It's been a while since my last blog, a very long while! I apologize to my followers (if I have any left!) 2017 has been a banner year and between taking care of my clients, keeping up with continuing education and courses, and trying to take a little time for myself here & there, I've been swamped!
This year has been nothing short of stellar for my business having achieved the Exit Realty International Bronze Designation once again for selling over 25 properties in a year. I also have been recognized as the #1 Agent in my office for 2017 and the #2 Exit agent in the Annapolis Valley! Lastly I have hit a sales volume achievement level for the 2017 calendar year only 6 months in that I hadn't ever reached in years past!
(toooot tooooot tooooooooooottt - insert sounds of me tooting my own horn here) I don't mean to brag, but I believe in celebrating achievements when they happen! I love celebrations!!
I could not have gotten to this place without my clients and customers trusting me with likely the biggest financial transactions of their lives, I have never taken this job lightly and I know that there are many many other agents in the industry to choose from. I thank all my clients from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to work together to achieve their goals and create a reality of their dreams!
I feel very fortunate to wake up every morning to go to work at a job that I truly love, I am extremely thankful for the support I get from my broker and team at Exit, and my wonderful husband Jesse who understands my passion for this work and encourages me tirelessly.
All in all I am feeling pretty pleased with life right now. I apologize for neglecting my blog for so long, I was too busy living it up and enjoying the good vibes!
Monday, August 14, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Have you got what it takes?
Have you ever thought about getting into real estate as a career? Not sure exactly what that entails? Whether you are a licensed REALTOR right now or you are thinking of starting from scratch, I want to help you! You don't have to be in Nova Scotia or even Canada, I can help you anywhere in Canada or the US!
When I bought my first home, I was SO excited. It was such a phenomenal time in my life and I could barely even think about anything else that was happening. I would run the gamut of extreme anticipation through to extreme anxiety on the daily. I was in awe of this being a career that one could be a part of on a daily basis. But my REALTOR didn't really 'get' my wants and needs. I decided on this as a career because I thought I could do it better. I never intended on modelling my business after the 'old boys club' that had been on the scene for so long, I wanted to make it my own. So I found a brokerage model that fit with me and my plans for the future.
Fast forward to now, I have won several awards, both locally and internationally and I could not be happier with my choice. I love the people I work with, I love working with the public and sharing my knowledge, and I love being directly in the drivers seat for my personal and financial goals. I started out with Exit as a supreme rookie having never had any other real estate dealings other than the purchase of my own home several years prior to getting my license. But I made it this far because I reached out to someone I barely knew who was in the business.
When I was first toying with the idea of doing this I had no idea where to start, who to talk to or what I should be thinking about long term. I met more than one dead end and negative reaction to my inquiries. This didn't stop me though, I kept on looking and asking until I found someone that had the time and answers I was looking for. I want to be that person for you! If you would like to have a confidential chat with me about the pros and cons of this career, I am here for you. I can meet with you personally at my office so you can see how things happen first hand, or I can make sure you get a personal meeting with a broker in your area/province/state or region.
Please share this with someone you know that has mentioned this line of work as a personal choice, and reach out to me if you have any questions at all! I am always available, just ask! It's not as hard as you might think, with the right team on your side.
902-680-2736 call/text
exit@meganwhite.ca
When I bought my first home, I was SO excited. It was such a phenomenal time in my life and I could barely even think about anything else that was happening. I would run the gamut of extreme anticipation through to extreme anxiety on the daily. I was in awe of this being a career that one could be a part of on a daily basis. But my REALTOR didn't really 'get' my wants and needs. I decided on this as a career because I thought I could do it better. I never intended on modelling my business after the 'old boys club' that had been on the scene for so long, I wanted to make it my own. So I found a brokerage model that fit with me and my plans for the future.
Fast forward to now, I have won several awards, both locally and internationally and I could not be happier with my choice. I love the people I work with, I love working with the public and sharing my knowledge, and I love being directly in the drivers seat for my personal and financial goals. I started out with Exit as a supreme rookie having never had any other real estate dealings other than the purchase of my own home several years prior to getting my license. But I made it this far because I reached out to someone I barely knew who was in the business.
When I was first toying with the idea of doing this I had no idea where to start, who to talk to or what I should be thinking about long term. I met more than one dead end and negative reaction to my inquiries. This didn't stop me though, I kept on looking and asking until I found someone that had the time and answers I was looking for. I want to be that person for you! If you would like to have a confidential chat with me about the pros and cons of this career, I am here for you. I can meet with you personally at my office so you can see how things happen first hand, or I can make sure you get a personal meeting with a broker in your area/province/state or region.
Please share this with someone you know that has mentioned this line of work as a personal choice, and reach out to me if you have any questions at all! I am always available, just ask! It's not as hard as you might think, with the right team on your side.
902-680-2736 call/text
exit@meganwhite.ca
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Furrry Babies.
No I am not talking about human babies, I am talking about fur babies! Our pets are family in most cases and become a factor when buying and selling property believe it or not!
