Western Mass Homes Lesley Lambert

Lesley's Life

Define Tech Savvy

 

This week I received my first really nasty comment on my blog.

 

English: iPad tablet
Image via Wikipedia

My first instinct was to delete and ignore.  My mother always warned me that engaging with angry people is fruitless and much like poking a tiger.

My second thought was, wait, there is a blog post here.  It might be a sort of blogger’s illness that I want to turn everything into a blog post, but I really want to explore the question that this nasty comment brought up and I want your input, too.

Do me a favor, though?   Make the comments a bit less nasty.  On second thought, maybe I find nasty comments inspiring.

Without further ado, here is the aforementioned comment:

The fact that you have facebook, twitter and a blog doesn’t make you tech saavy it makes you like everyone else in the world including my 10 year old nephew. Do you know XML? PHP? C+? Ruby on Rails? CSS? I didn’t think so. You real estate agents are pathetic.

I used that quote directly via cut and paste and left the bad spelling in place but I do know how to spell SAVVY.

Now, I CAN actually do some amateur coding, but I really don’t see how that is relevant to being a tech savvy real estate agent.  Is Ruby on Rails going to assist me when negotiating a contract?  Do I need to know CSS to assist a buyer client in finding their perfect home?

I use technology to be a more efficient and effective real estate agent in Western Massachusetts.

I define tech savvy as the ability to use technology to perform my job in a better way than I could without the technology.  I think my effective use of iPhone, iPad, a blog, cloud applications and social media does make me tech savvy.

How do you define Tech Savvy?

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When I Sit Still…

Balance
Image by LesleyLambert via Flickr

Since I knew what the word inertia meant, I have known that I have a problem with inertia.

Bodies in motion stay in motion.  Bodies in rest stay in rest.

So here is my problem.  I go and go and get it all done done done.  I do that and then I sit down.  I sit and I rest and I am tired and don’t want to get up, maybe ever.

Of course, I do get up.

I am running my family, my business and my business is linked to people’s family and I must.

I must, but I want to, too.  I want to work hard and I want to help my clients, but I also need to rest sometimes.

I am working on this and this weekend I took a picture that will remind me of this struggle for balance…

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Pushing Limits

Flowers as a thank you from my buyer today- ho...
Image by LesleyLambert via Flickr

I sit on my couch, virtually incapacitated from my workout and I am brought to thoughts of pushing my limits.

It seems to be the theme for my week in so many ways.

The workout was a boot camp at Expert Fitness in Westfield.  I have been working out there for a few months now and have done several boot camps, but this one pushed me to the brink of giving up….but, I didn’t.

Yesterday I met with my manager at Park Square Realty.  I requested the meeting with him because I  know I can work smarter and harder and I wanted his input. His suggestions were very good and they all require me to push my limits, or as he put it : “Go outside the Lesley box”.

I have been burning the candle at all four ends (what? your candle only has two?).  Today I allowed myself to take it easy.  I was productive and did all the work I needed to do, but I wasn’t rushing about making myself busy.  My boyfriend,Morriss,made my meals and I was offered the royal treatment. Until aforementioned boot camp, of course.  I pushed my limit by relaxing on a work day…I never do that.

I thought I was done after the workout, but I needed groceries so off to the store I went.  I didn’t want to cook, but the seasonal ingredients were speaking to me.  I bought butternut squash, bartlett pears, chicken, goat cheese and farro and made a yummy dinner.  I wanted to eat popcorn, but I pushed my limit and made the healthy and wonderful dinner.

I went online to do some work, but first checked Facebook and came face to face with some realities that I didn’t want to recognize.  I am pushing my limits in almost every way today….and I feel good.

 

 

 

 

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Antique Homes for Sale in Western MA and Beyond

exterior
Image by LesleyLambert via Flickr

I am a huge fan of historical and antique homes in Western Massachusetts and beyond.  I love visiting them, driving by them and representing them as a REALTOR.

On the latest edition of TREW (The Real Estate Wrapup) my co-host, Nick, and I discuss antique and historic homes.  The first segment was about two very different historic homes for sale.  One for $2 and the other for over four million dollars!

We went on to talk about the need for specialized marketing when selling an antique or historic home.  We both agreed that the advertising should tell the story of this home, not just the square footage and other normal details.

Financing can also be an issue with buying and selling a historic home in Western MA or anywhere.  We discussed some options that potential antique homebuyers might not have considered, but should.

Are you interested in historic and antique property, too?  Be sure to watch The Antique Home Edition of the TREW Show.

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On Social Media and Friendship

 

Clint Miller
Image by mike912mueller via Flickr

Since my early days of social media, I have been telling people what close bonds I have created with people who in many cases, I have never met face to face.

I have met clients, made friends and even met my own love: Morriss, via social media. There is something very powerful that can happen when you share yourself with others and it can truly change your life. I know my engagement with people on Twitter especially, has changed mine.

One of the first people that I got to know via social media was a guy named Clint Miller. Clint is a real estate lead generation specialist from Montana. He is a down and dirty, tell it like it is, REALLY real person. His genuine spirit shines through his writing on his blog, his Facebook statuses and his Tweets. I have spoken with Clint on the phone several times, but we have never met face to face.

He checks on me when I get quiet online (including once when my cat was stepping on my keyboard while I was out and sending odd tweets) and is a person that I count as a true friend.

Well, Clint has been dealing with some really bad stuff lately as he battles cancer and many of us have been wondering what we could do to help him in this difficult time. My friend Diane Haley Brooks asked Clint what he needed and his main concern was being able to Skype with his young boys while he was away for extended periods undergoing treatments.

Diane reached out to a group of us known as the TwitterQueens to see if we thought we could get enough people to contribute towards and iPad for Clint. A group of amazing people came to the front including: Diane Guercio, Debbie Kirkland, Chris Griffith, Amy Cesario, Kappy Mann, Cyndee Haydon, Audrey June-Forshey and myself.

We spent some time planning and shooting video for Clint (which Diane Guercio edited into a beautiful tribute) and then clicked send on the iPad. Clint received it yesterday and it was like Christmas for us! He was pretty excited, too!

I take the time to share this with you so that you understand the real power of social media…the potential for good and giving that exists in a way that never has before. My friend Diane Guercio said that she loves the fact that we live now because 30 years ago we probably wouldn’t know each other…isn’t that amazing?

I leave you today with a challenge:

Go onto Facebook or Twitter and say something nice to someone just because. See if someone seems sad and send them a private pick me up message. Offer to help, share a smile, be there and be open. Let me know what amazing things happen to you!

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