We go about our business, most of us, very quietly, with an attempt at dignity. One foot in front of the other, moving forward, striving, reaching, yearning to be the best we can be. We want to provide for our families, do right and do well for our clients. We want to put our heads down on our pillows at night, satisfied with the day’s work, and wake up the following morning excited to do it all again.
We don’t, most of us, want to be rock stars in the blogiverse. We want, most of us, to be appreciated for what we can offer, allowed to give freely without grief, and left to go quietly about our business.
I don’t agree with everything written on real estate blogs, and I don’t much like some of it, but the people who read these national blogs, the people I meet at Unchained, and the real estate professionals who email me to share their own triumphs- these people are inspiring. They are just like me, quietly going about our business, picking up information like sponges, moving forward, learning, striving, laughing, loving- just people, just real estate agents (without big hair).
I’m disturbed by the idea of a NAR Social Media Director, when I think about it. But the thing is, I don’t think about it. I don’t care. I don’t wish the new SMD any ill will, I don’t wish them anything at all because it really doesn’t matter to me. By the way, I’m going to call this position The SMeD, just because it makes me giggle.
So The SMeD will have a job to do, but none of it matters to me because I have my job to do, and as Greg points out, “All we have to do is keep doing what we’ve been doing — and keep getting better at it — and the Boojum under the bed will be gone forever.”
I’ve always believed this, and it’s always proved true. Anything that we have given power to, in our own minds, can easily be dethroned, defrocked, destroyed, by doing exactly what we do so well every single day of our lives– putting one foot in front of the other, striving, improving, growing, sharing, laughing, loving… SMeD or no SMeD, just us, each one of us, quietly going about our business.
Melissa says:
Thanks for this simple truth, Teri. My philosophy has always been simple — suit up, show up, do your best, don’t take things personally, try not to control the outcome. The money always follows.
February 24, 2009 — 8:51 pm
Sean Purcell says:
I’m going to call this position The SMeD, just because it makes me giggle
Priceless…
February 24, 2009 — 9:50 pm
Breckenridge Realtor says:
A NAR Social Media Director, what about the NAR hiring someone who really knows information technologies and pushing 3rd party real estate websites from competing with us realtors using data the NAR would not allow us to display on our publicly viewed websites. Stats, information about buyers and sellers are all aggregated data as defined by the NAR, and it is not allowed for any of us to display legally on our websites. Or maybe the NAR can level the field and give us the permission to do so.
Social media director! Just another way to waste our membership money. Once 3rd party non realties websites have collected the data and built all the final tools to research any property on the planet, they will have a valid proof that real estate agents don’t have the ability to provide as good of information to the buyers as they can and we will lose our jobs forever to automated virtual realties.
February 24, 2009 — 10:22 pm
Ann Cummings says:
Quietly and with dignity going about our jobs in the best ways we know how – I must say it was quite refreshing to read this post as so much these days seems to be so negative and down-your-throat kind of rhetoric.
I don’t care about The SMeD either – what’s the point? By the time that person comes along, the whole social media world will likely have changed entirely, and then what? Things that lumber like an elephant really have little to no chance of being all that relevant…or do they?
February 25, 2009 — 4:09 am
Teri Lussier says:
Hi Melissa-
I like your philosophy very much, “suit up, show up, do your best, don’t take things personally, try not to control the outcome” although I admit I usually try exert at least a little control over the outcome. 🙂
February 25, 2009 — 6:09 am
Teri Lussier says:
Sean
😀
February 25, 2009 — 6:12 am
Teri Lussier says:
Breckenridge-
>what about the NAR hiring someone who really knows information technologies and pushing 3rd party real estate websites from competing with us realtors using data the NAR would not allow us to display on our publicly viewed websites.
Who’s to say The SMeD won’t do that? I have not heard many details of what is involved in this position, but that may very well be part of their job description. The NAR might be very earnest about helping their flock, and this is part of it. Personally, I doubt it, but I do like to give people/entities/massive organizations, the opportunity to prove me wrong. I really don’t want to be right about this…
>we will lose our jobs forever to automated virtual realties.
I can’t see that happening in the near future, here’s why: When it comes to buying or selling property, most people, not all, but most people still prefer to seek out professional help.
That won’t go away soon, just because someone can look at a lot of information on a computer. Might go away someday, but not soon.
>Social media director! Just another way to waste our membership money.
Can’t argue that.
February 25, 2009 — 6:33 am
Teri Lussier says:
Ann-
I’m honored you found this refreshing- you are one of the people I’m most inspired by, and your professionalism, dignity, and intelligence are exactly what I was referring to.
>Things that lumber like an elephant really have little to no chance of being all that relevant…or do they?
No, they don’t. Relevance is in the eye of the beholder. Believe Greg, “All we have to do is keep doing what we’ve been doing — and keep getting better at it — and the Boojum under the bed will be gone forever.”
We are our own PR firms. We have more impact on our own backyards than any bureaucracy could ever hope for. You know that because everyday you are in contact with people, eyeball to eyeball, helping them, counseling them, providing a service that they value. The opportunity for each of us to have a positive and long-lasting impact in our own neighborhoods, cannot be touched by any national PR campaign.
That’s our strength, that’s our power, we need to focus on that because that’s where the Boojum can’t reach.
February 25, 2009 — 6:47 am
Vance Shutes says:
Teri,
“Do what you love, the money will follow.” Was, is, and always will be true. Although, “…suit up, show up, do your best…” also has a nice ring to it, too.
February 25, 2009 — 5:28 pm