As licensed salespersons with the State of New York we must complete 23 hours of continuing education every two years. This can be done online or in classes. I much prefer the classes: give and take, questions, getting more than the outline of a course. Plus, since I work from home a lot, I like getting out and seeing people in a classroom setting. For these reasons I've traveled to Watertown, Ithaca and Saratoga to take classes which interest me.
One of my favorite teachers is Randy Templeman. He knows so much from years of experience in his own brokerage and as a presenter. It came up in class that he may sleep only rarely, he does so much. He is entertaining but the wealth of knowledge! Oh my! Over the 8 instruction hours I took 10 pages of notes. And those notes were to remind me of the information he imparted outside of the 127-page book. Plus my own notes about what I wanted to do as a result of this class.
Some of those notes follow, mostly paraphrased:
"We are no longer in the information business but rather in the interpretation business."
The average age of Realtors is 57. Only 5% are under 30.
Marketing cannot be "spray and pray."
"Whether you rent or whether you buy, you will pay for your living space."
"Today people research on their own for 3-4 months, then find a Realtor to help them."
I learned overall more than I ever needed or wanted to know about social media. I need to sleep, and I like staying in touch with my clients through direct, personalized contact. I send notes, e-mail, call, and see people as they walk by the office (at 32 East Genesee Street, by the way). My clients have become friends - I know about their lives and they know about mine. Skaneateles is still a small town. I like that, just as I liked Saratoga. I will market, yes. But I also know in the end it is the personal connection that counts for me.
Randy will be back in April and June to the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors office in North Syracuse. I will be too.
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