Yesterday was the 2011 San Francisco Association of Realtors (SFAR) Member Appreciation Day (Dec 8). It was a great event held at St. Mary’s Cathedral and it was packed with agents and brokers. As you would imagine there was a wealth of knowledge being shared as we spent our day listening to experts talk about various forms of technology, trends, and advancements in the business. Let’s face it, this business changes rapidly and to stay on top of things you need to be educated and have a working knowledge of these changes. Here are some things I took from yesterdays’ event:
First, let’s talk technology. Products like Apple’s iPad is out in full force and being used by many an agent these days. There are several Apps (applications) that are extremely useful for agents and their clients but also kind to the environment (Think paperless document signing, etc.). I don’t know about you but I’m a big fan of this planet and as “crunchy” or as “hippy” as it may sound, I’m going to do my best to leave the smallest carbon footprint I can while I’m here all while making workflow easier. Count me in!
Social Media. Now that’s a great topic and one that we could talk about forever. Whether you like or dislike using it, it is here to stay and playing a significant role in our lives. What it does for real estate and other business is help encourage the sharing of information, and by doing so, increases our knowledge about every topic imaginable and that’s a great thing. Knowledge is power and to keep this country great we need to stay educated. Social media in the form of blogging and using platforms like Twitter are also something that your author is trying to get better at so please tell me how I can improve…be gentle.
Economic Outlook. Oh yeah, the topic no one either wants to hear about or is just completely in the dark about. First, consider news sources. With so many different opinions about our economic status and future it’s hard to separate truth from fiction. My favorite speaker of the day was Dr. Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, one of California’s leading economic forecasters. He put many things in perspective for me. First, many of us hear a news source and consider it factual. We relay it to those around us and eventually it becomes truth. For me, I’d rather skip all the hype on television and simply get to the facts. You remember those, right? I can’t get into lengthy details here but some of the topics Dr. Thornberg discussed were key economic indicators for the real estate market’s future and the effects that public policies and political maneuvering can have on economic growth. Bottom line, things aren’t as bad as some would like you to believe. In fact, when looking at our economy and the world of real estate historically, we’re doing pretty darn well.
Do yourself a favor and look for Dr. Thornberg in places like the Wall Street Journal or the NY Times and listen to what he has to say. Or, start here: http://www.beaconeconomics.com/people/c_thornberg.html
For more information on SFAR or real estate in SOMA, South Beach, Mission Bay, and Potrero Hill turn to area expert Gabriel Rojas at 415-562-6999 or via email at Gabriel@climbsf.com.
Climb Real Estate provides this information to the public and our clients and does not guarantee its accuracy. Climb Real Estate does not necessarily represent the seller nor the marketing company in any way. For buyer representation, contact Climb or learn how to buy new developments.
