It Was a Blustery Day

As I’m standing in the December wind trying to hold the “sold” sign with both my hands to get it stapled on the pole while the wind is clearly disagreeing with me, I begin reflecting at the year, my year in business, or should I say as a match maker. The trunk of my car is filled with poinsettias inside pretty felt bags on their way to my clients, my clients, people whom have trusted the purchase or sale of their home in my hands, a little holiday cheer. It’s warm inside the car as I sit back and pull the door closed with both hands as the windy December day keeps fighting back. My favorite Christmas song is playing, and I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy as I take one more glance at the house and the sign in front of it. A pretty house, and I believe it will be making its new owners happy.

It’s been quite a year. A wonderful, busy year. I have gone from sitting in classes at my office to teaching them every now and then. I teach listing presentations classes and marketing classes. I may get a call from a younger broker asking for advice and my advice is always to call Rick, the very foundation of our office, my answer is always the same: “Depending on the situation, I might do this… but why don’t you call Rick and ask for guidance. I do it all the time!”  I really do, I emailed him yesterday with a tricky pricing question and I sat in his office on Friday discussing a variety of things. I love our office for this.

I have learned a lot. I keep earning every day.

I love my clients. I enjoy every transaction, however stressful or complex it may be. And there has been many transactions, there has been many official meetings with clients and there has been hundreds of casual coffee dates where I share what I know with a potential client. How can I help? What can I do for you? How can I be of assistance? I have sat down with my clients and the lender several times. More often that not my clients want me there for their signing appointments. And I will be there. I will move around my other commitments to be there.

Halfway through the year I got awarded a “Rising Star Real Estate Agent” award and every time I get a review from my client, I know this is what I am supposed to be doing. Five stars, best agent, rising star… wouldn’t be any of these without the trust of my clients.

I got my new car in June and yesterday it just hit 10,000 miles. My area covers anything from the sound to the mountains and from Olympia to Marysville. There have been days when I have toured homes with clients in the heart of Seattle and later the same day with different clients in the river valleys overlooked by the Cascade mountains with farm animals roaming the fields.

It’s been an amazing year. I guess I could begin to call myself a Monroe specialist, a Duvall specialist, a Woodinville specialist, a Redmond specialist, a Redmond Ridge specialist, a Sultan specialist, a Hollywood Hills specialist, a Kirkland specialist, a Bellevue specialist, a Kent specialist, and a Seattle specialist. You know, if you want to be a specialist. My average transaction has been $1.128million ranging from $300K to $2 million. There have been weeks when I’ve worked 16-hour days and some when I have been able to concentrate on the basics. Less of the latter though. Wow. That’s all I can say, wow.

What a year! Great year!