Technology, Safety and Community

I juST LOvE fALL. ANd whAT BETTER wAy TO BEgIN ThE SEASON ThAN wITh A STAy IN ThE BEAuTIfuL MOuNTAINS Of NORTh CAROLINA. I hOpE yOu wERE ABLE TO ATTENd OuR CONvENTION & ExpO IN AShEvILLE, N.C., ANd fOR ThOSE Of yOu ThAT dId, I hOpE yOu hAd A wONdERfuL TIME

While at The Omni Grove Park Inn for our Convention, you probably spent some time at the trade show, looking for new and exciting ideas for your business. We are always looking to enhance the technology aspect of our lives as REALTORS®. Remember, it was not that long ago that we stepped into the technology age. Do you remember New Year’s Eve 1999? We were all holding our breaths for Y2K. In my office I got picked on a lot for my lack of technology skills back then. I would always tell everyone that the CD drive in my tower was really the cup holder for my morning coffee. That always put it into perspective as to how much I still had to learn. But now I can hold my own, sort of. We have so much going for us now, thanks to technology. We have better ways to service our clients and better ways to communicate on a large scale. It is fun to keep up with the latest and greatest.

And speaking of keeping up, it is important for us to stay a breast of industry news. September is REALTOR® safety month and a good time to reflect on safety practices as we go about our daily lives. We raise our children to be aware of strangers and then we turn on the news to hear that a family friend has killed two members of a family and kidnapped the young daughter. “Stranger danger” is not the true definition of what we all face. As REALTORS®, we face situations every day that could potentially be cause for a serious problem. How do you protect yourself? How do you make sure you are aware of your surroundings?

As you show property to clients, are you sure that they are not just using you to gain access to a home they will later come back and rob? Think about it. The wife goes to the kitchen and the husband heads to the garage. One of them is alone and would have the opportunity to unlock a window. Do you insist that they both stay with you?

Many times we are alone with people we do not know in our car. Please, never let someone convince you that they need to drive. If they want to drive, then let them follow you. Do not get in their car. Please take the time to have a plan. Always let someone know where you will be, and who you will be with.

We have had the opportunity this year to work together on some very important issues. Thank you all for everything you have done. We have also had opportunities to help and support one another, help and support our communities, schools, churches and many other community service projects. REALTORS® are an important part of the success in any community. It is all because you see the big picture. When you work to make one small aspect better, you inevitably make the whole better. The basic foundation of Working to Protect and Promote Private Property Rights and Ownership is something of which I am always proud to be a part. Let’s continue to work together to make things better for our local communities and our state. It is worth the effort.

Patrice Willetts

Key Dates in the Coming Months

By BLAIR wILBuRN EDITOR