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Why Being A Mother Prepared Me To Be A Real Estate Agent

By
Real Estate Agent with Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty
I think the key to any successful endeavor is flexibility.  We certainly learn to be flexible when we have children.  Maybe that is why Real Estate comes so easily to mothers who are raising children.  We have to think on our feet and be prepared to change everything at a moments notice.  The last minute child with a fever who can't go out, the call from the school nurse, or any number of life altering adjustments have trained me to roll with the punches.

Today is a prime example:


Yesterday the Schedule looked like this:

9:45 Nicole to Harvest Festival for her performance at 10:30 - Victoria and I will walk around until the performance then hang out until 11:30 then       drive to Middletown to get Victoria to Dance
12:00 Drop Victoria off at Dance Class
1:30 Pick up Nicole from Harvest Festival then back to Middletown
2:00 Pick up Victoria and take both girls home then drive to showings first house about one half hour from home
3:00 Meet Clients tour 5 houses Then back home
5:30 Pick up girls then to Reenactment for dinner and campfire (Yesterday the girls were not feeling well and we decided not to camp out Saturday    night so we were planning to come home at night then go back in the morning.)

Hold Up Wait a Minute.... Got an email from the client last night. He has to work so he can't see houses until 5:00 PM Well I could have canceled but since we were not planning to stay over and this client needs to find a house I am now rescheduling all the houses and will be going to the reenactment tomorrow morning instead.  It is ok, we weren't going to spend the night anyway so I don't mind this adjustment but what if I was not conditioned to go with the flow?

The New Schedule looks like this:
9:45 Nicole to Harvest Festival for her performance at 10:30 - Victoria and I will walk around until the performance then hang out until 11:30 then     drive to Middletown to get Victoria to Dance
12:00 Drop Victoria off at Dance Class
12:30 Home to reschedule appointments
2:00 Pick up Victoria and go back to Harvest Festival to get Nicole (Oh No she just called and said she wanted to go to a friend's house "Can I pick her up at 10:00?") Still have to go back to Harvest Festival because Victoria did not see it all and I promised
4:00 back home drop off Victoria
5:00 start rescheduled tour
7:00 Figure out what to do for dinner because we are not at the reenactment with the stew that I had prepared for tonight
10:00 Pick up Nicole and home to pass out.

I feel very sorry for anyone in this business and in life who can't be flexible.  I have worked with those types of clients and those types of agents too. I hope that you can learn to roll with the punches or you won't go far.  Please remember to call if your schedule changes.  There are people who need to know.  Remember they have been running around sprucing up the house for you and your clients or they are waiting to let you in.  

Have a Good Day and Keep it Flexible!   

I'm Paddy Pizappi - Work with me and You'll be Happy! 



 
 

Comments (25)

Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

It most likely would Anne.  You can't have lasted very long if you don't know how to roll with it!

Sep 20, 2008 05:18 AM
Jim & Maria Hart
Brand Name Real Estate - Charleston, SC
Charleston, SC Real Estate

Hey, Paddy. I think my schedule looks a lot like yours. Are we running the same kids around? Thanks for sharing and I wish you some much needed rest, Jim

Sep 20, 2008 05:25 AM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

Same kids different state Maria and Jim.  Have a good one.

Sep 20, 2008 05:40 AM
Harold "Hal" Place
A1 Connection Realty, Inc. - Sun City Center, FL

Hi Paddy,

Thankfully I wasn't in Real Estate when the children were younger. Even though my wife was at home my schedule as a parent had to be adjusted frequently. Thankfully my business allowed me to go with the flow most of the time. Now that I am older and the children are grown with their own family schedules, we often ask ourselves where all that extra time disappeared to.

Sep 20, 2008 05:57 AM
Kevin O'Shea
Coldwell Banker - White Plains, NY
White Plains, NY Real Estate

Hi Paddy,   Some mothers don't think they have skills when they start in Real Estate.  You made the point well, a family is like a mini-corporation.  A lot to do and not much that time.

All the best!

Sep 20, 2008 06:33 AM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

Hi Hal Like Rosanna Rosannadana said "It's alwyas something"  Have a great day.

