HEART-TO-HEART: HIRING A TEACHER IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE IN REAL ESTATE

On the surface, I am sure when people hear I went from being a licensed teacher to a licensed agent; it sounds like a dramatic shift. I agree, it doesn't sound like there is a lot of overlap, but there is much more in common than not.

Being a teacher is very similar to being a REALTOR. I believe it is fantastic prep to do well in a slightly different position. I see these jobs as being advisors in very different times in your life. Here is some of my logic:

• You are an educator as an agent. You could call yourself a consultant, advisor, teacher....yes, you are an agent, but ultimately when you are hired to be someone's agent you are given the honor of being someone's mentor, biggest advocate and coach through a critical life change.

• Being detailed is a necessity. Lesson plans and grading are replaced with contracts and moving smoothly through each stage of the process whether you are buying or selling. It typically takes months to complete a transaction.

• Negotiating skills... well, that is a big part of a teachers day with kids/students too. No, it's not the same as RE...however making quick decisions with confidence is (as a teacher) a high necessity and I feel the same many times as a REALTOR. I have received phone calls that have made my jaw drop. I needed to be ready with a response. 

• Being willing to talk to strangers with comfort is probably the biggest commonality. I can't be an introvert in either profession. Warm, friendly, outgoing - these are critical aspects of both professions in my opinion.

• Having a degree is not a necessity of REALTORS. I would imagine it is not hurting anything by having a more advanced degree. I have a 2 year degree in animation, a 4 year in art education, and now I have my real estate license which required schooling which was quite different from the other experiences. It was not easy, but I proudly passed my exams on my first try.

• Patience. Being a patient person whether it's with another agent or with clients. Patience is necessary because sometimes things don't move very quickly or go well. Being patient with children/students. I am sure you can imagine?Sometimes it was quite trying to keep cool when there are safety issues or someone is being down-right rude in the class room environment.

• I am your shoulder. Being the calm in the storm is a necessity when people are stressed. Being of help and comfort in someone's time of need (moving is a really big deal! Stress is stress, even if it's good stress). I have also learned that the issue of moving is not always for a positive or an exciting reason. Sometimes real estate is about the death of a loved one, the process of a foreclosure or short sale (which means a crisis is behind that issue) and/or divorce. Just to name a few reasons for a more stressful transaction for clients. It is the same with teaching. Teaching is not only the business of learning something. It is also sometimes about helping someone feel safe, giving a hug, or just a smile. School is more than a place to learn and it's ok that it is. It is very, very hard to leave our personal problems at home especially if we are anxious to go back to where mom/dad fight, there isn't enough food, no one is getting a good night's rest, etc.

• And lastly (at least for me) both careers require being creative. In many ways; I feel my artistic skills are needed at a higher level as a REALTOR (which I know sounds weird), however whether it's staging, lighting, photography, marketing etc it does not hurt one bit that my background is in the arts.

And for my visual learners :)