From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momenum, Keller Williams Tacoma

253 353 2662  www.teammomentumrealestate.com

My husband is a Network Engineer and a Electronic Engineer.  He also works with radar and almost everything concerning hardware in computers.  He's what you've got to call a smart guy.  On his previous job he was in and out of lots of Real Estate offices when equipment needed to be serviced ( computers and so on and networks of computers)  Over and over he came home saying to me "Real Estate agents are IDIOTS!"

Of course I consider myself smart ( not in the ways he is but smart none the less) and I am a Real Estate agent....so....I of course take offense.  Not just for my sake but for the sake of many many really great agents I have worked with and love.

What other job requires what ours does?  A good agent must master several things that all on their own require a degree. 

1. Marketing

2. Contract writing and negotiations

3. Valuation of homes.

4. Understanding psychology of our clients

5. Advertsing

6. Networking socially and with other businesses

7. Learning neighborhood charaeristics

8. Negotiations

9. Writing

10. Business management

11.Sales

12.Accounting

13. Business planning and budgeting

14. Adminstrative management

15.Basic law regarding Real Estate

16. Contact management

17. Consulting

and much much more.

If we also have assistants or a team ad to that

18. Hiring/ Recruiting

19. Management

20. Coaching

This of course does not take into account any of our specialties......

Being a Real Estate agent is one of the most challenging things I have done and even though I love to learn and I soak up what I am interested in like a dry sponge, I feel I will never ever be at a point where I could possibly know it all.  I must say this is one of the biggest blessings of Real Estate.  To be any good what so ever I must constantly be learning and growing and doing new things.

So let's go back to my husband's point of view....where does it come from?  Well mostly that many of the agents he encountered did not understand HIS job.  They often did not know how to operate the equipment he was called to work on and often it was their mess ups that brought him there....Well....Real Estate agents (unlike engineers) tend to be people people.  So, although we may all use the computer and other office equipment daily we have little interest in how it works.  What makes our clients tick?  Well now THAT'S interesting.  How to market a 4 plex missing the entire floor in one unit, that's a challenge we are ready to take on.  Remembering to back up our hard drives....maybe not.

This brings me to another point.  With a job that requires so many different skills, few of us will be good at them all.  I know the areas in which I am "an idiot" and I work hard to surround myself with others who are good at them so that I can focus on doing what I am naturally good at. 

That's the beauty of Real Estate, you can do that, that's the beauty of Real Estate teams.....you can totally do that....and really I don't want to be a genius at keeping a complete file ( I have people for that)  I'd rather be a genius at marketing, negotiating and helping people get what they want.

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Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum Keller Williams Realty Tacoma 253 353 2662