Emily The Friendly Realtor

Today, I was remembering some of the most hilarious times in my life as Realtor. When I got my license to practice Real Estate in 2005, I had no idea what I was in for. The last few years have been the most amazing, bewildering, challenging, emotional, joyous, encouraging, astonishing, comforting, surprising, entertaining, moving, relieving, energizing, and REWARDING years of my life.

Surprising:

On a hot summer day, I was showing a vacant home in the Raytown Area to one of my friends and clients.  I was walking backwards admiring the huge living area.  “Wow. This has so much space! Look at these bay windows! What is that smell?…” My friend screamed out “DON’T MOVE!!!” I stopped and turned around and looked down behind me and there on the floor was the biggest black bird I have ever seen with its intestines spilling out and oozing with maggots.
We ran screaming out of that house. I said “We’ll call the agent, and then go back and look once the…remains are gone.” We never went back.

Moving:

My client and I had found the perfect home. It was everything she wanted. She was approved with a reputable lender, inspections were over, and we were closing that day. An hour before closing I received a call from the bank that there had been some mistakes made and the closing would need to be postponed indefinitely. The sellers had other offers and sent me a notice to cancel the contract. When I saw my buyer, she was weeping. I threw my arms around her and knew that she didn’t need any professional mumbo jumbo. She needed a friend. I wept with her. Neither of us said a word. But I flashed a smile at her and before I jumped back in the car I said “It’s not over yet.” It took me 4 hours but I reached the regional vice president of the bank on his cell phone at 4:00 in the afternoon on Friday.  Long story short. We closed Monday morning.

Relieving:

A single young client was purchasing a home. She had been smart and saved plenty of money for a down payment, moving expenses, and other things, but not quite enough for a home warranty when the sellers did not wish to provide it. She was buying an older home in good condition. But it was older. I bought her a home warranty out of my own pocket. A few months after closing the entire central air conditioning went out. The repair cost around $2,000.00. She called me first asking what to do and I was so relieved that I had done the right thing. The Old Republic Warranty at that time covered the entire bill. Home Warranty: $425.00. Being there for a friend: Priceless.

Encouraging:

One of my clients backed out of a driveway and into a parked car while I was with them. It was parked in a bad spot and was pretty difficult to see from any angle. My client had tears streaming down her face. This client is a very strong person, and was fighting through some rough things for her family. I knew the tears were not about the fender bender;  I knew it was bigger than that. I said “It’s going to be ok. You are a fighter. You’ll get through it, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE.” She looked at me and said “You have no idea what that means to me. Thank you.” I’ll never forget that moment.

Bewildering:

While previewing an open model home for a client, I walked into one of the most important rooms: The master suite. In the bed there was a man and a woman and they were not sleeping.

Energizing:

Showing homes to a family, the mother wanted to see the attic. As a then-fearless Realtor, I pulled down the cord to the drop down stairs. When it cracked open, dozens and dozens of very alive long brown ROACHES dropped like confetti upon my head, down my shirt and all over the floor. I have never run out of a house so fast in my life. I knocked over the 2 year old, my folder of papers went flying, and by the time I got to the road I had ripped off my jacket and shirt. While cars drove by and my clients stared on, I was screaming and waving my  clothing in the air like a wild maniac.

Rewarding:

As a young entrepreneur in an industry hard-hit by economic times, I can’t say that I have been the top producing agent, or a multi-million dollar agent, or agent-with-the-fanciest-car, or flashiest pantsuit. But as I look over the years and what it means to MY CLIENTS to be a Realtor, I see that I have succeeded.

If I have helped one person achieve their dreams to own their own home, then I have succeeded. If I have helped a single mother find an affordable home in a safe neighborhood, I have succeeded. If I have saved first time buyers from making a dumb mistake, I have succeeded.  If I was the one who helped a seller avoid foreclosure, then I have succeeded.  If I listed a home at a reduced commission so that they could send their son to community college, I have succeeded. If I can do something for someone that no one else is willing to do, I have succeeded. No matter the cost, no matter the pain, no matter if being generous doesn’t add much to a fiscal year, I am a Realtor.  I work hard and I work with heart. And I love this job.