Have you ever wanted to go behind the scenes to check out a day in the life of a Realtor®? Today’s your lucky day! We’re going to give you some insight on what it’s like to walk in our shoes.
From the outside
Sometimes, it seems like everyone and their mom either wants to be a Realtor® or has considered becoming one at some point in their lives. We’re often asked about how to get started from agents-to-be. We get it – the grass looks so green over here! We flaunt our cute open houses on instagram, and boast about quick sales and flexible lifestyle. And to top it off there’s a big commission check at the end of each transaction. Right?
From the inside
Yes, being a real estate agent can and does offer all of these things! We LOVE what we do! But, like anything in life, the job doesn’t solely offer those things. It certainly doesn’t offer them without some of the “ugly” side – odd hours, difficult conversations, and A LOT of problem solving.
Let’s talk about the parts of Realtor-ing that often go unnoticed –
- The inspection negotiations
WOOF! Under quick timelines, we’re researching and gathering bids for everything from roof damage, to termite infestations, to structural issues or a soon-to-be-broken appliances. We’re always learning and always making new friends with our vendor partners! - The sitter
The home that doesn’t sell. While we do everything in our power to attract timely offers on our listings, it still happens that sometimes we can’t find the perfect buyer in the desired time frame. While this is not the norm, it does happen; and it’s frustrating for all parties involved! - The sunk costs
Remember that sitter? We paid hefty marketing expenses and put our time and souls into everything we possibly could to find the magic buyer. - The flexibility
This one’s our favorite. Yes, our job is flexible, and some days that means watching Netflix at 11am on a Tuesday (any other Love is Blind fans out there?! 🙂 ) However, it also means excusing ourselves from a dinner out to run to the car, whip out our laptops, and ensure an offer gets signed prior to expiring. While being in real estate certainly offers some flexibility in scheduling, it’s typically on someone else’s flexibility, not yours. - The paperwork
We diligently review every contract document that comes across our desk, ensuring it gets executed properly and in a way that our clients are sure to understand prior to any signing taking place. - The difficult conversations
When our buyer’s offer doesn’t get accepted, or a lender can’t issue final approval on a loan (eek!), it can be very difficult to break this news to our clients. As much as we like to stay objective in the process, buying and selling is an emotional experience no matter how you slice it.
So, you wanna join the team!? 🙂
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – we absolutely LOVE what we do! Even the inspection windows and the sitters expand our brains to think strategically and solve problems under tight time constraints. It is extremely fulfilling when you get to the closing table, and you know you truly earned your commission check! But there’s much more that’s goes into buying and selling real estate than unlocking doors and posting about it on the socials.
We’re open books, and we like to keep it real with you. If you have questions for us, just ask!