It’s been a minute, yet I do remember my senior year of high school and all the questions about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Retail manager was on the list … so was teacher …. Ohhhh, maybe a writer! Other than being a mom someday, there didn’t seem to be a lot of direction to my ambitions and Realtor was absolutely not on the list.
For starters, my folks were real estate agents, and I wanted to be my own person … Plus all Realtors do is drive around, show fancy houses, and watch people sign closing docs. Great money, boring job. Am I right?
“Whether it’s choosing a career or deciding what charity to get involved with, the choice should come from your heart,” implored Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas. “Ultimately you are the one who has to get up every morning and enjoy what you are doing, so make sure it matters to you.”
Now, 21 years into “that’s not for me,” I’ve discovered there truly is more to being a real estate agent than even a keenly aware coach could have guided me through or warned me about, and I only learned through wearing many many hats.
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Decorator. Houses that are staged well and feel like they can be “home” to a future family sell faster and for more money than non-prepared listings. I’ve moved couches and hidden CPAPs to help create just the right ambiance.
Counselor. Nearly 50% of marriages end. The easy part is breaking down the anticipated value and providing a checklist of dos and don’ts to get a property ready for sale. Being at the ready to act as the unbiased go-between when two people are no longer able to effectively … or even kindly … communicate is a skill.
Housekeeper. Whether it be a pinhole that finally busted through allowing the bathtub to drain into the closet or another agent calling to express their dismay at how badly a house smelled … off I went with the Bissell, some Clorox and my own elbow grease.
Cheerleader. Buying a house is life altering! I’m going to know more about my clients’ family life and personal style than their checkbook or credit score. We get close! Calling to tell your buyer their offer has been accepted is only topped by them answering the phone MID-MARRIAGE-PROPOSAL and I’m the first one to get the news.
Personal yellow pages. Folks new to an area don’t know much more than what’s immediately outside the entry to the neighborhood, so it stands to reason they’ll call 1-800-My-Agent for an anniversary restaurant recommendation or while their teenager is writhing in appendix pain because they don’t know what’s the best local pediatric emergency care.
Tour Guide. According to the Realtor Code of Ethics, an agent should be knowledgeable about an area, which makes a lot of sense when you consider how many clients are NOT familiar with an area. Spending a day establishing a lasting relationship with new friends showing them where the parks are, how to get from this location to that destination, talking about community events and more adds to the entire experience. Expert local knowledge is equally important for listing so that the pricing and seller expectations are realistically, not greedy and not leaving money on the table.
Planning for your future is really hard, I get it! We all look to not only our personal interests, but also to role models and experts to help navigate the course. That’s very much the same when thinking about real estate needs … because it’s not just taking some pictures and waiting for the phone to ring, it’s about Experience.