What I Learned From Gunna Voigt at RE Bar Camp
I consider myself a teacher. But aren’t the best teachers students? As I travel and take in the various conventions throughout the country I am often inspired by the attendees and their thirst and passion for knowledge.
I met Gunna Voigt at a recent Real Estate Bar Camp in New York. She was a breath of fresh air to say the least. Not only did Gunna spend all day absorbing social media and technology training, she also actively engaged in conversations and debates about the industry and the challenges we all face with keeping up with technology.
I am from the Nintendo generation, Gunna is not. When you grow up with a video game/remote control/mp 3 player attached to your hands at all times it makes learning new things a breeze. Many Realtors, including Gunna, are not from that era. The challenge can be two fold. What do I need to learn? How am I going to remember and implement all of this new information? While I am sympathetic to the real estate agents that are struggling to keep up, when I meet someone like Gunna and see how she approaches this learning opportunity with excitement and a must do attitude, I lose my patience for the many excuses I hear about time, tech skills, etc…
Gunna is a self proclaimed “medium tech savvy, self taught savvy ” agent. She loves her iPhone. As she put it with breathtaking simplicity,”How many deals do you need to justify the $200 for a smart phone?”. She hates it when she can not get in touch with an agent that she is doing a deal with because they haven’t adopted some of the basics like email on their phone and Internet access in the field. She even went as far as to buy another agent a prepaid smart phone, making her sign that she would return the funds at closing!
Events like Real Estate Bar Camps need to happen more often and I challenge those of you reading this to take the lead in your market, especially BROKERS. You will learn more than you earn for the day but the knowledge picked up and the contacts that you will make, like Gunna Voigt, will be priceless in the long run. If people like Gunna make you smile leave a comment for her below and let her know. She would do the same for you!
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Great video Chris
Often agents can be overwhelmed by technology, and therefore not even bother trying.
Big fan of tech savvy agent
Jimmy Mackin
The MLS App, Inc
“A Real Estate Facebook Application”
Good job Gunna! Some brokers need to learn from you!
I LOVE to see senior agents that embrace technology!! Go get em, Gunna!!!
Dear Chris, What a great post! I had the pleasure of meeting Gunna at #rebcrye this past weekend too and you’re right on the money, her passion for learning was contagious and well worth applauding! Too often I am stumped by the agents who refuse to even look twice at a smart phone or those who brag about how they only check their email once a month! I’ve stopped trying to make them see what they’re missing and have chosen instead to surround myself with those who want to learn about it, people like Gunna! Dear Gunna…my hat is off to you my new fiery friend and I wish you tons of success as you navigate this grand world of Social Media!
Kind regards,
Julianne Krutka
Park Square Realty – Westfield MA
http://www.westernmaonline.com
Gunna,
We did not get an opportunity to chat during Saturday’s camp, hope to do so at the event in January
.
I love Gunna! I know a lot of agents who have been around for a long time that embrace the technology, and then there are those who complain they can’t keep up. You always have to grow with the industry if you want to remain a
force in it. Way to go Gunna! I hope this inspires more agents.
Gunna is a great role model to less tech-savvy individuals of all ages, even those who are not in real estate. Proof that one is never too old to embrace new technology!
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So proud of Gunna!! I think FEAR keeps mature agents from embracing technology. Or maybe LAZINESS. Or maybe they just can’t see how it will help them in their daily lives. Whatever the reason…technology isn’t going away. It’s always been the young agent had so much to learn from the seasoned agent, and that is still true, but the older agents need to understand just how much they can learn from the younger agents.
Sure wish we had more “Gunna’s” in our Tuscaloosa Association of REALTORS.