It's Going to Be Ok

As a freshly made broker my life goes in phases, there are the days when I’m excited and filled with never ending energy, knowing that this is the right thing for me to do and that over time, I will become great at this. On those kinds of days there is a flow to my work, and time just flies by as I sit at my desk working. After the good times, comes the doubt, the moments of “what was I thinking” and “am I completely crazy”. The moments when you’ll just have to keep doing, what you’re doing, the stuff one so believed in just yesterday. A person way more experienced than me told me once that, if only a transaction will make me happy, this is the utterly wrong career to pick as even the best of us have tens of transactions per year, and every year has 365 days.

I belong to a Facebook group called the Lady Bosses, and a while back someone posted a picture that I found absolutely exhilarating. I do apologize for the foul language, it wasn’t my idea.

I enjoy my work. I truly do. As a rookie, I still like my open houses unlike many more senior agents that have lost their belief in them. This Saturday you can find me at Green Lake again, representing charm from the 1940’s. I love chatting with my clients, buyers of all kinds. First time home buyers, people relocating from another state or even another country. All kinds of people from all kinds of places with questions that they trust me to be able to answer for them. I’m truly up for the challenge and prior to answering any question, I like to do my research as the answer to one question rarely stays completely the same between two clients as it depends on whom they are, what they are looking for, and where. Sometimes people just reach out to me for advice on something real estate related, and I keep telling everyone, I’d be happy to answer your questions!

One of the most feared questions for a new broker is the one that all of us face; how long have you been doing this? Ummm… should one be honest, and tell the truth, or should you settle with something vague, like “I’m in my first year” or what a senior broker once recommended, “long enough to know what I’m doing”. It’s not very convincing to tell a potential client that you just started yesterday, and that you have absolutely no clue about what you’re trying to do. I have been in my new profession for approximately 4 months now, and slowly but surely am I starting to get a grip of the feeling that I actually know what I’m doing. I know my market, I know my contracts, and most of all, I know when to ask for help. When to ask someone more experienced, whether it’s my Principal Managing Broker or a more experienced colleague.

I have learned that people fear the commitment of working with a broker. They are not sure if they are really ready, ready, ready to buy, and sometimes just talking with a broker will help sort out the questions on whether the time is right for you right now. Are you really ready to buy? Are you ready to commit, and leap into the world of home ownership? As a potential client, the questions you should be asking yourself is whether you like your broker candidate. You will be working closely with your broker and if you think I’m a jerk when you meet me for the first time, we’re probably not a great match. Asking me questions does not commit you to anything, and even if you or we later realize that were not a great match, it’s not like we just got married, you are allowed to change your mind, but please tell me if you do change your mind instead of just fading away. I might be able to refer you to someone else.

There’s a question many first-time home buyers would like to ask, but they don’t as they are not sure how to. How much does it cost them to work with a broker? The great news is, that it won’t cost you anything as my pay comes from the seller, and has nothing to do with the buyer.