Technology

A few years ago I met a Realtor in Alabama who told me about the old days. Listings were not shared and were the sole property of the brokerage. If you took a listing the photo was displayed in the window of your office and you controlled the information and access. I suppose Polaroids would have been considered the new technology. (The agents also earned 10% commissions, with emphasis on the "earned," I presume.)

After spending a couple days wrestling with my new smartphone I was reminded time and again that the technology is only as good as the people who use it or interpret it. I am not literate in the ways of computers, being dragged kicking and scratching into the 1990's. Once there, I'm fine - writing on computers gave me my "voice," as I've often said, because I could type as quickly as I thought. It was also more legible. Now here's the smartphone, ready to free me from the confines of the office so I can work anywhere, but I'm still trapped by the human element, primarily me.

But I made it through the gates, I think! This afternoon I drove out to some land and took a photo with my phone which I sent to my client, who e-mailed me to thank me. I checked the listings after a cell phone call and will show property my clients called in to see tomorrow. I'll be able to get into the house with the same phone, and the agent will see that I went there and read my review.

And while I was in technology hell, as I call it, aka the installation process, our administrative assistant stood by me with helpful ideas, another agent yelled "Call for support!" until I did and they found the glitsch.

We will always need people - to invent and screw up and repair and use what they invented.