In many situations in my chosen profession as a full-time real estate agent, I serve in a ministerial capacity for the people involved. While pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts degree at Southern Methodist University, I took many classes at the Cox School of Business as well as Perkins School of Theology. This unique combination of educational background enables me to serve both the business and personal needs of our clients and customers.
The definition of “minister” as verb according to Dictionary.com I believe relates to buying and selling of real estate: to give service, care, or aid; attend, as to wants or necessities; to contribute, as to comfort or happiness.
In all life events, in my experience I have found that people are in need of service and care for both their wants and necessities. And I desire to contribute to people’s comfort and happiness. That is why I treat my professional service as a real estate agent as ministerial in nature.
In most cases when people are in the process of buying and selling a home another life event has occurred to precipitate the move, and/or a life event is anticipated. These include positive life events: marriage; having children and/or children reaching an age where more space is required; transfer of job; increased income justifying purchase of a larger and/or more expensive home; empty nest; receiving a financial wind fall; retirement; pursuing additional education or training; desiring better schools for children. Moving is also predicated on life events that can be stressful and not viewed typically as positive: loss of spouse and/or loved one; illness in self, spouse and/or loved one; divorce; marital separation; job loss or demotion; financial set back; tax planning.
The Homes and Rahe stress scale ranks these and other life events that can lead to stress. “Change in residence” is one of those life events and combined with one or more other stressful situations, increases one’s need for “ministerial acts” in my experience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Numerous examples come to mind in recent client experiences. neighbors moving to Florida in order to take better care of her aging mother; a single “millennial” friend of the family realizing her dream of home ownership by purchasing a condo; a gentlemen from church who lost his wife recently needed to sell in a timely fashion in order to maintain the capital gains and start his new life out of state; a young growing family moving to a larger home in the community to have more space for their active lifestyle; career transfer moved the family out of the area; purchase of investment properties for long-time clients wanting to diversify and expand financial portfolio; friend retiring from the military and moving back to “home state” to be near family; long-time friends launched the last of their children after college and wanted to stay in the area yet down size; family relocating to area from posting abroad needing to get kids settled before school starts; newly married couple purchasing their first town home together; family moved for school environment that better met their son’s needs; wife sold single family home because couldn’t handle maintenance after moving husband to assisted living and moved to condo for ease of maintenance; couple expecting first child so sold condo and moved to single family home in a neighborhood.
The real estate industry distinguishes “ministerial acts” as those routine duties which a licensee can perform for a person. The Virginia Real Estate Board Regulations allow a licensed agent to perform these “ministerial duties” for customers as well as clients who are under a brokerage agreement.
If you find yourself in one of these or other life stages, please know that professional Realtors® Karen Briscoe and Lizzy Conroy are available to assist. Along with their team of Associate Agents, HBC Group with Keller Williams is active in the Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland and Washington, DC market place. We would be delighted to provide service and aid for your home buying and/or selling experience. Visit our website for more information at www.HBC RealtyGroup.com or contact us at 703-734-0192 or Homes@HBCRealtyGroup.com.
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