A Day In The Life

Before beginning my real estate career, I have to be honest - I'm not sure I really thought long and hard about what a day in the life would look like. Life has always been busy for us with 3 kids, so immersing myself into a new career midlife seemed totally doable. Let's be honest; real estate provides flexibility, new adventures and an opportunity to meet some interesting people. But the flip side is managing an unstructured schedule and being able to constantly flip hats from Mom, to Realtor, to whatever else is needed through the day and back again at any given moment. I like to make fun memes and videos about a day in the life but the truth is this job is teaching me so much more than just how to hustle a deal. I've always thought I was a good listener. I could sit down with someone new and in no time I've learned their story. But listening in Real Estate is so much more. I am learning that it is active listening. Listening so well that you hear what's being said between the lines, that you hear what isn't being said, and that you hear the emotion weaving it all together. It is giving of yourself. Authenticity and honesty are high on my list of attributes I strive to embody and project. One-on-one it's easy to always hold yourself accountable. But I have quickly learned that one-on-one isn't the same as many clients. I love that I have been blessed with an abundance of clients, and being "me" with each and every one is so important, but you cannot give from an empty bucket. Learning to take a little time to fill my own bucket has become even more important so that I am better able to consistently and meaningfully give of myself to others. And finally, giving up on an appearance of perfection and not taking myself too seriously. Realtors really are a fun bunch of people. I think the motto "work hard, play hard" just might have been coined to accurately describe the industry, but one thing I have noticed is they let things go and quickly move on. Many of the Realtors I have been watching work very hard juggling all of the balls it takes to ensure a transaction seamlessly falls into place, but behind the scenes they might be dealing with difficult clients, supercilious co-operating agents, mistakes and constantly changing deadlines. The beauty of it all is how they make it look effortless. They fix the mistakes, they smile and they get the job done. They openly share the bloopers they've experienced, they laugh at themselves and understand life's too short to keep up appearances.

While I can honestly say I may not have thought this through as thoroughly as I should have, what I can say with all certainty is that I love what I do. I love the drives on a beautiful day to show a home. I love connecting with new people and coming up with a plan to help them take their next step in life. I love how each day brings something new and no two days are alike. But most of all, I love how this career is challenging me to be more, to do more and to become more.