The news we’ve been hearing lately has been frightening. On a recent Friday morning, I heard that the unemployment statistics were predicted to show that over 360,000 jobs had been lost in November. That number was huge, but paled in comparison to the actual, staggering figure of 533,000. Over half a million jobs lost in a single month is difficult to comprehend. Is this the worst it’s ever been? No. Will it get worse from here? Probably.
Will it ever get better? Definitely.
Remember President Roosevelt’s admonition that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”? Those are words to live by, which is small comfort if your job is one that has been lost lately. I wish I could tell you when it’s going to get better, but I can’t. I can only tell it will get better, and the important thing now is to take care of yourself, while keeping an eye on the future.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Getting back to myself
After twelve years as a real estate broker, I have (finally) decided it is time to become the kind of agent I wanted to be when the state first granted me permission to sell real estate. As long as I have held my license, I have bought into the prevailing wisdom that in order to succeed, an agent needs to focus on securing listings. There is a certain amount of truth in that, but not everyone finds truth – or success – in the same way. In my case, I find the greatest sense of purpose by helping folks get into their homes. Working with buyers, especially first-time buyers, is gratifying in ways I cannot begin to describe.
I have been in this business in some capacity or other since I was in high school, and that was a long time ago. Since I have been licensed, every broker I worked for, and every training session I attended, stressed how important it is to build up a listing inventory. As my career progressed, that is the tack I took. Over the years, the market changed, and REO (foreclosure) properties became a bigger and bigger part of my business. At some point, I became focused entirely working with REO sellers.
As I became successful selling REO properties, my dissatisfaction with my career grew proportionately. I began to think that, after all these years, I was getting burned out on the whole real estate thing. Finally, a light went off, and I realized that the way my business was operating was at odds with my own goals and desires. Instead of helping people get into homes, I was deeply involved in taking those homes away.
With that realization, came the realization that I needed to quit what I was doing.
Over the last several months, I have been closing down my REO operations. I feel as if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I now look forward to going to work again. In many ways, I am starting over. I need to brush up on all the loan programs, and reestablish relationships with the affiliated services, but I am excited again, and ready to do it.
This is possibly the worst time of year, in the worst year in decades, to make such a drastic decision, but I can think of no better decision that could have been made. You can feel it when you’ve made the “right” decision, and that is exactly how I feel now.
The next few months are going to be rough, and I couldn’t be happier.
I have been in this business in some capacity or other since I was in high school, and that was a long time ago. Since I have been licensed, every broker I worked for, and every training session I attended, stressed how important it is to build up a listing inventory. As my career progressed, that is the tack I took. Over the years, the market changed, and REO (foreclosure) properties became a bigger and bigger part of my business. At some point, I became focused entirely working with REO sellers.
As I became successful selling REO properties, my dissatisfaction with my career grew proportionately. I began to think that, after all these years, I was getting burned out on the whole real estate thing. Finally, a light went off, and I realized that the way my business was operating was at odds with my own goals and desires. Instead of helping people get into homes, I was deeply involved in taking those homes away.
With that realization, came the realization that I needed to quit what I was doing.
Over the last several months, I have been closing down my REO operations. I feel as if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I now look forward to going to work again. In many ways, I am starting over. I need to brush up on all the loan programs, and reestablish relationships with the affiliated services, but I am excited again, and ready to do it.
This is possibly the worst time of year, in the worst year in decades, to make such a drastic decision, but I can think of no better decision that could have been made. You can feel it when you’ve made the “right” decision, and that is exactly how I feel now.
The next few months are going to be rough, and I couldn’t be happier.
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