Focusing on What you Love! ❤️

Kathy, your blog post perfectly encapsulates the power of niching down in real estate! Your journey from "all over the place" to becoming an exclusive expert in The La Quinta Country Club and its surrounding neighborhoods truly highlights the value of focusing on what you know and love. By doing so, you're not only providing superior client service but also creating a more enjoyable and efficient business for yourself. This is a fantastic example of a "real estate best practice."

Kathy Schowe - I have no doubt that many agents who get started in the business begin their career like you did. Thank goodness you learned early on what matters most is serving prospective buyers well enough to refer them out to agents who could best serve their needs. What I love about the decision you made is that you really did focus on their needs. It takes a wise agent to not be selfish and to let those people get what they deserved - someone who could provide superior services in areas that buyers desired.

By focusing on The La Quinta Country Club you made a name for yourself as the expert who is highly respected. I really do believe, if you do enough good for other people, you receive more than you expected in many surprising ways. There was plenty there for you to learn about the region (which looks amazing) and the septic's, HOA's, surrounding areas, construction, and amenities to fit the needs of your clients. 

Thank you for your outstanding entry for the 2025 AR Challenge on Change. Lew Corcoran and I appreciate it very much.

Thank you so much for sharing your journey, Kathy Schowe. I truly appreciate how your focus on what you love has helped you serve clients better and enjoy your work more. It’s inspiring to see someone follow their passion and turn it into a strength! 😊

Hi Kathy:

Shifting your focus to a target area has no doubt resulted in a wealth of knowledge so you can better serve your buyer and seller clients with their needs. And your reputation in the local area grows with that target focus and experience! 

Jeff

    Featured in BananaTUDES

From the beginning my wife was focused on the lake.  It was her playground.  In the crash she added first time buyers and REO property.  You can do what makes you happy until it's not enough.

Kathy you found the 'magic sauce' was right in your own backyard!  Bravo to you for listening to that inner voice and creating a path forward in La Quinta Country Club area.  And on a side note it's so nice to see you back in the rain.  Your enthusiasm and joy of life and business has been missed!!

Hello Kathy - life in those early times of a real estate practice can offer lessons that last a lifetime.  Selection of clients, the extent of how extensive the market areas will reach plus countless other factors can become more focused with experience and a heightened sense of reality of the profession.  

Haven't you seen agents saying they cover an entire state, county or a massive local area --- how do they do it effectively.  For themselves but more importantly for the clients they represent.  Of course, practitioners can select whatever method works for them but admittedly it makes me wonder.  

Hi Kathy,
You were very wise to refer business out and specialize in your favorite happy place. One of the worst cases of misrepresentation I have ever experienced was when an agent from Seattle (approximately 150 miles west) wrote an offer on a riverfront property I had listed. She never saw the property and had no clue how to properly represent her client. She didn't request a septic inspections, well inspection, home inspection... nothing. She worked in the cities in and around Seattle. She knew nothing about rural or riverfront properties. In my professional opinion, it was gross negligence. 

When we first begin, we kind of have to take whatever comes our way, but with success, it allows us to focus more on what we love most.

I can relate Kathy Schowe Swayback we learned by the seat of our pants.  Covering different areas did not take as long to travel to and fro like today.  There were not as many homes, subdivisions and commercial development either.  Although I can sell the entire State of Florida which have included hotel properties, I have scaled back to local niches in my backyard.

Hi Kathy- glad to see you here!!!  I agree with what you said! It makes so much sense. I was an agent for one year about 35 years ago. One of the last homes I sold was listed by an agent who, like yourself "stayed in her lane." She knew everything there was to know about the large community as well as all of the builders. I loved how she knew so much and could answer all of our questions.

Good morning Kathy Schowe ,

It's so good to see a post from you! What an excellent entry into the July contest! You learn to focus your attention on the area you love ad are an expert. For many of us we go where the wind blows when we start out in real estate but thank goodness many of realize to narrow our focus and serve a niche we know backwards and forwards.

this is definitely great advice. My farm is only five minutes from my house maybe seven with traffic and it is so great to be able to get there easily and be present whenever I need to be. A Lender friend asked recently if I would help a client who was looking about 45 minutes from where I live. Foolishly, I said yes. it turned out that was the southern border of where they were looking and some of the properties are an hour and a half from my home. What an insane decision that will not be repeated again. After 37 years I’m beginning to love working closer to home.

Good morning Kathy. You are a perfect example of "staying in your lane" with the added bonus of avoiding accidents. Good for you. Enjoy your day.

Kathy Schowe   it takes time to recognize that you can't offer good service if you're driving an hour to even make a call. Real estate is local and that is where the clients require the best they can get.

Good Wednesday morning, Kathy.

Thanks for sharing some of your personal experience.

Have a productive summer.