I’m not kidding. It is a common misconception among the general population (formerly present company included), that realtors get paid a lot of money to do nothing more than socialize and look at houses with their clients.
Oh my! There is so much that goes into this business behind the scenes in order for a realtor to be successful for his or her clients! For starters, our education does not end once we have successfully completed the class and taken the state licensing exam. In the beginning there is so much to learn, and if you are an over achiever (once again, as in present company!), you will work 24/7 to learn it all immediately in order to provide your clients with the best service possible. But even for seasoned professionals, they have to be constantly educating themselves. We are paid to be experts in our field, and to do that means to stay up on changes in the marketplace, what is happening in our community, and trends in the industry.
A good realtor also has to be an expert in social networking and all marketing strategies available today. Homeowners have services such as Zillow available to them to place their homes online without a realtor. We have to be working hard to provide our clients with social media and other marketing tools that go beyond what they can do for themselves.
A good realtor is also very active in the community and in professional organizations. There are countless hours spent attending meetings and working on committees in both our professional organizations and the non-profits and community events that we support. We work hard to contribute to our community because we care about it and because we know that it will carry over into the service that we provide our clients by increasing their home’s visibility through our contacts.
Perhaps one of the most important services a realtor provides to his or her clients is protection. Protection of the homeowner’s rights and home value, protection against litigation, and protection against theft and personal injury. Your typical homeowner is not familiar with contracts, the laws that must be followed in the sale of a home, or what their rights are. They are not equipped to know the value of their home the same way an expert is. A realtor also performs important due diligence before bringing a buyer into a home. Unfortunately, the world we live in is full of people who would take advantage of the opportunity to get into a house for numerous dishonest – and possibly dangerous – reasons. A good realtor will always ensure that a buyer is a legitimate, pre-approved buyer before bringing them into your home.
Since starting my real estate business, I have worked almost every day. In fact, I believe that Thanksgiving has been the only day that I took an entire day away from my business. I understand that not all realtors work that hard, and we have probably all experienced a realtor where we felt that we could have done better ourselves. But I can assure you, since starting my business, I have met many realtors who are good people working just as hard as I am.
So why do we do it? I can only speak for myself, and in my case, it is a passion beyond anything I have ever done before. A passion for helping people. Helping homeowners sell their homes while meeting their needs. Helping buyers find the house that is going to be the home in which their family memories are created. Using my artistic talents to help both to achieve the best version of their home where they may lack the same creative vision that I can provide. I have design abilities that can help sellers in staging their home for sale and help buyers to see how they can create the home of their dreams in a house that they can afford without exceeding their budget. This business allows me to marry my passion for helping others with my passion for design, and I cannot think of a better place to be. God is good.
Shalom!
suzettewellingdesign 