One way to make friends is to make people happy with their real estate moves. I've made lots of friends in the almost 30 years I've been doing this, and have been buyer's agent for about 20, as a pioneer in that movement. Most of my real estate career was in Maryland, in the area just north of Washington, D.C., and we chose Northeast Tennessee a fe years ago when my husband retired from teaching at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. We love the mountains, the beautiful countryside, lakes and rivers, and the warmth of the people. (We've lived in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, New York, England and Maryland, so I have friends everywhere who need my referrals to good agents wherever.)
We also like the convenience of a small town (58,000) where everything one needs can be within 5-15 minutes. Johnson City has exceptional amenities for a town this size: East Tennessee State University, Quillen School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Milligan College, excellent medical facilities and many specialty practices, great jazz, many restaurants and lots of fun things to do. I've left out a lot - see www.TNTriCitiesHomes.com for details.
Technology has revolutionized marketing and finding homes since I started long ago, and I have enjoyed keeping up to date with new tools and gadgets, as well as sharing great ideas with several real estate blogs and organizations.
I collect "small world" coincidences - those fascinating times when we discover that new friends/clients unexpectedly have something in common - a mutual friend somewhere else, a special shared interest, etc. There's a book in this if I ever retire. See link on home page for fun reading. What small world story can we find together?
I feel strongly about education and staying up to date.
ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative (and founding member of SARA, Single Agency Realty Association, one of the other early buyer agency organizations)
CRS - Certified Residential Specialist
GRI - Graduate Realtor Institute
E-Pro - Internet marketing designation
REBAC - Real Estate Buyer Agent Council
MA in English, University of Rochester (a lifetime ago)