Real Life Dreams

            As human beings we strive to emulate those around us; friends, family, and role models. The most important of those role models being our parents. They teach us everything we know from a young age, values and life lessons that we incorporate into our own lives. After years of watching my mom work in real estate I quickly developed an interest myself. Watching her sell homes and deal with clients on a regular basis led me to want to learn more, with intentions of going in to the business. After I graduate with my degree I plan on pursuing my real estate license and following in my mother’s footsteps. So I interviewed her to get a closer look at what she does, because real estate is much more than just showing and selling a home.

            One of the biggest misconceptions about real estate agents is that they are only working when they are selling a home or showing clients new listings. There is a lot more at play than just that. It is my mom’s job to be constantly aware of how the real estate market is developing and changing. Her clients rely on her knowledge of the market so that they can make a smart decision when purchasing a new home. She needs to know whether it’s a buying or selling market, what homes are for sale, and changes in price. So every morning when my mom heads into her office, after checking voice and emails, she directly goes to the MLS. This stands for Multiple Listing Service and is a real estate agents’ holy grail. This website shows all of the real estate listings in a particular area including the price, details of the property, and how long the listing is active. By using this my mother is able to all the homes for sale and make decisions on what homes to show her clients. She constantly is checking the MLS to see price reductions and the time a house has been sitting so that she can let her clients stay in the loop. If she didn’t a potential house that she wanted could slip away.

            After browsing the MLS and finding potential homes, then the real footwork begins. Seeing a house on a piece of paper is much different than experiencing a home in person. So its my mom’s job to go see these potential properties before she even shows her clients. She will drive out to each of the homes and make sure they would be a valid option. This requires a lot of driving and time. My mom was telling me on numerous occasions how she has shown up to properties and the other real estate agents were no shows. Many people don’t realize the amount of effort real estate agents put into finding the right house. Once she has found numerous properties to show, then she informs her clients and plans a time to show the homes.

            Real estate agents are all about interpersonal relationships. Building a trusting relationship with your clients is essential to this business. After all its very personal and purchasing a home is a major decision. The first and foremost most important goal is keeping your clients happy and finding them a home, not the potential commission. My mom constantly keeps in contact with her clients so that everyone is on the same page and they feel that their needs are being heard. If there is no communication then it could lead to issues in terms of purchasing a home. When my mother deals with clients, the relationship and work doesn’t end when they say goodbye for the day. My mom constantly keeps them in mind by checking the MLS and finding the best options. They are her priority and my mom pours everything she has until they are settled in their dream home. My mom knows details about her clients lives and cares which creates a significant bond. Clients are number one and their satisfaction is what matters most. My mom even takes them out for lunch when they are seeing homes or will bake and bring them what she made. She spends money out of her pocket before even getting paid.

            Once the home has finally been chosen my mother then has to close the deal, which can be one of the trickiest parts. She has to sit down with her clients, discuss what they want to pay, then draft an offer to present to the listing agent of the home. Sometimes this can be a fast process, other times not. Once the offer has been submitted my mom then waits for an acceptance or a counter offer. A counter offer is when the sellers of the home doesn’t accept the original offer, so they revise the offer to something more suitable for them. Yet again this can continue for a while until one party makes a decision. This doesn’t always end with positive results. If neither party accepts then the home stays on the market and my mom loses her potential commission. All of that hard work and effort to find the home, money spent out of pocket, and then no commission. It can be a frustrating field but my mom finds it to be fun and rewarding regardless. After interviewing my mom I have an even stronger drive to become a real estate agent.