Jean Hanley

Am I missing something, or behind the times? I want my Blackberry to do it all. Yes, I call, text, blog, check my bank balance, order food, check on the babysitter--(oh wait, I don't have kids at home), send and receive email, faxes, etc. etc. etc. I think my MLS even allows mobile access, which I just haven't taken the time to check out. I need my phone to also act as my lockbox key, for all the different lockboxes out there, and as a SAFEMLS key for access to the MLS. What else, should I ask of my phone? Are these things available to me and I just didn't get the memo?

I have been very fortunate to have found ActiveRain. I think I was a member for about 2 months, when I had a sister-in-law who needed to sell her home in one part of the country and move to an entirely different area. I immediately told her I would find a good agent on both ends and we would get her moved.I posted my 2 referrals on AR, and withing nano-seconds I was inundated with responses.

My only regret was that I had to choose only one agent in each area, because everyone that I either spoke with or emailed with seemed like the cream of the crop of agents.

Knowing my sister-in-law and her husband, I knew that I had to select someone with similar interests, and that perhaps had lived here in Southern California where she had lived for half her life.

I was able to do that and off we went. I selected an agent in Texas that was originally from So Calif and lived and worked very close to their home. She immediately met with them, and had their home sold in a day or two! WOW!! Color me impressed. AND, that agent, not only listed their home, but she procured the buyer, and got the listing on their home. Kudos to her.

The agent I selected on the buying end.....same story....she sold them the perfect home the second day they were in Atlanta.

Both escrows closed on time, a day apart, and everyone lived happily ever after.

ActiveRain was a great way to do this referral business, rather than going the corporate route with franchises.

And, if I am allowed to recognize those two agents, they are Tricia Hoffman in Lewisville (area) Texas and Mary Lewis in Atlanta. My clients had mountains of praise for both these agents, and I was kept abreast of every moment of each transaction. I hope to have more clients in those areas, in fact, I think I will recruit for them.

Thanks to both of you.