With a Little Help From My Friends

If you are a fortunate realtor, you gain more than money during your career. You gain friends.

I have been blessed with (for the most part) very good clients. I get to know them fairly well during the few months that we work together. That is why, in some ways, a closing can be a bit of a let down. You know that that family with those cute kids are going to be on their way and not look back. Or that young gal who is striking out on her own will not give you a backward glance.

That is why most of my closings have ended with a hug. I initiate it and my people reciprocate because they appreciate the fact that we have worked together as a team and that I have taken a genuine interest in their family and their needs.

That first hug came quite spontaneously. I really don't know from whence it came. So because of that, I knew at that moment that I truly cared for my people and that I would always carry that with me. Sometimes a handshake is more appropriate, but it is still very much heart felt.

The above pictured book was a gift from that young gal that was striking out on her own. She was seeking to buy her first home; an endeavor that she knew she could do on her own without the aid of a husband or boyfriend. She was a very strong, very centered young woman working in the local publishing company, Orange Frazer Press, which her mother had started years ago. This was the first gift I had ever received from a client. (As a realtor, we are the ones that give gifts to the client.) We have even talked on the phone on occasion. As a result of this gift, we are now giving them as closing gifts.

Another friend that I have picked up along the way is the fellow that buys dumps to fix up and rent. Over the last couple years we have learned that we have a lot in common such as attending Ohio University and having a background in art. He is now renovating my bathroom.

I have also struck up an aquaintance with another renovator that bought a dump from me and will have me list it to sell when it is finished. (I just drove by there and it looks great!) His siding company is working on my front porch.

You might think that all of this is just simple networking but I see it as more than that. I see my clients as people, not dollar signs. Okay, I am not so altruistic as to say, "I don't care about making money, I just love to sell houses." But we all should be aware of how we affect other's lives and how fortunate we are when other's lives affect ours.