Just fax it.
“Just fax it.”
Those were the words that began the technological revolution for me. While certainly not as poignant as the sentence spoken forty years ago by the Apollo 11 crew, “Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed.”, this phrase has nevertheless been a milestone as our company navigated the increasing barrage of technological opportunities available.
The year was 1987. Our firm was developing an industrial building in the LaGrange Industrial Park for a new industry relocating to LaGrange from California. One of the company executives, wanting to see how their proposed new facility would lay out on the site, called and requested a copy of the siteplan. Eager to oblige, I responded that the plan would be in the mail that day and to please allow three days for delivery.
At this point, he uttered those unforgettable words, “Just fax it.” “Certainly”, I replied without hesitation.
The conversation soon ended and in more than a small panic I began to query sources more knowledgeable than I – “What is a fax?!” After several unsuccessful attempts at answering the question, one of our local legal eagles provided the answer. No doubt he had some contact with big city firms who had exposed him to this new phenomenon.
The barrage of questions went something like this – “What is a fax?”, “How long does a fax take to get from here to California?”, “How do you fax?”, “How does it work?”, “What does a fax cost?”. The most compelling question of all was almost overlooked in the conversation, “Do you know where I can find a fax machine?”.
After more than a little trial and error, we determined that LaGrange actually had a fax machine, probably ONLY one, at the C&S Bank on Main Street. Being a loyal customer who made regular payments in order to ensure the solvency of our enterprise, the bank gladly complied and tendered the use of their fax machine.
Our first fax was sent. Miraculous! For our firm, the technological revolution was in full swing. By the way, I believe that the fax helped to seal the deal. After a few minor siteplan revisions, the project moved forward.
As a college student in the early ‘70s, simple computers filled rooms that were as large as my wife’s closet. We could feel that the cadence of technological accomplishments was definitely accelerating.
Following the fax came car phones – large boxy affairs that were installed in the trunks of cars. What a convenience for Realtors, many of whom practically lived in their cars! The early trunk-mounted behemoths quickly evolved into the indispensable cellphones, Blackberries™ Ipods™ and other ubiquitous and sometimes annoying devices that are now embroiled in our everyday routines.
The new technologies all chiseled away at the accepted way that business was conducted for many years. All however, paled in comparison to the revolution ushered in by the game changer commonly known as The Internet.
Yes, the Information Age is upon us. The internet has evolved to the point where it allows businesses to effectively and efficiently extend their reach literally worldwide.
Consumers have embraced the convenience and data gathering benefits from this technology. The ongoing challenge for all businesses is to effectively adapt their business models in order to provide the level of 24-7 information that consumers now demand.
According to Realtor.com™, 87% of homebuyers now begin their quest for a new home on the internet. Our experience locally also confirms this.
Homebuyers are well informed when they begin a home search. For folks transferring to our area, the internet is employed to learn local real estate market values, establish the availability of homes, research the school system, understand local government, and to, among other things, determine where to sign up for utilities.
In response to the ongoing Information Age revolution, this firm is making a dramatic change in the way that our properties and other information are disseminated to our customers and the general public.
Among the recent changes include Lead Router™, Realtor.com enhancements and the recent re-launch of the company’s website. We are proud to report that our website is consistently ranked by national search engines as the local leader in providing timely and accurate market information.
The purpose for this article today is to announce the launch of the newest technological tool by our firm – the blog. After months of discussion regarding how to do it, how often to change it and what to put in it, as of this inaugural article we are off and running.
Our goal, upon entering the blogosphere, will be to provide the reader with timely market information, facts about the local area and items of general interest that we believe will make you a more informed buyer or seller. You can expect frequent updates with current information.
Thanks for visiting our website. We hope that you will come back often. Please let us know if the information posted on our blog is beneficial or, if there are other aspects of the market that you may need to be informed about.
Blue Skies and Soft Landings toYou,
Roy Spinks