I am no luddite…I had a first-generation Palm Pilot, got a ‘smart phone’ right away when they came out, have invested in Blackberry’s, social media and wired my home entertainment system all by myself. I love technology. I have 2 laptops, use a spreadsheet to track home finances, bank online…
So why no GPS?
There is something intimate about pulling out a map and plotting out a day of showings. I don’t forget it, it can’t run out of juice or batteries or break down. If I drop it, it’s no big deal…and it won’t run me into a lake (I can do that myself).
When I am in a car with someone driving who has a GPS, I am agog…the flashy screen, the large, confident blue arrow signaling an upcoming turn, announcing a stop, counting down miles to our destination. It’s all very comforting.
But I have yet to drive with anyone who hasn’t at some point said, “oh, I know a (better/faster/easier) way than this,” or, “why is it telling me to go THAT way?” Isn’t that what a GPS is for? To show you those things? And what about a growing area that doesn’t have the new roads uploaded? Granted, that’s a problem for my paper maps, too.
Reading a map before showings prevents me from blindly driving around…I have to focus on driving, remember street names and turns, and pay attention. My job is to know my area, and while I don’t know every street in Albemarle County from memory, I have a great sense of direction and can recover quickly if I take a wrong turn or we decide to go a different route to check something out. Most of my buyers love technology, too, but more than that, they want to know that I know where I am going.
I want a GPS. Someday. One of the $800 versions from 3 years ago that’s now $200 bucks that talks to me when I drive, tells me what to and when to do it. I love the idea of bringing it with me on a vacation, or giving it to an out-of-town guest to help them out…but knowing how to read a map and follow directions is right up there with being able to sew a button, change a flat tire or balance a checkbook. A life-skill that’s easy to dismiss until you really need it. And then there’s no substitute.
