2007 and later are really the lucky ones, we never had it easy.

Hi Richard! Cue the music....."These ARE the good old days!" My business was thriving last year despite our slow market. I hope for a better one for all of us this year and many years to come. I will be listing 2 homes today due to some mailers I sent out last week.  I think you can use old methods and create new glory days. Great post!

You summed it up. It is what it is. You have to adapt or retire.

Richard ~ it is what it is and the glory days are gone but the world of technology has improved the Real Estate transaction tremendously!

I have to agree with you but at least back then I spent more time working with people than staring at a computer screen.

This is the new norm. I like the new tech tools and mobility opportunities as one big plus.

Like I always say....Improve, renew, and move forward!