Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Taking it to the next level

What does the title of this blog really mean?  For every person out there it can represent a different set of ideas depending on what your current situation is.  Deciding what is important to you, prioritizing this endeavor, adding it into your schedule and following the plan.  Whew!  That’s a lot for anyone like me with what I am sure is Adult onset ADD…I fly from one thing to the next and I want to be perfect with each new task.  

When I was young I participated in gymnastics, ballet, tap, piano, flute, Brownies (young Girl Scouts), Pathfinders, modeling and I feel sure I am leaving something out.  I do not do a single one of those things now, nor did I do them for any great length of time.  I received a degree in Theater but do not act anymore…I also earned my degree in nursing and became an RN, yet I no longer practice that either. 
The absolute one thing in my life that I have done the longest (other than being a daughter, sister, wife and mother—in that order) is sell real estate.  I absolutely love it!  I left my job as a full time RN at Spartanburg Regional Hospital System to start selling real estate in 2002 and I have never looked back.  It has not been an easy road and with the market roller coaster that we have been on for the last several years, it has become even tougher.  

This career in real estate has afforded me with so many things that I am thankful for.  While I do have to work evenings and weekends on occasion, those times are less and less now as I am better at managing my time.  I always put my family activities in my schedule first and for that I am so grateful.  I enjoy the challenge of figuring out each of my client’s needs, which sometimes they are even unaware of.  I truly get the sense that I am appreciated and that warms my heart.

I have taken this real estate career to the next level and I am so comfortable now with what I do.  Things are always bound to change though.  People change, the industry changes and most noticeable lately are the technology changes happening in my great real estate industry. I am determined to take this platform to the next level.  I am engaged on so many levels right now and I am starting to figure out which is the right path for me.  How I choose to bring my real estate business to the next level is to go back to what has worked best for me in the past. 

Relationships are what I have the most pleasure building, not deals and that is where I am going to focus my energy.  To all of my past clients, I hope you know how appreciative I am that you will always be a part of my sphere of influence.  And finally, to all the clients I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, I am so excited to see where we can go as our paths take the same road together for a while.  I look forward to the many miles I have left to travel with you all. 

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”- John F. Kennedy

Monday, September 19, 2011

So much social media...so little time!

Ok I must confess I need help!  I have been spending so much time trying to learn as much as possible about how to build my online social network.  I know it's about building relationships and I love keeping in touch with my past clients on Facebook (very few of them Tweet).  Every day I turn around there is an upgrade, update, or something else that makes it hard for me to keep up.  I want to make the most of my time, be a valuable resource for my friends and clients alike but feel as though I am spinning out of control trying to learn so much.  I need to reign myself in and I am looking for the best ways to keep up with everything and still have time for my family and real estate business?? 

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Future of Real Estate

Buying or selling a home has changed so much in the last 10 years and that’s how long I have been in the business.  Technology has put a whole new spin on how we can be a successful real estate agent.  I serve the Upstate South Carolina area and specialize in residential real estate sales for Spartanburg and the surrounding communities, including Boiling Springs which is where I live.

We used to have big books of real estate that came out every month and we would sit down with people and pick out which homes to go see.  The internet changed all that and thankfully so!  We used to hand deliver offers, and then came the fax (saved on gas) but now we scan to an email most all of our offers which is the quickest way (right now) to get the job done.  Almost every real estate agent has a smart phone: texting, emailing, surfing the net, downloading apps and every once talking on it and is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Oh wait, that’s superman ((smiley))  Yes, we are and I drive the Batmobile too!

Thank you to all the folks out there that keeps us changing, moving forward and helping us stay ahead of the curve to keep our real estate clients in the know.  If you know anyone out there in need of a strong real estate agent, with an authentic smile, smart marketing plan and sense of humor- I’d love to do business with them.  I am NEVER too busy for any of your real estate referrals!