JUST HOW DID I GET INTO REAL ESTATE
One Step at a Time
I am a story teller from way back and this is a short story of how I got into real estate, the photo at the left was taken when I put my license with Bucher Real Estate in Lake Oswego, OR. I was about 27 or 28 years old. It was 1972.
When a person takes a long look back into their lives there is no telling what they will find. I have done this many times over as I have grown into my years and I am finding there are not really too many huge regrets. Would I have done things differently if given the chance, perhaps, however would I be where I am and who I am today if I changed those decisions? Given that thought the answer would be a very decided no.
I went into real estate back in the early seventies, about 1972. My husband at that time was a Realtor very active in the NAR, and a teacher of real estate for a pretty infamous attorney in Oregon by the name of Norman Webb. My husband later went on to teach with a large real estate firm when we moved to West Linn, eventually opening a real estate school of our own where he taught prospective agents what they needed to learn for the State real estate license test. I, at that time, decided I wanted to try and get my license, took my husbands courses, the test and passed with flying colors. I think he was pretty amazed, I am not so sure he thought I could really do it especially on the first try.
The real estate climate back then was not so very different from today's climate with the exception of the interest rates, we never knew what a short sale was, and not many foreclosures. Just good ole real estate transactions with one page sale agreements, no disclosures and a lot of hand writing. Computers as we know them now were just a figment of someone's imagination and only land telephone lines for communication. Eventually my husband and I went on to own our own real estate firm, I loved it.
I went into real estate back in the early seventies, about 1972. My husband at that time was a Realtor very active in the NAR, and a teacher of real estate for a pretty infamous attorney in Oregon by the name of Norman Webb. My husband later went on to teach with a large real estate firm when we moved to West Linn, eventually opening a real estate school of our own where he taught prospective agents what they needed to learn for the State real estate license test. I, at that time, decided I wanted to try and get my license, took my husbands courses, the test and passed with flying colors. I think he was pretty amazed, I am not so sure he thought I could really do it especially on the first try.
The real estate climate back then was not so very different from today's climate with the exception of the interest rates, we never knew what a short sale was, and not many foreclosures. Just good ole real estate transactions with one page sale agreements, no disclosures and a lot of hand writing. Computers as we know them now were just a figment of someone's imagination and only land telephone lines for communication. Eventually my husband and I went on to own our own real estate firm, I loved it.
The MLS listings were in books that were coveted and never out of your sight. They were expensive in those days. I loved the business of real estate, it was fun and there was a lot of group things everyone did. Having my husband in the business as well was just an added bonus. We were very busy not only with selling real estate, but with the athletics and school events our girls were in, like swimming, softball and soccer. Yes, I was a soccer mom before there were soccer moms. We also did lots of entertaining at that time and a party of at least 100 was easy, it was just what we did.
My life had many changes during the late seventies and early eighties and I took a break from real estate and did a lot of other things. Usually always sales oriented, such as working for a wholesaler of office products and traveling with that job, managing one engineering office and working for another doing their marketing. Then one day I decided to become a massage therapist. To be honest I was not so sure I was smart enough. Tell me why do women do that! I was able to push that aside, went to school for what seemed a long time, took the test passed and became a massage therapist in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I went out on my own and began with nothing, not one client. After a year my business was doing very well and I continued for almost 15 years. I felt at the end of that time I wanted change again and decided to go back into real estate, that was 5 years ago, so here I am.
I love what I do even when things are tough and there are not too many parts I do not like plus I am using my brain in such a different way again. It feels good. I am not a heavy hitter but am steady at what I do. It works for me. The best and most priceless thing I receive out of each transaction is the look on that buyer's face when they are given the keys to their new home and the satisfaction it brings to me. I always feel so blessed at that time.
My life had many changes during the late seventies and early eighties and I took a break from real estate and did a lot of other things. Usually always sales oriented, such as working for a wholesaler of office products and traveling with that job, managing one engineering office and working for another doing their marketing. Then one day I decided to become a massage therapist. To be honest I was not so sure I was smart enough. Tell me why do women do that! I was able to push that aside, went to school for what seemed a long time, took the test passed and became a massage therapist in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I went out on my own and began with nothing, not one client. After a year my business was doing very well and I continued for almost 15 years. I felt at the end of that time I wanted change again and decided to go back into real estate, that was 5 years ago, so here I am.
I love what I do even when things are tough and there are not too many parts I do not like plus I am using my brain in such a different way again. It feels good. I am not a heavy hitter but am steady at what I do. It works for me. The best and most priceless thing I receive out of each transaction is the look on that buyer's face when they are given the keys to their new home and the satisfaction it brings to me. I always feel so blessed at that time.
So how did I get into Real Estate? One step at a time.
A promotional video I did for my website
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