So I was sitting here and thinking...in this struggling economy, why is it that I stay in Real Estate?  Here are a few of the reasons I thought of:

1. I love the people.  You simply cannot trade the feeling that you get when you help that young couple buy their first home, or that single make the most confident step of independence.

2. I love a challenge.  Ok, so lately, I could do with a little LESS challenge, but there is a certain amount of a "high" you get from matching people up to homes.

3. I love my town.  In Albany, OR, we have a population of between 40,000-45,000 people, so we can still be considered a small community.  It's fun to go out & see the different neighborhoods and "discover" areas that I haven't seen before.

4. I love my brokerage.  Truly, in all my years of business, I have never worked for a company so encouraging and supportive.  It's amazing to see how everyone rallys around coworkers who have a car accident, or get stricken with cancer - and no one expects compensation.  It's just what we do for each other.

5. I love paperwork.  You guessed it, I was being facetious! :)  For everyone who thinks our job is easy, they need to walk a mile in our shoes - make sure they're the high heeled ones that we gals have to wear to make ourselves look professional.

But the real reason I stick with it?  I want to help people.  It kinda goes back to Reason 1.  The people I've met have become more than just customers or clients, they've become my friends.  I'm so looking forward to all the new friends that I will be making in 2009.  If you want to be one of them ;), give me a call, but above all, have a wonderful year!

So why do you do what you do?

Kristin Smith
Keller Williams Realty Mid-Willamette
kdsmith@kw.com ~ www.callkdsmith.com ~ 541-497-6510