About
I didn’t get into real estate to “make millions,” or to be “one of those agents” running around telling everyone that they were ‘#1.’ I got into real estate so I could run a business that allowed me to be home every night and raise my kids.
It helped that I had a good feel for real estate and markets, having bought and sold several of my own properties. It helped that I had a background in consulting, project management and economics. A really good real estate agent is really more of an advisor than a salesperson, so being a real estate professional seemed like a good fit. What do I like most about real estate: advising my clients. It is absolutely my favorite part.
Nevertheless, a good real estate person must know how to sell. They must know how to talk to people – all sorts of people. Although I have very good inter-personal skills, I am not social. Going out and talking to lots of people is not ‘my thing,’ and yet that is exactly what must happen to excel at selling real estate.
Hence the ‘knocking on doors.’ The courage and deftness to talk to anyone, anytime, about life and real estate – took a long time to develop. People are not necessarily always mean – but they are also not always nice either. Being able to develop life long clients, friends, and associates from something as ridiculous as ‘knocking on doors?’ It even occurs to me sometimes as crazy. Developing the habit to take uncomfortable action, put myself in a situation that is not easy – that is hard. The payoff is knowing and understanding the dynamics of real estate (and life) better than most people. Think about this: for 15 years putting oneself into difficult situations, talking to strangers – yet walking and talking to people about their most important asset – their home. The place they go to bed every night, the place they wake up every morning. Why do did they choose that home? Why do they still live there? What’s next for them? How many agents know the answers to those questions for so many different homeowners?
Steven’s clients say:
- “He knew what he was doing.”
- “His guidance was spot on.”
- “He never pushed us to do anything”
- “…he talked us out of doing something.”
- “He’s not a typical real estate agent.”
What you get is someone who knows how to separate the essential from the trivial. The expertise to get you from A to B, navigating clients through the obstacles along the way. My entire real estate career has been spent in coaching, training, and masterminding. I have been around, studied, and worked with agents who are selling real estate at a very high level. I have taken that knowledge, combined with my own experience, to deliver results for my clients. (And also to the real estate agents and other sales professionals I train and coach).
Coming full circle with why I got into real estate: creating great outcomes for my clients is fun and worthwhile, and that is what allowed me to have time off with my kids. Everyone thinks they have the best kids. That is part of being a parent. But seriously, my kids are awesome (and I am not saying they are “more” awesome than anyone else’s kids).
What’s most important, at the end of the day, is being with people and enjoying life. My job is to help my clients, beginning with the place they call home.