Every home transaction has a story and every story involves people…people, their families, their pets, and their lives. And oh, what a fun ride it can be. Here’s what I have learned over my past six months as a realtor.
The ups.
- Being trusted with a $1.875 million dollar home for my first listing! My very first client was a friend and business person who has known me for over a decade. Her daughter lobbied hard for her to use a more experienced realtor. Let me tell you, being trusted with this property jewel definitely led to me pulling out all the stops. And, I am proud to say, a great outcome was achieved – sold in a month while competitive properties often take a year or more to sell.
- Negotiating for win/win deals that give my clients just a little more win than they bargained for. Throughout my career, I’ve followed the “Getting to Yes” approach to negotiating. This relies heavily on understanding what each side values most and negotiating a deal that everyone can feel good about. I love understanding both sides’ goals and landing great deals. That doesn’t mean I don’t always put my clients’ best interest first – of course I do – but it is easiest to do when the other side of the deal also realizes you are listening to what they want too.
- Becoming a people + homes matchmaker. I thought I might enjoy being a realtor. Turns out I love it! At the core, for me, is being able to navigate human psychology and pair that with my deep knowledge of residential real estate to put together winning matches between people and homes. What could be more satisfying?!
The downs.
- Piles of legal forms. You wouldn’t believe the forms…anti-money laundering, personal identification, client contracts, terms and conditions, offers to purchase, counter-offers, foreign buyers, deposit to trust, personal interest disclosures and the list goes on…the only saving grace amidst the mountain of paperwork is digital signatures!
- There is a reason some realtors won’t allow viewers to use the washroom. I will leave it at that.
Overall, it’s been an excellent ride. I’ve had the pleasure of working with people relocating from Ontario, seniors exiting the rental property market after decades as landlords, downsizers, first-time buyers, and have even made a commercial real estate referral.
I think this may be my favorite vocation yet.
Thanks for joining me, as I carry on in my adventures in real estate.