Last night, I was invited to a private party at an art gallery here in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Because it was Valentine's Day, it was dubbed as a "singles party", yet a lot of couples showed up as well.
Mary Titus, gallery owner and artist, knows how to throw a party with excellent wines and food. She's a long time resident here with a wide range of friends in the community. Definitely not an invitation to pass up.
When you go to a function like this or any other function for that matter, I take a lot of business cards with me as it is always a real estate networking opportunity for my brokerage. Why?
Because more often than not the first question posed to me is:
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Although this was a social situation and the answer could have been "gardening" or any other number of pursuits, the answer they are angling for is VERY SPECIFIC. They want to know WHAT DEFINES YOU and that is HOW YOU MAKE YOUR LIVING. So my answer, of course, is:
I AM AN INDEPENDENT REAL ESTATE BROKER.
And for good measure, I add:
I JUST OPENED AN OFFICE AT SU VECINO COURT HERE IN CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA.
Not only does this tell the other party that I am "local" and have a serious commitment in the community, but also that I am New just in case they haven't heard about my brokerage. At this point I give them a business card!
And now I can start finding out some things of my own about the other person starting out with:
ARE YOU LOCAL?
Last night that mostly meant "are you from around Carmel-by-the-Sea or any of the small surrounding cities of Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove, Monterey, Big Sur, or Carmel Valley".
And that's when they tell you all about themselves with a little prompting, of course, where they work, how long they've been here, where they live, etc.
But the big question I like to angle for is:
DO YOU OWN OR RENT?
Because some may want to buy a home if they haven't already done so, others may want to sell, and still others may recommend me to someone. In each case, it gives me some knowledge that may be helpful when I pursue this new found friendship.
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