That's all I could think of as I watched myself in a preliminary draft of an Epson Corporation commercial featuring me as a local Realtor expert. No, I couldn't find fault with what I was wearing, what I was saying, or how I was saying it. I spend so much time doing my homework, cultivating a professional wardrobe & image, reviewing market data and checking my facts, that my actual words were of no concern to me. I knew I had my facts down cold and I wouldn't embarrass myself.
I finally realized that this was tremendously important. I'm being featured in a commercial that will soon air via the internet, visible to millions of viewers and my biggest complaint is that my teeth are crooked. They really are. Okay and my hair looked a little scary... and I really need to drop a few pounds.
But my message was spot on. So there. I really AM an expert - teeth be damned. I had to watch myself in a commercial to appreciate that as fact. We all spend a ton of time telling (convincing) others about how great we are, that sometimes we lose track of the fact that we really are that good.
A reporter recently called me for my expert advice about the Corona Del Mar real estate market, asking me to help her fine an iconic home there to feature. She said "..if I knew anything about the history of the immediate area, that would be great, too..." Little did she know what a history buff I am. She probably didn't need me to go all the way back to the original Spanish land grants prior to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (yes, I did). But who can deny the allure of such a compelling story? California history rocks!
For example, I am fascinated that the elder James Irvine, whose family was an integral part of the development of Orange County, didn't feel that the tract of land containing what is now Corona Del Mar was of any worth, because it was "too close to the ocean" and "unfit for cattle grazing.." So he sold it in 1904 - cheap. Um yeah.... Four homes recently sold there for more than $5 million in this market. I think the value is definitely there. That may not have been his best investment decision.
Anyway, it was a fun project and I am looking forward to seeing her piece run in the Newport Beach Magazine. What surprised me was when she called me back, explaining that she was having trouble identifying iconic homes in other Newport Beach communities, such as on Balboa peninsula and in the San Joaquin Hills area. She said other Realtors couldn't really help her.
What?! Help me understand this. In our market, when we are all virtually selling our souls for exposure, a journalist calls a Realtor and they "can't help her"? Color me crazy, but I embraced the opportunity to help her with her additional research and in exchange I'll garner some nice publicity. I had fun knocking on the loveliest doors in Orange County, asking if they'd like their homes to be featured in a local magazine.
It's good to know that what I think of as good old fashioned "common sense" and a willingness to do a little extra work still has value and is appreciated. If anyone else wants to know the history of Orange County cities, including Irvine, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Dana Point and more - look me up! I have a lot of locale lore and legend up my sleeve, too.
I'm happy to share market data with you if you'd rather talk about real estate, too.
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