Real Estate Sales and Marketing...How Things have changed!!

By Erwin Sigua

The pursuit of Happiness Guy!!

Chris Gardner, the person played by Will Smith in the Pursuit of Happiness movie a few years back, exemplifies the very meaning and definition of what it takes to make it in sales and life. As a young man who practically raised his son by selling door to door medical equipments, he had limited choices and resources to make a "standard American Living". From Sleeping in subway bathrooms to homeless shelter, he never gave up believing that someday he will be somebody for his son and for himself. He walked the streets and sold on the streets. Until one day, he got his break by being in stocks with a financial service firm.
Selling and Marketing sure have changed from those days..

Before, It took heart, determination, and a sense of purpose to why we have to push ourselves out of bed each day and try to sell people the products we offer. Now a days, with the advent of internet marketing, we push a button and voila, we just sent over 500 email letters to random people we don't know and hope atleast one of them will respond to our inquiries. Back then, Chris Gardner had an intimate relationship with his clients, face to face, mano y mano. Now, we brag to our friends how we tweet our way in the afternoon and call it "Marketing".
My Question is, should we think that this "new generation" of sales and marketing replace the "old" ways of doing things?

As you know, I am a young guy myself (I'm in my early 30's) with a minor college degree in Computer Information Systems. Emails, Spam mails, websites, blogs, tweets, facebooks, etc, you name it I am on it. However, when I work in Real Estate, I find the fascination and excitement of what a face to face, relationship-building sales and marketing brings (Note to Geeks, i am not referring to online chats!!).

I sometime envy the Baby Boomers and watch them work the field of dreams (aka. Real Estate selling) and how they prioritize their clients. Many Boomers will go to their clients home, go present offers to other agents directly, and treat clients out for dinner. Now, the younger (not all) X'ers and Y'ers agents would just rather send email contracts across the web, while holding an X-Box Live controller. Many would rather send 1000 postcard emails of MLS homes and ask their client to view it virtual tours. Mannn... Isn't what Real Estate agents suppose to do is meet, greet, drive, and show???

How Things surely have changed...