Answer to Question 2. How long have you been a REALTOR®? Part time or Full time?
I have come up with some important questions to use or ask when interviewing a REALTOR®. And I have mentioned that I am going to answer everyone of them, in blog format, because I have a lot to say about most of them. So check in regularly for the answers!
Question 2. How long have you been a REALTOR®? Part time or Full time?
There is a lot to this question. It is not just how long the REALTOR® has been working in the field, but also what kind of support is behind them and if they are experienced in the area you need them to be. If a REALTOR® does not have good support behind them, they cannot always be making the best decisions for their clients. If a REALTOR® doesn’t know the answer to your questions, they should know where to get it.
You also need to know if they are trained the area that you need them to be trained in. Years in the industry does not equal experience. I specialize with “First time homes buyers”, “Condos”, “Seniors”, but not with “acreages”. I have not worked with acreages and I would have to call upon someone else for guidance and support, or refer the acreage out to someone else. Years does not teach me about acreages… More about training, designations, and certifications to come in a later blog.
Back to support, I was working with one brokerage, where a new broker was brought in, he only had 2 years of experience in the industry, and I made my own decision that that didn’t work so well with me, so I moved on.
My support consist of my brokerage (who is currently the 2nd largest in Calgary, have been in the business for over 35 years, and have over 350 REALTORs® in their office). I also have a group of coworkers that I meet and chat with regularly about all kind of topics and issues related to real estate.
I have been licensed since 2003, 7.5 years now. There is only a very small percentage of REALTORs® that actually pass the real estate course, and then there is a large percentage of those who don’t last past the first year. A few more will drop out in the 2nd year. So, I am over those humps, clear sailing for me. When I was first licensed, there were about 5200 realtors and brokers. 7.5 years later, the number is pretty much unchanged.
Although I am a mom, I find that the real estate works well with my kids schedules. I am able to work from home, and schedule my appointments in the day time, evenings, and on the weekends. My phone is with me at all times, and I usually get back to emails and text messages right away. Phone calls may take a bit longer – usually due to client meetings. I do work full time in real estate. I don’t have a second job outside of the home. There are some REALTORs® who do have second jobs, and you can imagine how that affects getting a hold of them when you need to.
Tania King
rescalgary@gmail.com
Cell: 403-813-4448
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