Job Perks?

Most people seem to think the biggest perk of my job is getting to view homes without trying to sneak in at an open house, and then apologetically having to tell the broker that you don’t have any intentions of buying as you’re just being curious. True. That is a perk, I get to view homes after homes after homes after homes… Walk into an open house, hand over my business card and preview, even if it’s just for me, just because I was curious and not for a client of mine.

However, most of the homes I preview do not really end up giving me any sort of jitters and the real perk is the people I get to work with. I do not look for the décor. I don’t care about the color of the kitchen cabinets, unless of course they are something so different that it would require an instant remodel. I look for other kind of stuff. Is the home in livable condition? Does it have a smell? What has or have not been done? Windows? Bathrooms? Kitchen? Roof? Paint is cheap, carpet is cheap, countertops are easy. I’m trying to form a view of the condition of the home in just a few short minutes. I have long ago stopped roaming around leisurely. Instead I half run, giving one home 3 to 4 minutes at its most. I try to find one thing that will help me remember the home for later discussions, like: the one with the blue powder room, or the one with the 70’s wet bar.

So that’s what happens with most of the homes I see, as my purpose is to check them out for a client or to learn more about homes in a certain neighborhood. In my first months I viewed hundreds of homes all over the Greater Seattle area. I took entire days to just drive and go look at Auburn, Monroe, Everett, Bothell, Kirkland…

But then there are exceptions, homes that are different.

Some of them are so horrid, it will be hard to forget them. You know, those sweat equity properties, or so-called diamonds in the rough… where a bulldozer may be the best option for everyone. I have seen homes where trees have fallen through the roof, and it was never repaired with anything more than a tarp from the Home Depot. I have seen homes with cockroaches escaping as soon as they see light and I have walked out with flea bites. Sometimes it’s the location, another time it’s the neighbors or the home itself.

And then, sometimes you get to see something most people don’t. I do not work with luxury clients. Thus far, I have yet to have a client looking for a home over the magical one million buck line. We have several brokers that concentrate on that market as Coldwell Banker Bain is well known for its share in the luxury market. But I do get invited to see these homes. It’s fun to look at these homes. It really is, and usually you don’t get to see them unless you are able to show you have the money. The money to buy it.

We have some beautiful homes here. We have beautiful homes in every single price range, but when you walk into a new construction with the price tag of three, four or eight million dollars, it gets really interesting. Suddenly, we are taking a second and third look at all the materials. We are interested in the layout, and the size of the kitchen or living room more than before, or the other amenities the home has to offer. Maybe it’s waterfront with a private dock and beach. How many feet of water do you get for the dollar? There are homes with water features inside, lights that change color with your mood or party décor, wine cellars, movie theatres, elevators… and the list goes on. You walk into a home and think, this is the most expensive home I’ve ever seen until you look at the next one. You look at it from every angle, the flooring that was brought over from Canadian forests or the marble countertops. It is a perk to get to browse these homes and to wonder what kind of child will end up living in the room staged for a little girl.