Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year! 2012 was better than I could have dreamed, both personally and professionally. I get butterflies when thinking about how blessed I am. A gorgeous, hilarious, precious child, a fantastic husband, a great career, and a warm home all given to me by a loving God. I am always happy to gush about my family, but I'll keep this just about my job since that is what this blog is for.

I have the best job in the world. It is so stressful, and sometimes draining, but I have now been ruined for any other job. I love what I do, and I appreciate each challenge in some way. I can't imagine myself doing anything else now. Blessings were overflowing in 2012.

Goals for the year were to sell 18 houses, with two of those being referrals from past clients, and to be "Agent of the Month" once. This girl blushes profusely with any sort of public recognition BUT I wanted to make sure that I was keeping up with the top tier of agents in the office. I ended up selling 32 houses, currently have 9 under contract, and have 10 active listings. I sold $5,277,450 worth of real estate. WOW!!! I remained in the top 8% of agents in the Midlands throughout the year. I came in second for Agent of the Month in July and October. Fingers crossed for December. And even better than all of that, referrals were a home run. Nine sales (or about 28%)were referrals from past customers. Five of the 9 homes under contract right now are referrals from past customers, friends, and family. I have been so incredibly blessed with the best clients in the world. I do all that I can to make their home-buying experience a great one, and they return the love. It seems crazy that 1/18/13 will be the two year mark since getting my real estate license.

So what about 2013? I don't hope to sell more. I hope to keep this pace and simply improve. I am trying to learn to read people better. I have a history of getting excited about a contract that is never coming because I believe people when they say that they are serious. I've also been stood up three times, with no phone call or thought from the person, and it makes me fume. I'm trying to end that problem, too. I only have my time, so I'm working on wasting less of it in 2013.

My goals for 2013 are to: set up a client management system so that I can reach out to those who I have worked with throughout the year, be "Agent of the Month" once... or to come in second a bunch of times just to be sure I'm keeping up, to get more client testimonials on Zillow and Trulia, and to waste as little time as possible. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me this year.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I recently saw this on Pinterest and wanted to make sure I saved it for my little girl.  It is a letter from parents to their child, who has recently discovered that Santa isn't real.  Our little girl learned about Santa from school.  We aren't against Santa, but we haven't figured out how we will incorporate him, if at all, into Christmas.

My husband grew up in a family at was all about the REAL story of Christmas instead of Santa.  My parents tried their darndest to make me believe in Santa, but I figured it out at an early age.  We both grew up in Christian homes.  Whether or not Santa takes away from the story of Baby Jesus seems to be the central question.  Then there is the issue of your children being angry for being lied to.  This letter answers all of those issues in a very sweet and heart-felt way.  This is what it says:

"Dear Ryan,

You asked a really good question, 'Are Mom and Dad really Santa?'  We know that you want to know the answer, and we had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.

The answer is no.  We are not Santa.  There is no one, single Santa.

We are the people who fill your stocking and choose and wrap the presents under the tree- just as our parents did for us, their parents did for them, and you will do for your kids someday.

This could never make any of us Santa, though.  Santa is lots and lots of people who keep the spirit of Christmas alive.  He lives in our hearts- not at the North Pole.  Santa is the magic and love and spirit of giving to others.  What he does is teach children to believe in something that they can't see or touch.  Throughout your life you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your family, in your friends, and in God."

At two, our little one is just starting to understand the joys of Christmas.  Whether Santa brings the presents to your house or Mommy & Daddy, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Gettin' Real

The busy-ness of my business over the last 6 months has taken a bit of a toll.  I was feeling like a massive failure, but I've decided that I don't need to. I need to be a great wife and mother. I need to be trustworthy and honest in my business dealings. I do not need to spend hours that I don't have doing chores. When I look around me at all of the lovely ladies I hold dear, I realize that no one "does it all."   In 2013, I'm allowing myself to feel blessed for having help, not like less of a woman for needing it.  I'd like to live a simpler, healthier life.  Here are the things I'm giving up/taking on to rech my goal:



. Cleaning the house.  Our house is messy until the cleaning service comes.  I held out for MONTHS.  I couldn't imagine paying someone to clean up after us.  My mom kept the world's cleanest house when I was growing up, and I put pressure on myself to live up to that.  It was stressful to keep trying and failing.  So, I budget in a cleaning service and I get to snuggle with my little girl instead of wiping baseboards.


