Being a full-time Realtor isn't easy.

Being a full-time Realtor isn't easy. 

A candid glimpse behind the scenes:

But there was a time when I, like most, thought it was. You show homes, point out their great features, hook a buyer, and get paid a handsome commission.

Or you find someone who wants to sell their home, list it and let other realtors working with buyers sell it for you and again, collect a handsome commission.

It’s much more complicated than that.

In fact, we do crazy things like knock on doors of people we do not know. We spend most of our weekends in the best weather of the year hosting open houses and showing homes to prospective buyers. We buy postage stamps in bulk to send out mailers, greeting cards and market information – and we often send that material to people we don’t even know.

And that’s only part of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love being a realtor. Handing first-time buyers the keys to their new home is exceptionally rewarding. Getting a seller’s home sold at top-dollar in a timely fashion also is a great feeling. And the experience of guiding a family in selling the smaller home you helped them purchase several years ago and buy a bigger one that better meets their needs is priceless.

But closing those deals is not always easy.

We stay on top of contingencies, such as inspections, title and financing. We review title reports to ensure there are no title issues, frequently contact lenders to keep financing on track and we attend home inspections, review inspection reports and negotiate any repairs needed. We stay on top of all these timelines to protect your earnest money, the typical 1% of the purchase price you pay upfront to show you’re serious about the sale.

Happy clients in the end, of course, eclipse all the work it takes to get there. My point is that good realtors do a lot to serve buyers and sellers.

Our value is proven in our work.

So, when a realtor unexpectedly knocks on your door or calls, please be nice and give them a few minutes of your time. We’re not all out to pressure you into selling or buying home. We simply want to connect, provide information so that when you do decide to make a move, we are there to help you.