For many the annual Labor Day Holiday is a three day weekend where most folks celebrate the traditional End of Summer.
It's a time for visit with friends and family for a big BBQ and reminisce about all the fun things you did this summer.
However if you are a home buyer who has been looking for a home. At least here in the Northern Virginia and Prince William County Virginia area. It was a power weekend. Three whole days to find the home you want and need. It's always that way.
For so many REALTORS®. The traditional Labor Day Weekend, it was a work weekend.
It was actually interesting on Facebook to see how many local REALTORS® would take a mental break and report what was going on in their world. Most were working round the clock this weekend. Many getting offers written and submitted only to learn they were not the winning bid. A lot of work, and difficult calls to make to hopeful clients who had their hearts set on buying the home they fell in love with. Some REALTORS® and clients got wins some didn't!
It's all part of a REALTORS® Life.
With home inventory being so low, and home buyers arriving daily to the area. The three day weekend is traditionally a power weekend for busy REALTORS®. Home buyers have three days off to house hunt and homeowners who were going to be away, wanted their home on the market hoping it might sell over the holiday weekend.
Well this weekend was no different than Labor Day Weekends of the past.
It was busy?
- On on Thursday I personally uploaded two homes in our local MLS and spent the next day getting all the marketing in place. That takes several hours for each.
- Uploaded Social Media, Blog Posts, a customized Website for each, scanning and sending to broker for signatures and then inputting the homes into MLS. Both homes were in Lake Ridge.
- Placed the signs, lock-boxes.
- Then I fielded calls from agents who had clients in those price points.
- By Saturday morning the Over 55 Community home and a townhouse both both had offers!
- All but one of my listings had lots of traffic!
- I made appointments to review with the owners. I countered both offers by Saturday evening.
- The phone continued to ring throughout the weekend. The ones that come to top of mind are the folks who saw a home they wanted to see. They were in town from New York and just wanted to look at homes. Unfortunately, I am not one to just jump and show homes. If you have your pre-approval in hand, then I am willing to help. No pre-approval. If the caller does not have their financial house in order. The answer is no.
- Another caller called she is getting ready to relocate from New York and needs a good agent. She has been following me for awhile now. We talked for a bit.
- Then the call on Monday morning was from folks in from out of State, who called to request, I come over ( on Labor Day) to give them a market evaluation of a home. They had to sell a family members home who past away a few weeks ago. They needed an agent to tell them how much the home was worth, how long it would take to sell and they needed answers while they were all together in one place.
- On Monday the Over 55 Home was in final negotiations and I had the pleasure of calling the owner to say the purchasers excepted their counter and their home is officially Under Contract.
- The phone kept ringing for agents calling checking on the status of my listings. They do this to save time and to protect their client from falling in love with a home that is no longer available for sale.
- Also on Monday, I was called in on an unexpected meeting with some future move-up buyers who are in the process of of getting ready to sell a home and buy a home. They were off yesterday and that was the time they had to meet with us to discuss how to coordinate the move-up process,the time-lines and expectations.
- I also helped a local family who is getting ready to sell find a REALTOR who can help them find a home in Richmond Virginia.
- Lastly before I hit the sack last night I was getting everything ready for the new listing I am putting on the market this week in Lake Ridge Virginia. Photo shoot this morning.
"I consider myself blessed! I am one of the lucky REALTORS®. All my hard work and energy and negotiations is paying off. That said, being a REALTOR is a tough job. It takes a lot to balance the work load and life."
In closing, the next time you see a local REALTOR® you know. I hope you look at them differently. Think of it this way, imagine you were called to work on the long Labor Day Weekend you had to give up those precious moments with family and friends. Only to learn that you would not be paid for you time,gas money spent, all the time and energy spent and the sacrifices you made. In most jobs workers get time and half to work such a schedule. Not a REALTOR®!
Why do REALTORS®work so hard? Because we have signed a Buyers Agent agreement with you. When the market is as tight as it is here in Northern Virginia, when a home appears in your price range, in the area where you want to live. Your REALTOR® will be there to get you inside and help you attain your home-ownership goals. When you list your home to sell, we want to get you the best price and terms and help you attain your goals. It's what we do, it's who we are, it is our promise to you! We take our client relationships serious We're REALTORS®!"
And if we are good at what we do, with a little added luck on our side, we'll get a paycheck a month or so down the line.
This is REALTOR® LIFE.
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