WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB
- MY CLIENTS. Most people have grown accustomed to being treated like a number. They expect their real estate agent to pay little attention to them during the transaction and then forget about them as soon as the commission check is cut. This is why it’s such a rewarding experience to watch my clients’ subtle reactions as they discover that they actually are a priority of mine; that they matter to me; that I am accessible; that I genuinely care about them; that their interests always come first. Of the three parts of my mission (Prompt. Personal. Professional.), the Personal part is central in that it’s closest to my heart and occupies the majority of the thoughts I have about my clients. At the end of the day, I want my clients to know that the reason I work so hard to represent their interests is that I truly care for them as individuals. This is also why I give personalized closing gifts, send handwritten birthday cards, and stay in touch long after the successful transaction. Caring for my clients is far and away my favorite part of my job.
- MEETING NEW PEOPLE. I have the opportunity to work with a lot of different people with different backgrounds, different interests, different income levels, and different needs. I love getting to know each individual; I love building rapport with each individual; I love earning the trust of each individual. I can look back and see how previous experiences in my life have helped to instill in me a desire and an ability to connect with people from many different walks of life. Such experiences include growing up with a younger sister with Down Syndrome, playing on travel basketball teams with friends from other cultures, picking up a second major in Social Sciences in college, ministering in churches and developing compassion for individuals experiencing the brokenness of the human condition, and learning I’m not immune to human brokenness myself. Without even being aware of it, I draw on these past experiences every day in my work with individuals seeking my help with their real estate needs.
- CONNECTING PEOPLE. By virtue of being a real estate agent, I have a network of clients, business partners, and friends. I love the opportunity to leverage this network to meet needs whenever they arise. Sometimes that means sending the name of a painter, financial planner, or CPA to a friend or client. Other times it means helping a friend or client who’s out of work find their next career opportunity. Still other times it means calling on my network to join together to support a fundraiser for a worthy non-profit in Nashville such as Day 7 or Agape.
- SOLVING PROBLEMS. It’s not uncommon to hear real estate agents describe their job in these words: “We’re problem solvers.” And such we are. Because in every transaction there’s a series of potential problems. It could be a worse-than-expected inspection report, a low appraisal, an unreasonable party, or a misunderstanding about what stays with the house, to just name a few. While I can’t say I enjoy the problems, I do find satisfaction in working toward and reaching solutions for my clients. And even more than that I enjoy anticipating potential problems and mitigating them from the start. I’ve been known to do whatever it takes to avoid potential problems, even if it means writing six (yes six) counter offers for a single transaction in order to negotiate in advance issues which otherwise could have derailed the process down the track. Once that final counter was signed, I have to admit that it felt good knowing we did the work in advance rather than take the lazy way out and leave the transaction to chance.
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- CHALLENGE. Back when I was making plans to launch my real estate career, I met up with a Realtor® friend who had played basketball at the same college where I played. As we sipped our McDonalds coffee (Starbucks was overcrowded that day :), I picked his brain about real estate. He told me he loved the challenge inherent in real estate–the challenge of acquiring clients, the challenge of serving them well, the challenge of setting and achieving business goals, the challenge of troubleshooting issues, etc. He had found that his background in competitive athletics served him well in meeting the challenges of real estate. I’ve not forgotten that discussion; in fact, I reflect on it often. And I have to say I’ve found a lot a truth in what he told me; I, too, love the constant hunger and thirst the challenges of real estate demand of me (whether or not I can still run up and down a basketball court :).
- VARIED SKILL SET. If the real estate profession were distilled to its most essential skills, those skills would be working with people, pouring over paperwork, and executing a business plan. The awesome part for me is that I enjoy all three aspects–in part, I’m sure, because I am able to bounce back and forth between them so I don’t get bored with any one. One minute I’m catching up with a client on the phone or in person, the next minute I’m doing market research or working up an offer, and the next minute I’m writing copy for a page on my website about why I love the varied skill set my job requires. And I do. I love that my job is broad enough to encompass my love for people, my attention to detail, and my creative vision for my five- and ten-year business plans. Not a bad gig.
- CRAFTSMANSHIP. Today I had the thrill of walking through a project with a contractor client and friend. He’s in the middle of a complete renovation of an historic home: 11-foot ceilings, 8-foot doors, 100-year-old brick chimneys, the whole bit. He begins sharing with me his vision for the rest of the project: coffered ceiling in the dining room, wainscoting in the formal den, cedar beams in the kitchen, chandeliers in the foyer, and the list went on. His eye, his attention to detail, and his passion for quality and beauty wasn’t lost on me, and I know it won’t be lost on the potential buyers who walk through this home when it’s ready for the market. I can appreciate his work and the work of others like him because I grew up around my dad and and granddad who were craftsmen. I saw them tackle construction projects with a inexhaustible passion for precision and quality. In a culture where making a fast buck trumps the pursuit of excellence, it’s refreshing to witness the true craftsmen among us taking pride in their work and their product.
- PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. Prior to my real estate career, I had jobs in which bureaucratic bottlenecks were all in a day’s work. It was frustrating to see so little of what needed to get done actually ever get done. Now that I’m essentially the CEO of my real estate business, I have on a daily basis the luxury of formulating, implementing, and executing my business plan. And if I discover a need for improvement, I can adjust immediately for the benefit of my clients. Excellence is a passion of mine, and as a Realtor® I am free to pursue it with abandon. I love that freedom and the responsibility that comes with it.
- FLEXIBILITY. So just today my daughter Haven woke up not feeling well, unable to go to school. Rather than call in sick to a boss and take a sick day, I was able simply to rearrange my schedule and have a semi-productive day working from home–while being there for my daughter. Haven and I even had a conversation in the car about how fortunate I am to have such control over my daily routine. On days like today this flexibility is without a doubt a huge blessing to me and my family.
POTENTIAL. In many occupations, seemingly the only reward you receive for your hard work is more work. Your responsibilities increase while your levels of pay and appreciation flatline. With real estate, however, there’s typically a direct correlation between how hard a person works and how successful he or she is. While it’s true that I have the potential to go broke if I slack off, it’s also true that I have the potential to enjoy success if I work hard. My job is one in which hard work, discipline, and consistency are rewarded–where the potential for growth is proportionate to the willingness to work hard and work smart.
