Before I was a Realtor®.....

I don't know about you but I often get the question:  "What were you before you were a Realtor®?"

I know for some agents, real estate has always been their business.  Others, like myself, may have not always been in real estate but ended up here, all for many different reasons. 

Before I was a Realtor®

I was a nail technician

I only worked three days a week

Pay was based solely on commission and I even received tips

Before I was a Realtor®

I worked for one of New Jersey's leading law firm's senior partner

I worked 9-5 Monday-Friday with a one hour lunch

Got paid for working overtime AND time and one-half on the weekend or a holiday

I possessed strong communication skills and excellent organizational skills

I had the ability to multitask and pay thorough attention to detail 

I understood, appreciated and recognized the value of confidentiality in communications. 

Before I was a Realtor®

I became the mother of three children

Never realizing how my life would change

Until they were born

I recognized the importance of schools, communities and understood that moving is sometimes tough on children.

Before I was a Realtor®

I listened to my mother and never got in the car with total strangers or entered abandoned houses

I never cared about the price of gas or paid attention to it for that matter

I never had an appointment with a no-show

I never realized how many realtors there are

And that everyone you know also knows someone who's a realtor

I didn't know just because someone sells real estate, it does NOT make them a Realtor®

Nor did I realize just how many incompetent realtors there are

Before I was a Realtor®

I didn't understand why the seller shouldn't set the price for his house

And why a buyer needed to be presented with a buyer's CMA before making an offer

Or why it was so important that the keys were actually in the lockbox

Before I was a Realtor®

I didn't know that you can show one buyer 100 houses

And he won't buy any of them but

Another realtor can show him one house and he buys it the same day!

I didn't realize how hard you would work on a deal

And someone will still think you are overpaid

I never understood the "thank you, you've been great" phone call you receive

When you worked so hard to find your buyers a home

And they call you to tell you they bought a FSBO in a town where they didn't want to live

Before I was a Realtor®

I had complete control of my time

My weekends and my evenings

I never had a three digit cell phone bill

I could answer my phone at any time, even if all three kids and their friends were screaming in the background because it didn't matter who was on the other line

I never had to lock myself in the bathroom or my car to negotiate a contract

I didn't know that if you missed a telephone call

Your potential lead was now working with the agent who did answer their phone on the first ring

Before I was a Realtor®

I learned to multi-task

I was a nail tech, a legal assistant and a mom of three

I could polish nails in my sleep, type 95 wpm while talking on the phone, and get three kids all under the age of 5 bathed, diapered, dressed, fed and out the door all at the same time

Before I was a Realtor®

I didn't realize that I could answer a call, reply to an email, view the stats of my blog, fax out a contract, let the dogs out, tweet, feed my kids lunch, update my facebook status, send a text message, give my kids a "be  quiet" stare, let the dogs in and set a showing all at the same time

I didn't realize the JOY that you bring to first-time homebuyers when you hand them the keys to their very first home

I didn't realize how much first-time buyers NEED and DEPEND on their agent every step of the way from finding the right house to negotiations and moving in

I didn't understand the HONOR I would feel when someone entrusted me with the biggest financial decision they would ever make, their biggest asset....and they CHOSE me!

I didn't realize I would LOVE being a Realtor®.............................. Before I was a Realtor®

Who were you before you were a Realtor®?