Too Much Information!
With the proliferation of online information I am hearing comments from people that "Newspapers will go out of business" "Who needs libraries anymore?" "Who needs Realtors anymore?" But how much information is enough? How much is too much? Do you really have time to digest all of it and incorporate it into your life?
It is anyone’s guess how much the internet will change the actual bricks and mortar of a library, or eliminate the need for the daily newspaper but I have to wonder about service based industries like Real Estate, Car repair, health services etc. Oh sure I can go on line and in seconds find dozens of articles that tell me how to change the oil in a car but I bet when I get out to my driveway I would be quickly overwhelmed. I would not have the proper tools or the confidence that I really knew what I was doing was right. I can go on line and try to figure out what that funny pain is in my lower back but I would probably be better served going to the Dr. and getting a professional opinion.
Time is my most valuable asset. I can't make anymore of it and I don't want to waste it trying to reinvent the wheel. When it comes to Real Estate it pays to work with someone who does it everyday. Just like the guy who changes my oil. He can correctly do in a 15 minutes what it might take me an hour to do - and then I might possibly not do something right. More importantly he has the tools that make the job easier and get it done correctly. Even if you are a seasoned investor in Real Estate working with a Realtor who is up to speed on local issues and trends can save you hours of work and potentially save you lots of money.
So even though there is lots of information on the web - sometimes it can just be too much!