My Career as a Realtor

I'll never forget the moment I decided to become a real estate agent.  It was 1994 and I had just had surgery for a ruptured disc in my neck.  I had worked as a legal secretary for 10 years and my doctor recommended for me to change occupations since I sat at a desk and typed on a computer all day long.  Too much stress on the neck.  I was ready for a change anyway, too much stress for too little pay.  Trust me, working in a family law office under 3 attorneys was very stressful.  I was also bored with the same ole thing everyday sitting at a desk 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday.  Being the free spirit I am, it was too confining.  Not to mention the stress of driving Fort Worth, Tx rush hour traffic to and from work everyday. 

So one day I noticed my neighbor across the street had listed their home for sale with a local, well known, and very successful Realtor.  I watched out my front window as the Realtor placed a for sale sign in the yard before getting into her new blue cadillac and driving away.  I remember thinking to myself, "that would be an easy and fun job."  I then called my neighbor and she told me they had listed the home for a 6% commission.  I quickly calculated the price of the home by 6% and thought to myself, "oh my gosh, she's going to make that much money for 'just' selling a house."  When my husband came home from work I immediately shared with him about my new career decision.  I excitedly told him how much money the Realtor was going to make for "just" selling the house across the street and how I was going to real estate school, etc.  I remember him laughing at my excitement and telling me if that's what I wanted to do to go for it.  So the next day I scheduled my six weeks of classes.

The school was long hours (8:00 - 6:00) and very hard.  Some days were so overwhelming with laws, rules and regulations, plus so much math that I wondered if I would pass the much dreaded state exam. The instructors were always emphasizing how hard it was to make it in real estate and how it was an industry with a huge turn around.  People were continually going in and out of the real estate business.  After I completed the 60 classroom hours required in Texas, I began to immediately study for the exam.  I studied everyday for two weeks.  The test took about three and half hours to complete and was very hard.  In Texas, it usually takes at least two to three trys to pass the test, so I was very excited when I found out I had passed on my very first try.  So now I was a licensed real estate agent.

My 1st Real Estate Photo 1994.
Big Hair was in!

I had already selected the broker I wanted to hang my license under and immediately went to work.  However, that is when I found out the real estate school taught absolutely nothing about how to get business.  I didn't know anything on how to get listing appointments and I surely didn't know how to do a listing presentation if I had an appointment.  I didn't know how to work with buyer's either.   I didn't want to just "wing it", I wanted to succeed in this new career decision of mine.  That is when I signed up for a two week training course in Dallas to learn how to list and sell real estate.  I utilized everything I learned in that course and started calling for sale by owners which led to listing appointments.  I had prepared a really good listing presentation and the next thing I knew I had several listings, good ones too.  I began marketing the listings, working with buyers, and wrote my first offer on one of my listings which was accepted by the seller.  I now had a contract and was on my way to my first closing.   I remember being so excited!  My office manager congratulated me, but also warned it was hard to sell your own listings and to not get used to it.  About a week later, I wrote an offer on another listing of mine, then a third.  So I sold my first three listings myself and sold a couple of other homes too.  In short, I closed over a million in real estate transactions my first three months of obtaining my license.  And that is when the average sales price was only $80,000.!  I knew I had found my niche and have never looked back since.

I have and still do love being in the real estate business.  I love meeting new people and helping them with their real estate needs.  I've helped people sell in difficult situations, such as, a family being separated from their husband and dad due to a job relocation hundreds of miles away.  Oh what joy to see that family join together again.  I've helped young couples find their perfect first home and have had the joy of watching their family grow, only to move up to a larger one.  I've helped people find luxury property to live out the lifestyle that comes with the reward of hard earned success.  So many people, so many families, so many homes.  I believe like people, each home is unique, our very own part of heaven on earth, our safe place from the stress of the world. 

I cannot imagine myself doing anything else.  And yes, the real estate business is tough, very competitive, and as mentioned earlier there is a constant turn over.  I assure you, it is a difficult profession.   You are constantly being interviewed for hire, filling out legal documents, utilizing marketing skills, multi-tasking, negotiating deals, and looking after your client's best interest at all times. Ideally one should have the patience of a saint, nerves of steel, the wisdom of Solomon, honest as Abe, the luck of the Irish, good counseling skills, an unselfish and patient spouse, lot's of friends AND a nice 4-door (remember the blue cadillac) vehicle. One must also love to work very long hours and be on call seven days a week. 


Real Estate photo now
Photoshop is in!

Yes, I was very young and naive to think I would make a lot of "easy" money "just" selling homes.  I also didn't know the commission would be split four ways and that my many expenses would come out of my fourth.  However, I cannot imagine myself doing anything else.  I truly found my niche and just like other full-time, hard working and successful Realtors, I possess a genuine passion for the business.  I love that every day is a new one and every client/sale are unique.  I feel blessed to help so many people and do it as my career.

Just wanted to share!