I am obviously very interested in selling equestrian properties, and these are the ultimate choice of buyers wanting the best for their animal friends. Then there are the rest of us, statistics show that MILLIONS of Canadian households have at least one pet. Personally I grew up with dogs, cats, horses and ponies that lived on the same property as my family. My brother and sister both had a pony at one point, but that was short lived as my brother tried to trade his pony for a motorbike by making a sign to place at the end of the driveway. My equine obsession brought me across 46 states, 7 provinces and even across the 'pond' to England.
You could say I am an animal lover.
I don't current own any horses, but I do stay active in the horse community and frequent the local barns to ride and teach. My constant furry companion is a miniature dachshund named Frankfurter, he is a fiercely loyal and obsessively loving little force to be reckoned with. I thoroughly enjoy his pointy little nose poking into whatever I am doing.
I go in a lot of houses and I talk to a lot of people about their ideal home and very often pets are a priority in choosing a property. Things like proximity to a busy road, fenced yards and pet friendly flooring are common topics of discussion. I have one property listed inhabited by a very self assured Jack Russell who believes that he is the king of the castle whenever I show the home! He comes to greet everyone and proceeds to 'show us around' when buyers arrive.
At one showing a while ago, we were told not to let the cat outside, a very cute mottled black, grey and orange - striking looking animal to say the least. We had a good look around the property with the buyers two young girls in tow, they were fascinated with the cat but obeyed when told not to touch. Towards the end of the viewing, we head outside for a final recap and out of the corner of my eye I see the odd coloured feline just beyond the fenced in pool area. Not sure how it got out, and not wanting to be caught, we teamed up to herd it back inside... Meanwhile I can't shake a nagging feeling that we had been so careful not to leave any doors open. I tuck the kitty under my arm to stow back in his/her designated bed on the windowsill (can you guess where this is going...?) I get to the cats perch only to find an identical animal already there! WHOOPS! Bring the outside cat back outside, leave the inside cat where it is and get out of there before a feline fight ensues!
Do you have a special needs pet that would require adjustments to your real estate needs? Tell me about your furry family members!
I am obviously very interested in selling equestrian properties, and these are the ultimate choice of buyers wanting the best for their animal friends. Then there are the rest of us, statistics show that MILLIONS of Canadian households have at least one pet. Personally I grew up with dogs, cats, horses and ponies that lived on the same property as my family. My brother and sister both had a pony at one point, but that was short lived as my brother tried to trade his pony for a motorbike by making a sign to place at the end of the driveway. My equine obsession brought me across 46 states, 7 provinces and even across the 'pond' to England.
You could say I am an animal lover.
I don't current own any horses, but I do stay active in the horse community and frequent the local barns to ride and teach. My constant furry companion is a miniature dachshund named Frankfurter, he is a fiercely loyal and obsessively loving little force to be reckoned with. I thoroughly enjoy his pointy little nose poking into whatever I am doing.
I go in a lot of houses and I talk to a lot of people about their ideal home and very often pets are a priority in choosing a property. Things like proximity to a busy road, fenced yards and pet friendly flooring are common topics of discussion. I have one property listed inhabited by a very self assured Jack Russell who believes that he is the king of the castle whenever I show the home! He comes to greet everyone and proceeds to 'show us around' when buyers arrive.
At one showing a while ago, we were told not to let the cat outside, a very cute mottled black, grey and orange - striking looking animal to say the least. We had a good look around the property with the buyers two young girls in tow, they were fascinated with the cat but obeyed when told not to touch. Towards the end of the viewing, we head outside for a final recap and out of the corner of my eye I see the odd coloured feline just beyond the fenced in pool area. Not sure how it got out, and not wanting to be caught, we teamed up to herd it back inside... Meanwhile I can't shake a nagging feeling that we had been so careful not to leave any doors open. I tuck the kitty under my arm to stow back in his/her designated bed on the windowsill (can you guess where this is going...?) I get to the cats perch only to find an identical animal already there! WHOOPS! Bring the outside cat back outside, leave the inside cat where it is and get out of there before a feline fight ensues!
Do you have a special needs pet that would require adjustments to your real estate needs? Tell me about your furry family members!
Tuesday, March 07, 2017
Love Trumps All
Buying or selling property can be extremely emotional, and I see it every day. I get excited about my job, and to be entirely frank here, part of the reason I wanted to get into this profession was because my REALTOR® when I purchased my last home was... less than enthusiastic about the transaction. I am not sure if we didn't have a large enough budget for her to get excited about us, or if she was just too busy to really listen to what we wanted, or if she was just more reserved than I am used to. The truth is I was a little disappointed that she didn't 'get' how monumental this was for us.
Recently I have been involved with 2 sales of inherited lands representing the seller. One of those parcels had been in the same family for over 100 years. When even contemplating selling this type of property, emotions run high and there is more at stake than other sales. I get it. It takes a great deal of tact, understanding and compassion in these cases, and I always try to put myself in my clients shoes in any sale. Often times these sales involve one or two actual clients, but a whole slew of family members and everyone has to have an opportunity to say what they need to say, in turn.
