Life is about the journey, not a destination – anonymous.
I cannot believe it’s been one year. As I write this and self reflect on my official first year (really my seventeenth 😉 in real estate, I’m going to share with you my three key takeaways. First, I have to give thanks to my support system, my partner in crime and my wife Katharine. Without her, my life and our lives would be SO different. Countless other things such as people who I’ve met and kept in touch with (will leave this to another sappy post). I wake up every morning (yes, in this new world of sales it’s 95% mindset), to realize how lucky and grateful for everything that has happened up to this point in my life.
Looking back, thanking my old boss (Kris) at a local software company to open my eyes, ears, and my heart to this new world and industry – providing me with this valuable opportunity. And yes, I was very skeptical. Thank you big guy! Building content – you know how they say cash is king, but now in this attention-seeking world – content is definitely king. Getting comfortable around being in videos, building feature sheets and working with a dynamic sales team. It’s the uncomfortable and the really scary things we do each and every single day that changes us and moulds us into better human beings. Having seen and experienced the cradle to grave operations of a small and developing marketing engine. This experience along with countless others have changed my perspective on what I do every day.
Takeaway #1: People and my clients aren’t like me.
Thank you! I’m so glad, everyone is different. This one sounds simple, however, it took time to understand and digest it. “But can’t you see it’s a great deal – if I had more cash, I would move in on this opportunity – speaking to myself in my head about this home, it’s a no brainer.” STOP. Financial currency is one of many other reasons why people will buy, wait, or sell. There are soooooo many other reasons family’s need to consider. Not everyone wants to build an empire or enjoy collecting condos and apartments as a hobby. Phew! This one was a challenging one in my first year and thank the lucky stars above, they all don’t think and act like me.
Takeaway #2: Patience.
Ever heard of this proverb “patience is a virtue?” Google it if you haven’t. If you were like me growing up your mom or dad must have mentioned this at least a few hundred times. Like anything in life, great things happen, but they take time. Working with my clients on the list or the buy side, waiting for conditions to get removed, or having those additional expectation conversations with clients in a more normal market requires patience. One of my clients whom I’ve had the privilege to get to know over the past year is a painter. I have mad respect him and for people who have a skill and use their physicality each and every day. It’s so different from us white collared desk jockeys – his hustle is demonstrated daily by those perfect edges where the light blue wall meets the bright white ceilings and with no frog tape. While at a private viewing he happened to be home and I saw patience in this man during an interaction with this prospective buyer (pro tip: normally it’s best to show a home when the seller isn’t around, this was an exception). His motivation was to sell his home for a fair price, but he also sought happiness with this buyer. “Buy only if you are happy and really like it, we are not going anywhere when the time is right you will know what to do.” Even as I write this, I strive to become more patient and practice empathy.
Takeaway #3: Control & Accountability.
I can only control my own actions. Each morning the side of the bed I choose to wake up on helps set the course of my day. Yes, I have this crazy ritual that helps prime my day – want to know what it is? Message me. Jeffrey Gitomer who wrote “Sales Bible” talks about “own”. What does this mean? “Know exactly whose fault it is when the sale’s not made.” And from this, I learned to have zero expectations of others. When something happens it’s my fault and when something doesn’t happen such as securing a listing or closing a deal, guess what? It’s my fault as well. It’s never about anything else and for sure it’s never about the price….. I failed to ask the right questions. Own it and be accountable.
Always happy to hear your feedback and comments. If you’re shy send me a DM.
Click here to read more about Brian’s effective tactics on saving money and being more thoughtful with spending money.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brian is a Real Estate Consultant and a Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA). He has over a decade of experience delivering on various audits and risk advisory engagements with both public and private organizations. Brian also was a Product Manager at a local software company and ran his own consulting business prior to converting his side hustle and real estate passion of 16 years into work. He has personally lived and breathed how a person buys and sells a home more than the average person does in a lifetime. Brian is born, raised, and schooled in Vancouver. Brian is a resident, owner, and investor. Brian is happily married to his wife Katharine and has a daughter.
Disclaimer: This communication is not intended to be and should not be used as investment advice. If you want advice please seek a licensed professional for investment advice. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Oakwyn Realty Downtown Ltd.
