Guide To Seattle Real Estate

While I was in college, being a real estate agent was the last career on my mind. I knew that I was headed into business, preferably one that I could own myself. I have always had the entrepreneurial spirit. I wanted to be of service to others. In fact I have a well defined life purpose: To be of maximum service to God and the people around me.

I love fitness! Being an avid rock climber and mountaineer, physical exercise is  a large part of my life. So, when I was in school I thought that I should become a Physical Therapist. I could own my own practice, be of service to others, and teach others how to use exercise to heal from injury. Sounds perfect doesn’t it?

Nope, not for me.  I loved the Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, in addition to my regular Business degree classes. But part of the path was to volunteer or work for other PTs.  I acquired about 800 hours of paid/volunteer time.  They have this requirement for a reason.  If you are going to get your Doctor in PT then you had better be sure you want to do it.

The PTs in private practice that I worked with were total slaves to their business.  Neither had happy or existent home lives. No, I wanted a career where I could help, provide, AND be present for my family.

My wife was working as the office manager  for a small boutique real estate company and gave me a little push towards the industry. I did a little research and found that Real Estate had pretty much all the qualities that I was looking for in a career. Being of service to others, the ability to provide, and with effective time management skills the potential to be present for my family.

Once I got into real estate I learned that the reasons I choose the industry weren’t the same reasons everyone else did. While many agents have a good sense of right and wrong and work from ethical principles; some don’t. I soon found that the way I look at my business is quite different than the way others look at theirs.

While Sales is the name of the game, I work with people, not houses. There is a big difference. Client centered is how some describe it.  Over at Inman they just posted this great article on how, by serving your clients well even if not earning a commission every time, can lead to a successful business. This is the model that I aspire to create. 

It is a learning process. Not a get rich quick path, but a very rewarding one.  Stay tuned for more as we travel this road together.