I read this article on the NAR website and felt it had a great point. As you will read, it may bring some value to today's market and a new fresh perspective on the economy and Realtors®. It emphasizes the joys every Realtor® experiences in helping clients discover their dreams, and illuminates the fact that for Realtors®, our job means a great deal more to us than a paycheck. Read it over and let me know what you think...
Giving the Money Real Meaning
Last week I received a call from one of my past clients to list his home. Like most sellers right now, the facts looked as though he would, at best, break even. Of course, this kind of news is not easy or fun to deliver. But again like most sellers, he expected it.
As we discussed the sale, it didn't take a psychologist to figure out that this fellow was more than a little depressed. I asked him why he was so down. And candidly he answered, "Because I haven't been able to make any real money".
As we discussed the sale, it didn't take a psychologist to figure out that this fellow was more than a little depressed. I asked him why he was so down. And candidly he answered, "Because I haven't been able to make any real money".
So we talked about the economy and how so many people were hurting. But as we talked, I realized this conversation was not helping him feel better in any way. That's when I said, "But you're a doctor...you have helped heal people. You have helped give birth to hundreds of babies. You have saved lives. Yes, money is down right now, but you must feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in your service to humanity."
His answer was "not really". With insurance costs and all the changes in the medical field, he said he could make more money as a bartender than as a doctor.
Don't get me wrong. I am not judging my client. Financial strain can take a devastating toll on any person. It just struck me that this fellow had lost sight of other forms of compensation we receive from our work...compensation for the untold hours we spend day in and day out, for the risk s we take in setting up our businesses, for the heartache we have when something goes wrong....
Yes, my monetary compensation is down this year in real estate sales, but my sense of satisfaction in knowing I have helped a fellow human being find a home is not at all down.
His answer was "not really". With insurance costs and all the changes in the medical field, he said he could make more money as a bartender than as a doctor.
Don't get me wrong. I am not judging my client. Financial strain can take a devastating toll on any person. It just struck me that this fellow had lost sight of other forms of compensation we receive from our work...compensation for the untold hours we spend day in and day out, for the risk s we take in setting up our businesses, for the heartache we have when something goes wrong....
Yes, my monetary compensation is down this year in real estate sales, but my sense of satisfaction in knowing I have helped a fellow human being find a home is not at all down.
How can you not feel successful and fulfilled when you sell first-time homebuyers their first home, and they shake your hand as though they just won the lottery? Or when you can sell a widow back the house she abandoned years earlier after her husband died suddenly? What more satisfaction is there than selling that retiree's condo so they can now move closer to their children and grandchildren?
Profit is essential to what we do, but it is not the only reason real estate is in the blood of so many REALTORS®. Look around. Successful agents are the ones who are passionate, not only about the money, but about the joy they have when they help someone realize their dreams.
NAR is there to help give us the tools to succeed. But NAR can't give us the passion to serve our fellow human beings. That's something each of us individually has to bring to the table. Ultimately, this is what makes our work so rewarding and fulfilling and gives the money real meaning. -- Steve Brown, 2009 NAR Vice President and Liaison to Committees
Profit is essential to what we do, but it is not the only reason real estate is in the blood of so many REALTORS®. Look around. Successful agents are the ones who are passionate, not only about the money, but about the joy they have when they help someone realize their dreams.
NAR is there to help give us the tools to succeed. But NAR can't give us the passion to serve our fellow human beings. That's something each of us individually has to bring to the table. Ultimately, this is what makes our work so rewarding and fulfilling and gives the money real meaning. -- Steve Brown, 2009 NAR Vice President and Liaison to Committees
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