Relocate to Wisconsin : Good News and Bad News ....Verify the "News"

  The good news and bad news for buyers and sellers...other realtors and allied professionals is the Internet..you have to wonder how any of us functioned without e-mail, assorted berry flavors, websites, blogs, sites to see and places to bookmark....it is all so second nature  to us now.

       The good news is that the information highway is wide open to research any topic...any neighborhood...statistics past and present...and help us make good decisions...attract buyers and sellers and learn more about our chosen areas of specialization...and the benefits of Active Rain to the members...to consumers...to the industry...applause.

         Sooo...what's the bad news ?  The bad news is that the internet can ....for a while ...allow you to pretend that you are someone you are not...to have sales you boast...that never happened...to have experience you claim that is not possible...to have abilities to service specific areas of the profession successfully.  You can blog a million points....face a zillion friends, link till you stretch out your imagined reputation into the far corners of the blogosphere...get endorsements from people who blindly believe the tales spun on a blog...applaud and comment as though you are an active, vital part of the industry.

          You can fool some of the people some of the time...Buyers Beware...Sellers be Cautious...Realtors, Lenders, allied professionals....know that there is more to anyone's reputation, ability, success than what may be the delusional, imaginary success they profess to have....exercise caution. You are known by the company you keep...the agent you endorse...the friends....links...don't blindy exchange pats on the back...

       Consumers - ask for verifiable references - printouts of sold properties that list the agent as the listing or selling agent....the e-mail addresses and/or phone numbers of past clients and customers

            Agents and allied Professionals- what you see...or you think you see in points, blogs, sites...may not be at all what happens in real life...you don't want to trust your referral, your reputation to someone's imagination...your reputation is valuable...guard it...choose your friends..endorsements...associates wisely.