Lifestyle and Technology: People are talking about you!!
March 12th, 2010 categories: Around TORONTO, Business, Food, Technology
Last Summer a group of us techno-weenies were in San Francisco for a Conference and wanted to go out for a great dinner. After some discussion we decided on Chinese food and rather than walking aimlessly through Chinatown, we decided to YELP the restaurant.
For those of you who have not YELPED before…Yelp is a website that is a repository of peer reviews, mashed with GPS . It uses the GPS to find you, allows you to search under numerous categories for whatever service you are looking for and once you start narrowing down your search offers up peer reviews to help you make your decisions.
That night we ended up only a few blocks from the Hotel we were staying at, ate in a very non-descript inexpensive Restaurant and had one of the best meals of the trip. We based our choice on the peer reviews and on leaving could have added our own views on the experience to the Yelp web site with photos.
Now I am a confirmed Yelper. I have downloaded the Yelp app to my Blackberry and have a profile that you can visit, become my friend or leave a review of my work as a REALTOR. Check it out in your area and write some reviews to help build the content that will make it a more valuable tool as time goes by. Get out there and start YELPING !!
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REAL ESTATE: January 2010 Article in “Today’s Buyer’s Rep”.
February 9th, 2010 categories: Business, Real Estate, Technology
Almost a year ago I travelled to Chicago to sit in on a day of “rebooting” a course offered by REBAC, the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council of the National Association of REALTORS. The course was called Innovative Marketing and after a day of meetings and numerous subject matter discussions the course was relaunched in November of 2009.
“REBAC is the world’s largest organization of real estate professionals focusing on BUYER representation. By providing specialized training and ongoing skill development, REBAC helps its members—and the home buyers who work with them—experience more successful real estate transactions.”
Since last year I have sat on the Advisory Council of REBAC and in early December 2009 was interviewed for the article attached, both a great honour. Hope you enjoy the read..it will give you a sense of how our business has changed in the past years…to read it easily you may choose the full screen version.
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Downtown Toronto News Is Up and Running!
February 2nd, 2010 categories: Around TORONTO, Downtown Toronto, Listings, Toronto
www.DowntownTorontoNews.com
Every morning I get up, head to the front door, pick up my Globe and Mail and skip happily to the Toronto Section. What happens in the rest of the world and the world economy is important, but nothing engages me like breaking new in Toronto. Sadly, I find myself with the feeling that I am missing a lot of the Toronto goings-on, and head to the Internet going to several sources to keep up to date. Read the rest of this entry »
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Impressions of REBarCampNYC and Inman Connect NYC 2010!
January 22nd, 2010 categories: Business, Economy, Real Estate, Technology, Travel
So I have been home a week and trying to make sense of all the information that I gleaned in the four hectic days of meetings in New York City. Instead of the usual “Blow by Blow” and who said what, I will just give you some of my impressions:
First and foremost, the four days were all about Social Media . Like it or not, just the way we used to say that Realtors with Technology will replace Realtors without it, now, Realtors and Brokers who have a Social Media presence will replace those who do not. As one of the speakers said, being a “Geek” is the norm and fashionable. Grandma’s are on Facebook , tweeting and showing off their new IPhone ! Read the rest of this entry »
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Lessons in Customer Service: Holland America’s Onboard Internet Service.
January 17th, 2010 categories: Business, Lifestyle, Technology, Travel
While on a Holland America Cruise recently, I messaged my Facebook and Twitter friends that I was enjoying the “Techspert” classes that they had on-board. Like a lot of Companies today, Holland America , is monitoring the Blogosphere and Tweetosphere and I heard back quickly that they “were happy I was enjoying myself”. My response was to tell them that although I was, I thought that their Internet charges ($100 for 250 minutes) were excessive in view of the poor service (back to the OLD dial-up days). Their response was “I’ll pass it on”.
Over the next weeks as complaints on-board grew and my Internet bill reached over $600.00, I again posted my thoughts and was told by the responder that they would “pass it on”. What does “pass it on” mean? Read the rest of this entry »
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New Year’s Resolutions 2010
January 1st, 2010 categories: Around TORONTO, Downtown Toronto, Economy, Lifestyle, Real Estate, Technology, Toronto
It is the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. At this time of year there is a natural tendency that I have had to make New Year’s resolutions. I’m sure that I am not that unusual and it is probably a trait that goes back through my family history. Was it a half-empty glass scenario?
So this morning, I was taking a nice long New Year’s walk…around the deck of a Cruise Ship as we are leaving Antarctica (not a bad life!). I challenged myself, as I routinely do to try to decide on changes that need to be made in my life. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Problem with REALTORS.
December 23rd, 2009 categories: Business, Lifestyle, Real Estate, Selling in Toronto
Before I even “go there“…let me first say that I am speaking totally on my own behalf and not in any of the positions that I hold in organized Real Estate. This is just some of my ramblings that come in go in my mind and need a Blog outlet, so please bear with me.
I began in the business 30 years ago and when I say “the business” I am referring to Real Estate or any other service industry. We had all been trained to strive to be the best in our field. Success equates to the sale of property, a satisfied Buyer, Seller or both. Read the rest of this entry »
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Hooked on Travel and My Video Pocket Camera.
December 17th, 2009 categories: Business, Economy, Lifestyle, Photos
Giving you an update for the next few weeks and talking about how much I love my Video Pocket Camera, a VadoHD by Creative Labs .
Any thoughts? Comments below?
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Technology: The Joys of Ping.fm
December 9th, 2009 categories: Business, Technology
The great news about Social Media is you have all these platforms to help get the word out…The bad news is that you have all these platforms to update. It forces you to rewrite or cut and paste updates into three, four or more sites.
Then along comes Ping.fm and I love it. It allows me to go to one dashboard, enter one update, and have it syndicated to all or a number of the Social Media platforms that you use (eight for me…at present). Read the rest of this entry »
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What I learned at National Association of REALTORS Conference San Diego 2009.
December 7th, 2009 categories: Business, Economy, Email, Lifestyle, Real Estate, Technology
REBarCampSD 2009:
We arrived a few days early and were able to take in some of the sites of San Diego and the REBarCamp San Diego thanks to the great work of Jim Marks and his team. REBarCamps are quite a phenomenon in the Real Estate Social Media World. They were begun by Todd Carpenter , Andy Kaufman , Mike Price and Brad Coy , four energetic and crazy guys who decided that a “Un-conference” that gathered the best minds in the field in a large space with lots of viewpoints for a day of discussion might be fun. Little did they know that the idea would grow with BarCamps held across the States in one year culminating in the largest, held at the nightclub “Stingaree” in San Diego? It was my forth in the past year, filled with knowledge, networking and great conversation. Read the rest of this entry »
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