It is hard to be a real estate agent in today's world. It's even harder to be a real
estate broker. It's exponentially harder to be both, especially one in a smaller to
mid size office. Because you ARE the company. You have to wear every hat, the
hat of copier repair guy, the tech guy, the stamp buyer, the problem solver, the
janitor, the teacher, the trainer, the bill payer, the details and jobs are endless.
If the phones go out somehow you are supposed to be the one to fix them.
Throw in a franchise to that and you just created another full time job dealing
with them.....
Sure the challenges in our business are widely reported. Especially
since in today's real estate market things are happening and new challenges are
popping up at blazing speeds it seems. Technology is changing the landscape of
the business, not the nuts and bolts of it but the way things are moved along. The
market is shaking its self off from one of the toughest stretches in history.
Inventory is low, interest rates are rising in a time when a low interest rate
entitlement mentality has overtaken the consumer (as flawed in macroeconomic
theory as that may be)......I could go on all day about changes and threats to our
business, and every magazine and real estate industry website does.
However, all of this seems to be presented from the agent's side or the mega
broker's side.
What about the everyday smaller brokers who are still in the business of selling,
AND running and growing a brokerage business? That means a full time job as a
producing real estate agent and all the time that goes into that, plus the full time
job of being a broker and trying to grow a business. The expenditures of both
time and money needed to do each of those things. And heaven forbid we forget
that we are also full time parents and community stewards as well. How is that
possible?
If Mr. Webster were to put a picture of insanity in the dictionary I think we would
be it. It could easily be a picture of me. A crazy person trying to make all of this
happen. A crazy person who not only is trying to make this happen but is
convinced it is and will happen. Convinced that no matter how hard the path, the
struggle will and is worth it. We may never get a thank you from anyone for all
the work we have to put in to grow and improve our offices. Knowing we are
responsible for them being paid each week and putting food on their tables is
good enough. Success is not all not about how many agents, market share, or do
we have enough money for signs, stamps, or a new coffee maker in the office,
or will this agent be happy, or did I get their home sold fast enough?
Hell its often will there be enough money at the end of the month to actually pay
myself? That is a success.
The reward takes no more to see that than to attend the next first time home
buyer closing and see the look on their faces when they finally get the keys to
their new home. Or to hand that first commission check to your newest agent
after they have their first successful closing. Or to see an experienced agent finally
find a place to work where they can finally be themselves and feel comfortable
and actually grow their business. Or the relocating home seller finally getting to
reunite their family in the new home in the new city after selling their house in the
old town. These are the reasons why we do it, of course we make our living doing
it but its more than that to us isn't it?
But the real prize in the end, and the best of all, is at the end of the day getting to
go home and get a big hug from my kids - after all - in the end that is what it is
all about. We make that happen everyday. Not only for ourselves, but for our
agents, our friends, and our clients. They may be one in the same many times,
but make no mistake we are a big part of that happiness. And without hardworking
agents, and brokers that are in this business every day a lot of people wouldn't
get that experience.
So if that makes me crazy, if my definition of success is not the same as yours,
that's OK. Call me crazy, call me successful and crazy and I will be just fine.
Call me a crazy broker/owner because that is what I am.
P.S. - if you need a home in the Bluegrass Area of Central Kentucky, or are
interested in a career in real estate in Lexington KY, you can call me then too.
(You know I had to do it sometime....)
- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4234629/a-producing-broker-s-take-on-things#sthash.Hz5dyx1D.dpuf
