The Start of My Real Estate Career

In an instant—everything changed. We had just pulled into our parking spot at our apartment when we got the phone call. "They accepted your offer," our Realtor said from the other end of the phone. As my boyfriend (now husband) and I sat there grinning at each other over our first big adult decision my life changed. In that moment, I had no idea that the journey we were about to go on would lead me here. I didn't know the twists and turns and frustration of my own purchase process would bring me to what felt like a calling of sorts. Or even more shockingly, just how much it would change my life. After being a real estate agent I can say that our journey to homeownership was by no means high ranking in difficult purchases compared to others. As a buyer in the moment though I felt frustrated through the transaction. Everything came at us so fast. We needed to supply multiple copies of the same document; I needed to take time off work to be at showings, inspections, and closing; and we had to pay for things I wasn't prepared for - like inspections, a first time buyer course, and our appraisal. I remember sitting at my desk once at work, trying to discretely answer the phone for the third time that day, and thinking to myself, "Don't these people know I'm at work? If they had provided me with a list of things they were going to need I wouldn't be sitting here trying to order a copy of my college transcripts in the drive-thru of Chickfila on my lunch break."Through the twists and turns and unexpected document requests we ended up with a beautiful home and in the end we were thrilled to be homeowners, no matter how we got there. The thing that I kept thinking about though, as I sat on my new kitchen counter talking to our REALTOR®, was how the experience could have been better. How a few additional points of communication could have saved us some frustration (or really some anxiety).Just at that moment my boyfriend was offering my marketing services to our real estate agent. She said if I'd be interested in getting my license she'd love to have me as part of her team. I had been looking for a career change so when the opportunity to work as an entrepreneur presented itself I found it almost impossible to say "No, thank you." The idea kept creeping back into my head of how I would enjoy helping people find their homes and how I could make their experience an enjoyable one.Without boring you on the details, I studied for the real estate exam while continuing to work my full-time marketing director position. Once I passed my exam and became an active REALTOR® I left my position to focus solely on real estate. The first three years I spent most of my time getting my footing in the industry and deciding what area I really wanted to focus in. (There are many other stories within this one that I'd be happy to tell you over coffee some other time.)As I entered my third year in the industry hit my stride when I realized residential sales for first time buyers was what I enjoyed most. I wanted to create an enjoyable experience for people. I found that through providing the right information, at the right time, in the right order people were more satisfied with their purchase. The opportunity to help people understand the journey they were about to embark on along with being their guide was exactly what I was looking to do.Today, the core of my business focuses on giving free education to home buyers through Instagram, this blog, and my personal service. This allows them (or you) to make informed decisions about their home purchases. It's a relationship-focused, client centered approach to what can feel like a money-hungry industry. I'm proud to put my clients over commission and send people off well informed about their options. 

If you have questions about the real estate market or buying your first home send me an email or schedule a coffee date. I'm always happy to help you navigate the varying stages of homeownership.