Troy Erickson posted a question, "What is Your Niche Market?" that led me to think more deeply about my involvement with real estate and whether it is a lifestyle or a business for me.
REAL ESTATE AS A LIFESTYLE
I focus on a half-square mile section of the Black Rock neighborhood in Bridgeport, CT. I've lived here for more than 30 years, so it was an easy decision to focus on dominating this small area when I went into real estate in 2004. I've been the #1 listing agent here since 2007. I love being in real estate because it allows me to get deeply involved in my community and that matters to me. My social life and my work life are interwined so deeply that I'd have to say real estate is a lifestyle as well as a business for me.
This was a deliberate choice for me. I decided to change careers from corporate consulting to real estate so that I could care for my elderly mom and dad as well as get more involved in the community where I lived. I became a community leader and still run a local environmental organization to this day, the Ash Creek Conservation Association. When my husband became ill and died three years later, my community supported me through it. I didn't sit home alone as a widow. There is always an artist reception, community meeting, party, or someone to meet for coffee, dinner, or a glass of wine.
In the course of day-to-day living, I come into contact with people in my community who want to buy or sell a home or who know someone who does. The Internet also plays a key role in generating leads through my websites, but personal referrals provide the most solid leads, because of the trust factor. Many times I am not competing against any other agent.
REAL ESTATE AS A BUSINESS
Of course there are downsides to real estate as a lifestyle. When your social and business life become interwined it's a 24/7 proposition. When people see me they talk real estate, like they talk about the weather. It's what they associate with me and it is an easy ice breaker for conversations. It is also a topic of neverending interest, much like the stock market.
It's also tricky having tough conversations with people you know well. Recommendations from a stranger are sometimes easier to hear when they involve cleaning, decluttering, decorating choices, taking down family photos, or pricing decisions about their home.
On busy days, I envy those of you who can cut right to the chase and have quick, focused conversations with clients. My conversations are rarely just about business. Aside from the personal catching up, "How's your mom?", there is also "Are you going to the artist reception tonight at Harborview Market?", and sharing neighborhood news.
WHICH IS IT FOR YOU - LIFESTYLE OR BUSINESS?
Do you look at real estate as just a way to make a living? Do you go "off the clock" at set hours or days? Do you keep your relationships with clients strictly professional? Or does real estate become a way of life? Is real estate threaded through your days and evenings? Do you know many of the people you do business with or become friends with them later?
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