lake zurich...and beyond

Real estate agents tend to be a little, well, obsessed with real estate. If you don't believe me take a quick peek around ActiveRain. Day or night, while at home or on vacation, during holidays and weekends, you will find agents here blogging away about every topic imaginable. 

I completely understand the obsession. When I was an agent, I was obsessed as well. Looking back upon it, I now realize how much time I spent thinking about real estate, writing about real estate, working in real estate. It is, quite simply, an all-consuming profession. 

When you first become an agent, you aren't immediately thrown into the craziness. As your business grows you constantly strive for better, more productive and more innovative ways to work. All that extra effort leads to more work, more buyers and more sellers.

Since building a successful business doesn't happen overnight, that all-consuming aspect of the business just creeps up on you like a shadow. You never even know what hit you! For some, that craziness is welcome and they thrive upon it. For others, like me, it is hard if not impossible to achieve a good work/life balance amid the chaos and 24/7 days.

When I decided to leave the real estate business I honestly expected that it would be a difficult transition from agent to non-agent because you pretty much have to do it cold turkey. The first few days and weeks I considered "detox" time. No more access to the MLS, no more phone calls at all odd hours of the day and night, no more late night blogging, working leads, worrying about how my sellers would come up with their next mortgage payment, or wondering whether the home inspection would reveal some scary deal-breaker defect. On the flip side, no more excitement of finding the "right" house and closing deals either. 

What I found is that as I progressed through the days and then weeks of life outside of real estate, I started rediscovering who I am as a person instead of as an agent. I also started eating better, cooking more often, taking an exercise class, sleeping soundly, and smiling more. I can now go hours, if not whole days without checking my email. I even lost 9 pounds! Quite simply, I got my life back.

Since I'm not independently wealthy, I've been looking for a new opportunity (outside of my referral business). While interviewing for my transition back into the working world, I found myself walking through offices of cheerful, productive people who receive steady paychecks every two weeks and picturing myself in their midst. I'd always considered the "flexibility" of real estate to be a misnomer because it seemed like I was always working and the flexibility was me being flexible and working around the schedules of others. But these people got nights and weekends off! These people took vacations and were still paid for those days off! These people got benefits! Promotions! Lunch breaks! They had a life outside of the office! 

Now, don't think for one minute that I don't fully understand what it's like to be in the regular business world. I've been there, done that. And I'm ready to do it again, with eyes wide open and a happy heart. 

In fact, I just got a great job offer. It offers tons of vacation, fantastic hours, a professional environment and a wonderful opportunity to use all my old skills and learn new ones too. I'm going to say yes...yes to this new job, my new life. I'm so excited. 

So what is the lesson in all of this? It's simple: If real estate is not making you happy, go out and find something that will. I promise you that there's more to life than real estate!

Life is a journey. Find your nirvana.

If you are a consumer looking for a good real estate agent, give me a call. As a referral agent (I'm no longer involved in the day to day real estate business), I can help match you with the perfect agent to help you buy or sell your home.

What makes you different and more marketable than your peers? 

1. The Company You Keep 

The company you choose to align yourself with says a lot about who you are as a professional. Is your company a well-respected market leader with high standards and a reputation for excellence? 

2. Your Professional and Educational Experience 

My combined education and background in law, administration, marketing, sales, customer service and management combine to make me a well-rounded individual. When I was a real estate agent, one of the main things that set me apart from the crowd was the fact that I had previously been a real estate paralegal, closing on average 500 transactions a year. That extensive legal knowledge and real estate experience ensured a successful transaction for my clients. What about your background or experience sets you apart? 

3. Your Technical Expertise 

It is becoming increasingly important in today's business world to learn, use and fully understand a variety of programs. I'm proficient in Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, Excel, Outlook, QuickBooks, Paint Shop Pro and Adobe Acrobat, and also have a comprehensive understanding of blogging, website maintenance and search engine optimization. As a professional, you can no longer rely upon others to handle the technical stuff. If you aren't up to speed, take some time to learn new skills. 

4. Your Interpersonal and Communication Skills 

This is quite possibly the most important skill set to develop. Do you have strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to handle complex situations with the highest degree of integrity and confidentiality? Are you detail-oriented, proactive and reliable? Do you have admirable business ethics? 

If you were asked, "What makes you different?" how would you answer that question? Do you highlight your most marketable skills in your resume (otherwise known in real estate as your listing presentation)?  Do you treat each and every client like a prospective employer? Do you take the time to learn new skills to improve your knowledge and expertise? 

It doesn't really matter whether you are in real estate or pursuing a position in the corporate world, the principles of success are the same. Take a few moments out of your busy day today to think about what sets you apart. Is it your competence, creativity, commitment to excellence, communication skills, critical thinking, ethics, leadership ability and/or the reputation of your company? Incorporate and showcase these skills into your resume, presentation or interview, and I guarantee you'll become a more marketable and sought-after professional!

If you are a consumer looking for a good real estate agent, give me a call. As a referral agent (I'm no longer involved in the day to day real estate business), I can help match you with the perfect agent to help you buy or sell your home.

I recently bought some toner online from a company called 007TONER. One of the toner cartridges turned out to be defective so I contacted the company and was told that they would replace it with a new one, but that I would need to speak to the manager, who was not there at the time. I was told that the manager would call me within 20-40 minutes. That was on December 23.

After about an hour with no phone call from the manager, I sent an email to the company. Their website promises a response to all emails within 30 minutes. Did I get a response? Nope. So I sent additional emails...December 30, January 5, January 8 and January 19. Obviously I will not be getting either a return phone call or email and my defective toner will most likely not be replaced by the company that promises this on their website:

"What if I receive a defective product?
If we sent you a defective product, we sincerely apologize. We will gladly send you a replacement or refund your purchase price in full. You have to have RMA# from us before sending anything back to us. Just follow the Easy Returns Process and follow the instructions. All defective products must be returned in the original packaging. Once the product is received it will be tested. If it is working properly 25% re-stocking fee will apply. Products returned without original packaging will be charge 25% restocking fees automatically even if the cartridge is defective."

I tend to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. In this case, I realized that my first contact was during the holidays when many people are on vacation or otherwise busy. That's why I continued to attempt to contact them to give them the opportunity to make good on their word. Unfortunately, this is a perfect example of a company that not only doesn't stand behind their product, but does not do what they say they will do.

In business and indeed in all of life, doing what you say you're going to do is paramount. That means returning phone calls or emails and standing behind your product or service. I don't have to tell you that I will never buy anything from 007TONER again, and I'll bet none of you will ever buy from them either. That is thousands of dollars of lost business, when replacing the one defective toner cartridge would have cost them just a few dollars. In this economy, who can afford to throw away thousands of dollars of business?

Do you do what you say you are going to do? If not, you're throwing away thousands of dollars of business. Is it worth it?

If you are looking for a good real estate agent, give me a call. As a referral agent (I'm no longer involved in the day to day real estate business), I can help match you with the perfect agent to help you buy or sell your home.