I serve clients in Holland, Zeeland and neighboring West Michigan cities, but no matter where you are located you are going to have some interesting stories. One of the most gratifying experiences I have had came after a humbling one. I spent a lot of time last summer going door to door in neighborhoods letting people know what I am doing, and also asking if they are considering making a move in the near future. I picked a neighborhood near my home and started canvassing. A few houses after I had started I knocked on the door and explained what I was doing. To my surprise the lady started laughing at me! I don't know if I was dressed funny or what, but it did not make me feel good. Well in this real estate business you need to remember the word 'next' another phrase I say is 'What lies before us, and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.' This is a quote from someone famous and it has really helped me.
Even though what just happened hurt my ego, I was able to say 'next'. Well a couple of houses later I was able to generate a good lead, and a couple weeks later I ended up listing their home. Not only did I eventually sell their home, but I also received a lead from the sign and sold those people a home. Now I didn't go back to the lady who laughed at me, but it was very gratifying knowing that my perseverance provided me with a lot of money.
When you start getting pranked by your fellow co-workers you know that you have been accepted. I went through a very hard transaction early on in my career and was worried that I had would do something incorrectly. I closed the deal on a Friday afternoon and on Monday I had a note from my boss. On the note it said, 'I need to talk to you about your last closing, what were you thinking?' Since I was new in the business and had already worried about doing something wrong I got very nervous. I ended up meeting with him in the hall later that day, and fearfully asked him about the note. This time it was a good feeling when I heard laughter, because he had not written the note after all. I eventually found out who did it, and am still working on a plan to get him back. I now hang the note up on my wall as an example that I am accepted.
It has been a challenging year as a real estate agent, but also very fulfilling. I have been able to serve the needs of many clients in the area, and am looking forward to another great year. I wanted to share with you a couple of my experiences as a real estate agent, and to encourage you that good things can happen out of bad experiences.
