I remember way back when, before I walked in the shoes of a professional real estate agent, thinking what a cool, glamorous job being a Realtor would be. As a matter of fact, I get several calls a year from people who are considering entering the field asking me for my advice about how to make it as a Realtor. Almost every time, I ask their motivation and 9 out of 10 times I hear " I want flexible hours, to make a lot of money and I would love seeing all the beautiful homes". My thoughts instantly is that they better become an interior decorator then because that fits the description better than that of a Realtor!

Glamorous it is NOT! Flexible it is NOT! And for the lots of money part…well that all depends. Did you know the average real estate agent makes under $24,000.00 a year? And the part about working with all the beautiful homes-we’ll lets just say those are few and far between.

For anyone considering entering my world, take a peek at my glamorous week so far…

Monday kicked off the week with a bang. One of my listings that has been under contract for almost 2 months starts unraveling before my eyes. Due to close on Tuesday afternoon of this week I hear from the buyer’s agent Monday morning that the buyers need an extension (for a second time) because the second sub prime loan they were getting just "disappeared" and they had to now come up with 10% additional money down to close. Being that this is the second time this has happened with these same buyers in the last 30 days, I am not very confident at this point that it will close at all!

I launch into defender mode, trying to do whatever I could at this point. The lender refuses to return my calls all day long and the sellers are freaking out! How can this happen the day before closing???? The buyer’s are past their loan commitment deadline so technically there is no longer a finance contingency on this contract. But don’t even get me started on Loan Commitments and lenders obligations at this point (that’s a whole other post)!

Monday afternoon, spin control…My sellers of this home (that is now not closing) are due to close on their new construction home Tuesday morning. But now they have no proceeds from their current home to close the loan. The frantic calls to our lender begins to try to switch the loan for my sellers so they don’t default. Next, the call to the builder, NOT a fun call to make. After much begging and pleading for a short extension to arrange for alternate financing to close, the builder informed me that they would be charging my sellers $150.00 a day until they close. No mercy from the builder at all! Now my sellers are even more upset.

Monday evening I had a listing appointment to get to at a home that a client of mine bought just last year. When I arrived, I spent the next hour and a half sitting in her garage in camping chairs being an ear for her as her husband had just walked out on their 18 year marriage and 2 kids just two days earlier. A very sad situation that deserved my undivided attention, so the phone was shut off and I proceeded to be a friend rather than a Realtor at that point in time. 

Monday late evening, I spoke with my sellers again who are now in such a state of despair. Their joy of building their first home together has been shattered under all the pressure.

Tuesday morning, my daughter is sick, I’m feeling under the weather and the 2-hour walk through must go on for the new construction closing that now has been rescheduled to Friday after arranging for a bridge loan for my sellers. I will head to the walk through as soon as I go check on some of my vacant listings and replace the signs in the pouring rain that had been vandalized the day before.

Tuesday afternoon, I get a call from another client who is closing another new construction home on Thursday morning and he is beside himself as they just found out they have a high radon level at their new home. He is shaken and wants answers and assurances about how this may effect his re-sale.

Tuesday afternoon I have to squeeze in two more listing appointments, put a horse farm on the market and take a listing off the market that put their home up for sale for the purpose of buying their neighbors home. Both listings were mine. The problem was, the neighbor (listing #1) got a contingent offer and accepted it with a kick out, then just days later, my second seller (listing #2) got an offer from one of my buyers (confusing I know) so the seller of listing #1 exercised his kick out to his first buyer. Unfortunately, that buyer firmed up their contract so my buyer of listing #1 (the seller of listing #2) could not buy the home he wanted so he will not sell his home (listing #2) to my buyer of his home now. So in a 24 hour period, I lost a seller and two buyers! Ouch that hurt!!!

Then to top off my week (and its only Wednesday) another buyer of mine (buyer #1) who put a contingent contract on another listing of mine, listed their home with me and it only took two weeks before we found a buyer (again, one of my buyers- buyer #2) who wanted to write an offer on listing #2. But a crack in the foundation gave them buyers remorse. Now buyers #1 called and said their job is shaky and don’t feel comfortable buying my listing #1 anymore. So this time, two buyers and a listing down the tubes! It’s so much fun to work on all of this for months, especially when there’s no compensation to make it all better. (Remember that big money we supposedly make? yeah, not the case on these deals!)

So that brings me to this afternoon. This is the first second I have had think about filling the position of my full time transaction coordinator who I forgot to mention, QUIT WITHOUT NOTICE Friday at 4:45 p.m. to take a sales job.

Ah, the GLAMOROUS life of a REALTOR! But, I wouldn’t change it for the world! The upside of the week is, I was there for someone in need that I never would have met otherwise; I was able to find solutions for newlyweds who’s dreams were becoming a nightmare; and the other stuff…well, we"ll work it all out.

In an under appreciated industry, I’d like to declare this week, Realtor appreciation week. It’s been a rough couple of years for many of us and a little bit of appreciation would sure go along way.

Here’s to you my colleagues! I applaud you all!