The Art of Being a Realtor

When I was a student at UT working on my art degree, I took a sculpture class.  As the end of the semester drew near, I was pondering ideas of what to sculpt for my final project.  I bounced ideas off a classmate but never really told him what I finally decided on.  I put a lot of thought into what I intended to make and gathered the objects and materials I felt were needed along the way to make the sculpture I had envisioned.  Although I had briefly discussed the project with my friend, I didn’t involve him deeply in my thought process or how I intended to produce the piece.  Well, as the semester wound down, one day I told my friend I couldn’t go for a dip in Barton Springs as I was spending the day creating my sculpture.  The very next day I unveiled my work to him and he said “I can’t believe that only took you one day to make.”  Indeed, it had only taken me one day to sculpt the piece, but I had spent hours and hours, brainstorming, sketching, and collecting the various items that went into the piece.   Sculpture, like many things, can be deceptive. Much like the old adage that says we all see the duck swimming smoothly across the pond, but we don’t see his feet furiously paddling beneath the surface. 

Real Estate is like making that sculpture or a paddling duck.  A lot of thought goes into what I do and how I go about doing my work.  It may not look like things are taking shape, but I do many little things throughout the days, weeks, months, and years to stay informed of what is going on in the wonderful world of real estate and to assist my clients in any way that I can further along the buying or selling process.  

I come from a sales and promotions background and all the different career paths I have had along the way form the foundation of my real estate career.  I love the pace of real estate and its ever-changing dynamic.  But, similar to an artist, I don’t get rewarded until the job is done.  It is an entrepreneurial career with no guaranteed income safety nets.  This motivates me because when I wake up every day, I can either be a hard-working successful agent or rest on my laurels and settle for mediocrity. I choose to work hard at what I do which has resulted in a highly successful real estate career.  

Like the various components that went into that sculpture, when I work with clients, I want them to know that I bring much more to the table.  I spent many years making lasting connections and gathering good sources within my business that benefit my clients.  These include general contractors, designers, HVAC and plumbing technicians, roofers, foundation companies, inspectors, pest control, electricians, and many, many more.  Until you’re in the midst of the home-buying process, most do not realize how beneficial it is to be just a phone call or text message away from a resource that can be of use when purchasing one of the largest investments of your life. I also stay well-connected with other realtors and belong to quite a few realtor groups in addition to the Austin Board of Realtors.

I don’t take my job lightly when working with buyers looking in the Austin area.  I want them to find a house that they can call home.  With buyers, I also want to understand where they have come from and where they see themselves going to, and again, use resources to find the right house to call home.  When I work with a seller, I want to understand where they intend to go before we make plans to sell their house so that the outcome will be a smooth transition.  

Like sculpting a piece of art or working with a client looking for their dream house, it is a little bit of magic and quite a bit of work. The more effort put into making the magic, the dream of homeownership is something I am here to help you with!