Back to the summer of 2005 on this one.

I had already sold my first house, which you probably read about in my last blog post.

I was eager to list a house and see what that part of being a realtor was like.  Most new agents end up working mostly with buyers.  It’s later in your career when you tend to get more listings.

I had gone to the paint store for a house I was remodeling.  While the manager was mixing the paint, he asked what I did.  I said I was a realtor.  He told me how he was having a house built in Versailles and would need to sell his old house soon.  We made some other small talk.  He helped me load the paint in the back of my SUV.

Just as I was about to put the key in the ignition, I remembered that I WAS A REALTOR?!?

I went back inside to talk to this guy.  He said he was interviewing agents and would be happy for me to see his house.  I was so excited and nervous.

I was scared to death they would ask me how long I had been a realtor.  I was trying to decide if it was more impressive to say just over 3 months or say 96 days.

I was with what was then the biggest brokerage in town.  I had no experience.  All I had to offer was the perceived value of the company.

I got all dressed up and went to their house to meet them.  As they gave me the tour, I noticed there were two calendars from different realtors on their fridge.  That’s why you’ve never gotten a calendar or sports schedule magnet from me.

I sat down with them and showed them everything that had sold in their area.  I took a copy of the previous week’s Homeseller.  I showed them that the first several pages were my company’s listings. I showed them where their listing would be when it was a new listing.  I told them I would do open houses every week until it sells. (And shortly after all this, I realized that NONE of these things help sell a house at all.  Even back then, print advertising was in decline and I learned open houses do much more to help the realtor than they do the seller…..but I was new and I thought all this meant something.)

I did open house after open house after open house.  I met lots of people.  One of whom bought another house from me and has used me two additional times since.

The showing that resulted in a sale happened one Saturday afternoon.  I was working in the basement of that house I was remodeling.  I had drywall dust all over the place.  My phone rings.  I dust it off.  An agent wants to see it.  I tell him to go ahead, it is vacant.

That evening I get an offer.  My first listing sold!

The house gets inspected.  It doesn’t need much.   The buyer noticed some gardening tools in the garage he wanted and proposed we trade repairs for tools.  The buyer’s agent and I worked hard on this.  Finally, we reached an agreement for something like an electric weedeater, a rake and two shovels.

That other agent was new too.  It was his first sale.  We had coffee one day after the closing and he’s been my best friend ever since.  In fact, he is the one that suggested I start blogging.

And once everybody got on Facebook, I found out that this first seller was related to my Dad’s former secretary who is like a little sister to me.