Why I sell real Estate, and who I am...REALLY

Back when I was a college student in Brooklyn, studying for my Pharmacy degree (yes I changed careers from a steady, reliable paycheck) I was always interested in houses: styles, architechture etc, and there was plenty of variety to be had in Brooklyn...from Victorians in Bay Ridge to Cape Cods in Mill basin, to Brownstones in downtown Brooklyn, and everything in between. I had friends all over the borough and was able to appreciate first hand the variety and distinctiveness of every style.

Somewhere between graduating college and today, I managed to get married, buy a house, have two kids, sell the first house and buy another, get involved in PTA's and PTO's, coach girls softball, volunteer for township committees, drag kids all over the state playing travel soccer blah blah blah...all the while working as a part-time Pharmacist in a relatively busy store.

Then one day, out of the blue, the company I worked for since 1980, told me they were eliminating my position.  I wasn't getting fired or laid off, but they were going to make me a floater....translation: we call you if/when we need you and you travel all over New Jersey, but never know IF and when they will call you. 

At first I was shocked. However after the initial shock wore off, I looked at this as a "when one doors closes, another door opens" opportunity. I had the chance to do something I truly loved but had to think: WHAT were my interests and passions and could I combine them with a job I loved? My kids were grown by this point so I didn't have to be on a set schedule. Did I want another job punching a clock and never seeing the light of day from 9 AM till 5 PM?

Fortunately, a good friend of mine was in real estate and while talking one afternoon I decided to put my long lost passion for houses (and people) to work and go to school to get my Real Estate license. HEY, if I wasn't going to know where my next paycheck in Pharmacy was coming from I might as well NEVER know when my next check was going to turn up... and sell Real Estate.

So there I was two weeks later, early on a Monday morning sitting in a classroom from 9 till 3 (for 13 days straight) learning about Real Estate. (I might add that the day before I began Real Estate school I bought a puppy and was up every AM at 5  to walk the little bugger, and running home at lunch to feed and walk the bugger, and rushing home to cook dinner for the kids and..you guessed it walk the little bugger again..what was I thinking???). I took the school test on Thursday, took the State test on Saturday and began another two weeks of Prudential Boot Camp that following Monday.

By December 2003 I was a fully licensed and trained (or so I thought) Real Estate agent, working in at Prudential New Jersey Properties. I bought office supplies, a briefcase, some nice suits (always wore jeans in the Pharmacy) and I was off and running...or was I?

As I was to come to learn, you just don't show a house to a buyer, or write a listing agreement for a seller and wait...there's a lot more to it than that.  You need to be a psychologist, a parent, a friend, a confidant, a negotiator (and not just for contracts), a marketing innovator and so much more. You need to know how to deal with the frustrations and glitches that encompass every transaction with grace and dignity (and sometimes a little bit of "friendly persuasion"). OH, and all the paperwork involved as well.

I shadowed one of the best in my office (thank you Ingrid!!) and often called her for tips, suggestions or just to verify I was doing something right, and eventually found myself getting into the swing of things.

I talked to everyone I knew (and didn't know), sent emails, and cards to everyone I had addresses for (and after 15 years on PTA's alone the list was enormous) letting them know I was now an Real Estate agent.  And it worked. I got a referral from a friend and sold my first house in January of 2004. And then another, and then another !!! I even made Prudential's Million Dollar Club and Prudential Honor Society in 2005 (only six agents in my office, including myself, got any Prudential Recognition awards that year) WOW...this is easy...

When I began my real estate career it was the beginning of another "boom" market, where my clients would look at 5 or 6 homes on Saturday and on Sunday, 4 would have multiple offers. I was a home showing, contract writing and negotiating machine.  Eventually they all became homeowners. WOW...this is easy...

Now it's a different story...houses are selling, especially in my areas of specialty (Edison/Metuchen/Woodbridge) but at a slower pace. Buyers need to be educated on the local housing market, sellers need to be reminded it is NOT 2005-2006 any longer. Potentiall buyers are wondering when the market will hit bottom so they can get a "deal".  Sellers are worried they are looking at lower and lower profits from their long owned and loved homes.

So yes, it may be a bit tougher now, but I have the stamina, will and drive to weather this (recurring) Real Estate storm.  I know that it will end soon (and in some cases it is already showing signs of improvement). My job now is to stay on top of my specific market, and know exactly what's going on on a regular basis so I can educate both buyers and sellers effectively.

This is a terrific field for me.  I get to be outdoors (sometimes in weather that isn't that great), meet new people on a regular basis, see some magnificent (and not so magnificent) homes and help people achieve part of the American Dream.  My best days ever, are giving the keys to a  buyer at closing and telling them "Congratulations, you are now a homeowner!!", or watching my sellers move onto another phase in their lives.