N I N E T E E N

Y E A R S

That’s how long I’ve been a realtor. March 2005. It’s kind of hard for me to believe. One day I’m the new kid in town fresh with enthusiasm. Then all the sudden all this time passes. Now I’m the old dude with all the wisdom and experience that one only gains with time.

I was going to write about all the changes in real estate over the course of my career. I was going to say that while there have been changes in execution, pretty much everything is still the same. I even had some analogy about how whether you had a YETI or a Stanley Cup, what you put inside is the same and they both serve the same purpose.

But I will skip all that. Maybe next year.

So what am I going to say in this post? I am going to talk about how it feels having been a realtor for this long.

It’s been a great ride overall. Remember, I was the kid who was reading the real estate section of the Sunday newspaper. I would skip school once I got my driver’s license and cruise around neighborhoods looking at houses. I had no idea that one day I would be able to check out the inside of some of the houses that caught my eye.

I also had no idea the success this would bring. Pretty much everybody I told I was going into real estate said “Oh, you’ll do great at that!” I had no idea what they meant but I appreciated the encouragement. I had no idea that I would become one of the top producing realtors when at my peak. It was a lot of fun to reach that level. LOL, I don’t know if I want to do that again though. It was so much stress. I am much happier now and think I am a better realtor only being up to my shoulders with work instead of drowning in it.

Another feeling I have is gratitude. I am smart enough to realize none of this would have happened without my family, friends and clients.

My wife would keep dinner warm on the stove all those nights I had to work. Often I would have paperwork to do and she would bring a plate up to my office. I would not have been able to have gotten into real estate if she didn’t have a good job that covered all our expenses those early years.

My parents always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. They also would watch my two sons when I had to rush out to show a house…..although, haha, they benefited as much from that as I did. My dad used to be an attorney. He’s probably given me a million dollars of legal advice for free.

Then there are my friends. Many of them would watch my sons too when I had to work. Many of them trusted me for their real estate needs when I was a newbie. A lot of them sent their friends, co-workers or family to me.

And my clients. Many of you have become friends. Ultimately I have you to thank because without you, none of this would have come to fruition.

I don’t think I have done anything to deserve all the wonderful things that have happened to me over my career. That’s probably what is the most humbling part of it all……that I am blessed by the goodness of others and not as a result of anything I have done.

And I am not done yet. Here’s to another 19 years!