Celebrating a big career anniversary in the middle of a pandemic isn’t ideal, but it has given me the opportunity to reflect on what I’ve learned over the past 20 years, so here it goes:
Experience matters
There really is no substitute for experience and after almost 30 years of combined experience and hundreds of transactions, we haven’t seen it all, but we’ve seen A LOT. You don’t have to use us (though we’d be stoked if you did ;), but please please please don’t use your cousin’s brother-in-law who just got his real estate license, lives in Whitby and has never been west of Vic Park. Please.
Most people are lovely
We’re not going to lie, buying a new house and selling your old one is stress-ful! We tend to deal with people during times of very heightened emotions and periods of big transition. Whether it’s divorce, downsizing or upsizing, no matter which way you cut it, the process is stressful, but our experience is that with the right guidance, most clients move through it with grace and gratitude.
Some people can never be satisfied
On the flip side, there really are people who can never be satisfied. Luckily, we have gotten to a point in our careers where we can be a bit choosey about who we work with, and sometimes you just have to know when to cut your losses and move on. Like I say to my kids, as sweet and delicious at peaches are, not everyone likes peaches, so be the very best peach you can be, but even then not everyone is going to like you :).
Chemistry counts
Real estate is a bit like dating. Finding the right real estate agent can be like finding the right partner, and when the chemistry is right, the relationship is easy and fulfilling and the process can be fun. If the chemistry is off, the process can be arduous and unpleasant. My advice to you is do your due diligence, interview a few agents and then choose the one who knows your market and who feels right to you….you may be spending a lot of time together!
People who listen get the best outcome
We don’t pretend to know everything, but we’ve been doing this a long time and I can almost guarantee that we know more about real estate than your neighbour or your mother-in-law, so please take your advice from the experts. There is definitely a learning curve to real estate, but we find that clients who are open to our advice and willing to listen to our suggestions, often get the best outcome.
You might lose your mind a little
It was mentioned above, but it is worth repeating, selling your home is stressful and when you first see your home on MLS you might lose your mind a little. It’s okay, we get it and we’ve got your back.
Technology is a blessing and a curse
When I first started in real estate we had to fax listings to our clients (FAX!!) so the advent of the iPhone, email, texting and electronic signatures has certainly improved the way we do business significantly. I spend way less time sitting in my car at 1am in the middle of February than I used to, but as technology has advanced so has the pace of the real estate market. This has always been a 24/7 business and the advancement in technology has made it even more so.
There is so much more to it than you think
Weekends, evenings, on call 24/7, marketing, social media, competition. Not to mention all the different hats we have to wear - therapist, mediator, interior designer, babysitter, dog sitter, the list goes on. I think there is a perception that being a realtor is both glamorous and lucrative, and there is some truth to that, but it also involves a lot of relationship building, staying on top of marketing trends, dealing with rejection and an extremely competitive marketplace. Like any job, you have to take the good with the bad, but honestly it really isn’t all beautiful houses and big commission cheques.
Sometimes the first house is the right house
It’s like falling in love, when you find the right house, you just know. It might be the first house or it might be the 51st house, my advice - follow your gut.
Grieve a little and then move on
Sometimes that house that you fell in love with just wasn’t meant to be and, I’m not going to lie, it is devastating when you lose your dream home in competition, but it is my experience that the house that you finally end up buying is always the best one, so take heart, your dream home is waiting for you.
Location, location, location
Truth.
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.
