After contemplating finding a niche, I was left with nothing. Nothing at all. I remembered when I saw that special ad in a newspaper years ago that made me give them a call. Now I wish I would have saved it. The ad said something about selling modular homes and a phone number to the dealer. I was exited, went on an interview and got hired on the spot!
In Sweden, where I came from, most homes are modular homes built in a factory environment due to the harsh weather. They are then shipped to the location in small sections and are assembled there. Once assembled, they look like a stick-built home.
When my boss then suggested we would go to a park after me getting hired, I felt some cunfusion as of why but said yes, sure, let's go. We then drove for about 2 minutes and he turned in to a mobile home park, I was in chock! Row after row after row, were what I later learned, manufactured homes. They were on leased land with a monthly space rent. I had never seen anything like it before!
Because in Sweden, mobile home parks does not exists. What I thought I would be selling was modulars, not manufactured homes, or as most calls them, mobile homes. But I told myself after getting over the surprise, why not try it out for a month and if I manage to sell one, lets see if I can sell another one!
After getting some training, taking the test with passing grades, I was finally a Certified Sales Agent with a special license from the Department of Housing, being able to sell mobile homes only. No, not a licensed Realtor, no access to the MLS, nothing like that at all. Whatever inventory my Dealer had, those were the only ones I could sell.
Fast forward, now I have a license as a Realtor since 2005 and guess what, I still sell mobile homes! Every once in awhile, being a Realtor, I sold a couple of homes but my specialty is manufactured homes. The only reason why I got a license with the Department of Real Estate is that I now get better commission as a Realtor.
Yes, I took some time off after I had my stroke in 2013, stayed home for 2 years and then went back to work. But, instead of going back to Canyon Country, I decided to start working in Lancaster. Driving thru the mountains on narrow canyon roads was not something I wanted to do anymore so Lancaster it was.
I am going to make this post in two parts so please follow along, the second part will come out shortly. Then I will tell you about my "new" niche!
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