20 YEARS Exclusively in REAL ESTATE!
Celebrating a big career anniversary can be a funny thing because many people do the same job their whole career, but this one feels different because being a Realtor is commonly known as a career with a super high turnover rate. One study found that 75% of realtors fail within the first year in the industry, and 87% fail within the first 5 years. And then if you go ahead and take national home sales and divide it by the number of Realtors there are the average Realtor does 4 sales a year. At the 20 year mark I have done 1,000 individual home sales... I'll let you do that math. 🥳
With the pride out of the way, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the most important things I've learned since starting on this road in July 2004 as a newly licensed agent.
Experience matters
There really is no substitute for experience. Having grown up in a real estate family and having 20 years in the business, I haven’t seen it all, but I’ve seen A LOT. Everyone knows at least a couple Realtors, but please please please don’t use your coworker's husband who just got his real estate license and is unfamiliar with the real estate market and all the recent changes we have experienced. Now more than ever, especially with the very recent changes, an experienced professional is 100% necessary.
The stress is real and we're often in the middle of it
Let's be honest that a real estate transaction is stressful. It's almost always the largest financial transaction of someone's life up to that point and we tend to deal with people during times of very heightened emotions. Whether it’s relocating out of area, divorce, death, downsizing or upsizing, no matter which way you cut it, the process is stressful. Our top priority is to get this done for the client and alleviate as much of that overwhelming feeling as possible.
Some people can never be satisfied
If I had a nickel for every crazy client or nightmare deal that I've been a part of over the years I'd at least have a couple dollars at this point. Truth be told, I feel like tough clients in the end only help me better serve the next client... who is hopefully a delight to work with. I've gained a reputation for being someone who can get it done when others can't so I have that going for me.
Good Real Estate advice is hard to come by
There are so many gurus nowadays that offer real estate advice as if it's common knowledge, but in reality not all real estate advice applies to everyone. One of my favorite things about this job is people just asking me for an opinion. Whether that's about a home improvement item, investing, or the market in general. I just really enjoy talking about real estate. This is the main reason I know that I'll always be involved in real estate.
It's fun because it's always different
No property sale is like one another. Between clients, circumstances, timelines, condition of the property, quality of the other realtor and/or lender — there are simply too many variables for any deal to be exactly like the other. It keeps it interesting and our mental database on how to resolve issues is always at work. We have to get creative all the time to get the sale done to the benefit of our client and that's something I'm really proud of. Having a swiss army knife of solutions to fix problems keeps the work fresh and not boring.
Technology is a blessing and a curse
When I first started in real estate we had to fax listings to our clients with a cover sheet so the advent of the iPhone, email, texting and electronic signatures has certainly improved the way we do business significantly. Technology has advanced the pace of the real estate market and we're always having to make the necessary adjustments. This has always been a 24/7 business and the advancement in technology has made it even more so. The media likes to say that technology will make real estate salespeople unnecessary at some point, but realistically humans will always need other humans to navigate through the emotional decisions and nuances that come up between a buyer and a seller in such a large transaction.
Real Estate is simple, but it isn't easy
Weekends, evenings, marketing, troubleshooting, chasing down the agent or lender, fighting an appraiser, etc. I think there is a perception that being a Realtor is a lucrative lifestyle business because of how it's perceived on reality TV and in the media. This is a survival of the fittest industry. If someone is not a self motivated person, who can start from zero everyday, and truly enjoys building quality relationships with people then real estate will not work.
Location, location, location
This is ridiculously true. And I'll tell a seller or buyer how that will affect them today as well as when it might be sold later down the road.
I still love my job
I really do, and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has invited me into their homes and entrusted me with their real estate over the last 20 years. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Here's to the next 20!!