2.  Laundry.  The most embarrassing for me is that I can't do my own laundry anymore.  I work a lot.  Sometimes 14 hour days, sometimes 7 days per week.  Our laundry room is in the garage, so there isn't a good place in the house to organize dirty clothes.  It was moving from room to room as it piled up.  Lexington Dry Cleaning will do your standard laundry (fluff & fold) for $1.70/lb, which is better that I was expecting.  Along with cleaning out all garments that aren't absolutely loved, we are making organizational progress and living simpler.


3. Cooking gourmet meals each night.  I've never really done this, but now Everyday Gourmet makes our meals, or we eat out.  I'm working on simple meal solutions that are healthy and quick.  We are purchasing all of the meat from one grass fed cow in January.  Whole Foods Market moved to town and I want to schedule in trips twice per month for essentials.  This is one area that I let go a long time ago, and I want to take it back.  Business is good, but not good enough for a chef :)


4. Exercise.  I don't do it.  I blame work, but I wouldn't do it anyway.  This is another area that I'm taking back.  We are cleaning out one of the garage stalls to create an exercise space for P90X and my dance DVD's.  It's a New Year's resolution that we need to make a habit.



Any end-of-the-year habits you are trying to make or break?  Any areas that you've felt guilty about that you are finally letting go of?

Baby Let Me Upgrade Ya...

...in the wise words of Beyonce.

I was talking to my husband the other night about how I need to brush up my professional appearance.  I have big responsibilities (like raising a little person!) that sap much of my "let me make myself look my best" energy.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the average age of a real estate agent is 56.  I'm about half that, and though I think I need botox, I still wonder if my clients think I'm a baby.  I'm the only full-time agent in my office in Generation Y, and one of only a few in the area.  I'm the youngest by a decade.  One benefit is that I've grown up with technology and have a pretty recent business degree.  But I'm still the little girl in the office.  As someone in the top tier of agents this year, I need more polish.  I'm starting slowly with small changes, and spit-shining myself on the cheap.

1. In South Carolina it is acceptable to wear flip flops year round, and I do.  I'm not talking classy Jack Rogers sandals or the thin braided strap Rainbows that are a touch lady-like.  I wear the same manly, brown leather flip flops as my husband.  I used to wear high heels every day, and I do wear them to closings and business meetings, but showing 10 houses a day is impossible in heels.

I am upgrading to brown closed-toe flats.  Tory Burch from eBay doesn't count as fancy.  (One of my favorite lines from "P.S. I Love You" is "I buy EVERYTHING on eBay.  It doesn't count when you're wearing Marc Jacobs from Minneapolis.")

 

2.  My car is my office, and the trash, cheerio filled bus that I've been driving doesn't cut it.  It has seen us through a wedding, a baby, and three moves.  It holds many memories, and has been so good to us.  It did break down once when I was out with clients.  It worked out... they bought the house and I got the problem fixed for a mere $150.

What finally pushed me over the edge?  Cruise control went and I can't drive without cruise control.  Hard on the knees and I keep looking down to see that I'm going 90mph on the interstate.

So as part of my improvements, I got a new (to me) car.  I'll keep under my hat the awesome deal that I got from Windham Select Luxury Wholesale Dealers.  If my clients knew, they might not find it so impressive :)  The Trailblazer will live out it's days towing things.  And I get this one cleaned every Friday to rid it of cheerios and useless paperwork.

 

3. I carry around lots of paperwork. And checks. And a tape measurer. An other weird odds and ends that clients may ask for. I even have the occassional diaper and travel wipes in my bag. I need something that isn't fussy, but is... say it with me... polished!

 

 

There are a few more baby steps that I'm taking, but this is enought fill you in on for now.  Have you worked on making yourself the best you can be lately?