It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….. So you can see I’m in a Dickens of a mood, taking on the Blogging Boot Camp assignment of writing about my decision to become a Realtor. The year was 2004 & I was a happy newlywed. I had met my wonderful husband while working together at Motorola. We married and moved in 2003, amid regular layoffs. As we looked forward to our lives together, the possibility of “workforce reduction” for one or both of us was a very real – and scary – possibility. We wondered what we should do in order to secure the future we envisioned.
We sold my condo and bought our first home in 2003 with a wonderful energetic Realtor. As we discussed the “what if’s” of our employment futures, I threw out the idea of pursuing a real estate career; it would allow me the flexibility to be present and available for children, if we were so blessed. Both of my parents worked & I missed having them available to volunteer or chaperone for my classes. I get it – and greatly appreciate it – now, as a parent but I didn’t as a kid. The real estate market was smoking hot – my condo was on the market for 8 days, we had 5 showings & 2 offers, all during the week of Thanksgiving!! The change would diversify the eggs in our basket, so to speak, & I relished the idea of unlimited income potential. I quickly scheduled lunch with my favorite Realtor & friend, to ask him about the good, the bad and the ugly about real estate, and he was brutally honest with me. He said the biggest problem I would have was not the people skills or the professionalism but the lack of paycheck every 2 weeks – and he was right on.
Before I became a Realtor, I enjoyed my career as a project manager in logistics & transportation for 11 years. I made a difference, I managed the movement of products and materials around the world. When I was a new Realtor, I was always nervous about the “how long have you been a Realtor” question. After 8 years, I know that I was always prepared for this career change. Instead of moving materials and products, I now help to move people and properties. I’m most surprised by the fact that I thought I would work for myself, by myself. No way – I am still a member of a team. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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