I have never been a voracious reader.

As a little kid, much to my parents’ chagrin, I would choose my summer reading based on which books on the list had the fewest number of pages. As an adult, most of my recreational reading is news oriented. I used to read The Economist, have always read The New York Times, and most of all, enjoy The New Yorker.

Through The New Yorker, I discovered Malcolm Gladwell. His writing was so compelling that it actually inspired me to pick up his books! At this point, I have been through several of them. My favorite is The Tipping Point.

In The Tipping Point, there are three different archetypes of people according to Gladwell: mavens, connectors, and salespeople. There is no doubt on that list that I fall into the connectors bucket.

According to Productive Flourishing, you might be a connector if…

• You are constantly referring people to the right expert or service to solve their problem.
• You love networking and talking with people, just for the sake of doing it.
• When you’re talking to people, they say, “Wow — you know everyone!”
• The stories you tell always focus on the people, not the ideas or the sizzle.

I check all of those boxes.

In college, I really enjoyed being at parties, talking to people that I felt like I knew quite well who didn’t know each other.  In the real world, I’m constantly making connections. Whether it’s new folks moving to town looking for a mechanic or handyman (both of whose phone numbers I’ve memorized), introducing potential buyers and sellers to our clients, or connecting people in general who have a problem that I think can be solved by someone I know. Making connections is innate to me. It’s a big part of how I have grown Union Street Media.

Within the real estate industry, one of the things that I love to do is to find out about interesting new proptech products that are on the market. Often times, I will connect clients with software providers who I think can help them solve problems to grow their business. We look at our relationship with our clients holistically: if our clients are doing well, then we will do well. If I see a client that has a need which I think can be solved by someone I know, I’m happy to make that connection.

This blog should feel like a resource where brokers and agents can learn more about innovative thoughts, ideas, and proptech companies. I’m not doing this to promote or sell anyone, but since I’m making these connections I might as well share the story behind why I like them.

Stay tuned!