Sep 20, 2008 06:34 AM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

I would say being a mother prepares you to take over the world if you want to Kevin but then again maybe I am biased.  Have a wonderful weekend Kevin.

Sep 20, 2008 06:49 AM
C Tann-Starr
Tann Starr & Associates, Inc. - Palm Bay, FL

Paddy, I understand how you feel and agree 100% with you. I'm juggling two sets of therapy sessions, Noah's tutors and my on-line classes. Timing your life is certainly everything when working in this business! :-)

Sep 20, 2008 10:51 AM
Cristal Drake
Prudential California Realty - Fullerton, CA
Realtor - Fullerton Real Estate

Paddy, I hear you!  It is football season and the Drake house.  Thursday I worked the snack shack, Friday I watched the game (had to leave at 3:00 and did not get home until 1:00 am) Today, squeezed in a bunch of showings, tried to wrangle up some chaperones for tonight's dance and am not getting ready to go chaperone the dance!  This is only the tip of the iceburg!

Sep 20, 2008 12:38 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Paddy, It is so true no matter WHAT business you are in.  Flexibility with children and a job are vital....I sometimes wonder how I did it but we always manage somehow :)

Sep 20, 2008 01:47 PM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

Hi C- You have therapy appointment to add to the mix.  It is a wonder we can manage but our days seem to manage to expand to allow us to fit in what we need too.

How do we manage Cristal? I remember those days of youth sports when I needed to live in the car for games and volunteer efforts.  Now I spend much of my time driving to Dance Events and now I am getting started with a Families Assisting Music Education (FAME) group so it will be the sports thing all over again.  But it is worth it!

I know it is Carole and I am glad that real estate allows me to be as flexible as it does.  Many women simple are not able to do what I can so I am thankful I was able to make this my profession. 

Sep 20, 2008 11:36 PM
Mike Saunders
Retired - Athens, GA

Paddy - I will not complain about my schedule after seeing yours, or C's, or Cristal's or ....., Sometimes you forget what it was like being the parent of younger children with different interests.

Sep 21, 2008 12:32 AM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

Thanks Mike.  We mothers are pretty amazing if you ask me and we appreciate your awe!

Sep 21, 2008 01:02 AM
Teresa Harris
Lake Real Estate, LLC - Denver, NC
Denver . Lake Norman . Charlotte

I can relate to this... being a mom and a real estate agent is a constant juggling act. In my case and in a lot of other people's cases we have the aging parents in the mix as well....Take care!

Sep 21, 2008 04:43 PM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

There is only my father inlaw left for me now on the parent end, Teresa, but he is a handful on his own.  I am working on my mothers estate and that is no picnic either.

 

 

Sep 22, 2008 12:00 AM
Teresa Harris
Lake Real Estate, LLC - Denver, NC
Denver . Lake Norman . Charlotte

We are currently having an issue with my FIL and I have got to tell you that dealing with this wears me out... My sister-in-law is really having a problem dealing with everything, I am really scared that she is letting things bother her too much.

Sep 28, 2008 02:58 PM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

It is hard not to let things bother you when you have older parents in the mix.  You want to help but they can become dependant and it can drain you.  I wish you all luck with it.

Sep 28, 2008 10:44 PM
Teresa Harris
Lake Real Estate, LLC - Denver, NC
Denver . Lake Norman . Charlotte

Oh, and adding to the mix both my SIL and her husband work for WACHOVIA. Her husband is one of the VP's and will probably loose his job. But she is so wrapped up with her father's issues, that what her husband is going through doesn't seem to phase her yet...

Just a little background, my MIL just passed away in Feb. (they were married for 67 years) and just a few months after that he has this girlfriend that is pushing to get married. He's going to be 88 next month while his girlfriend is 80. She has turned all her assets over to her children. Needless to say the story goes on and on....

Oct 01, 2008 03:03 AM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

Sounds like a rough time for all Teresa.  Good luck.

Oct 01, 2008 03:41 AM
Teresa Harris
Lake Real Estate, LLC - Denver, NC
Denver . Lake Norman . Charlotte

Thanks Paddy:) Good luck with handling your moms estate.... 

Oct 01, 2008 10:48 AM