Another recent negotiation for buyers came together after much deliberation and a very long period of time between the first showing and subsequent offers being made. 3 generations of family members were involved and even some in laws and "outlaws". It eventually came together favourably for all parties and I made the triumphant phone call to my buyers to congratulate them (Oh Man, I love making that call!!!) I got both buyers on speaker phone and announced their victory, much fanfare and whooping ensued followed by a brief recap of details. Congratulations all around, many thank yous and then the sign off, in her emotion filled euphoria the buyer (who has been a friend for almost 30 years) squeaked out a jumble of words, followed immediately by laughter and an explanation... she was so excited she had professed her love for me! This made me burst into laughter and I reciprocated, to much more laughter and giggles...
You see there is something so deeply personal about trusting someone else with the largest single transactions most of us ever make in our lives, which is intrinsically linked to the emotional centres of our brains, we can't help but feel connected at the time.
Are you ready to fall in love again? Perhaps not with me ; but with a property that makes you want to shriek and blurt out jumbled professions of loooove?! Call me, I am ready to take that emotional journey with you!
Recently I have been involved with 2 sales of inherited lands representing the seller. One of those parcels had been in the same family for over 100 years. When even contemplating selling this type of property, emotions run high and there is more at stake than other sales. I get it. It takes a great deal of tact, understanding and compassion in these cases, and I always try to put myself in my clients shoes in any sale. Often times these sales involve one or two actual clients, but a whole slew of family members and everyone has to have an opportunity to say what they need to say, in turn.
Another recent negotiation for buyers came together after much deliberation and a very long period of time between the first showing and subsequent offers being made. 3 generations of family members were involved and even some in laws and "outlaws". It eventually came together favourably for all parties and I made the triumphant phone call to my buyers to congratulate them (Oh Man, I love making that call!!!) I got both buyers on speaker phone and announced their victory, much fanfare and whooping ensued followed by a brief recap of details. Congratulations all around, many thank yous and then the sign off, in her emotion filled euphoria the buyer (who has been a friend for almost 30 years) squeaked out a jumble of words, followed immediately by laughter and an explanation... she was so excited she had professed her love for me! This made me burst into laughter and I reciprocated, to much more laughter and giggles...
You see there is something so deeply personal about trusting someone else with the largest single transactions most of us ever make in our lives, which is intrinsically linked to the emotional centres of our brains, we can't help but feel connected at the time.
Are you ready to fall in love again? Perhaps not with me ; but with a property that makes you want to shriek and blurt out jumbled professions of loooove?! Call me, I am ready to take that emotional journey with you!
Wednesday, March 01, 2017
When The Cat's Away...
Once upon a time, when I was a much younger girl, it was a great treat to have my parents house to myself when they went away on hockey tournaments with my brother. I would plan to have my friends over, we would stay up late with no adults enforcing their lame curfews on us! We would order pizza and play loud music (sorry about all those blown speakers Dad!!) It was a time to let loose and test the boundaries of our youth. It was a time to celebrate!
But alas, the tables have turned.
Right now I am home alone, my husband is away on business in Atlanta for the week. It's getting a little out of control (obviously, I am writing a blog at 9pm!) My how the times have changed, I worked hard today, putting more than a few kilometers on my car and sorting through a massive pile of paperwork of offers, counter offers and closing inspection reports for 3 ends! Don't get me wrong I absolutely love my work but it was a BIG DAY!!
Moving on to this evening, I am in my yoga pants, eating homemade soup and snuggling with my ever cuddly dachshund who is like my little shadow at home. I have no desire to stay up late or get foolish this weekend, in fact I am looking forward to sleeping diagonally across my bed with ALL the pillows, perhaps taking my coffee in the hot tub in the morning, and puttering around my house in complete silence! Oh The Joys I Have Come to Appreciate!
In my old age I have become more peaceful with being alone and I don't feel it necessary to fill my days with constant entertainment. In my line of work, I find that I am constantly having to be "ON". I have to have the right answers to never ending questions and queries from my clients and the public. I never know when I might run into a prospective client so even running to the grocery store means making sure I am presentable. My car is fully wrapped with my logo and a larger than life headshot so I can't speed or yell at frustrating people on the road... As a recognizable figure where my face and name is my brand, I must always make sure that I present the right image, and that can be exhausting for a girl that grew up as a tomboy in a barn!
I am finding now that after years as a professional athlete, working in the service industry and having several management positions, I am well suited and enjoy a public sort of life and my personality would never allow me to do otherwise! Perhaps I am mellowing, perhaps I am (gasp) growing up, and perhaps I am just peaceful in my own company... But having my evenings silent, home alone with a fire going, making food and going to bed early sounds pretty darn delightful for this week!
But alas, the tables have turned.
Right now I am home alone, my husband is away on business in Atlanta for the week. It's getting a little out of control (obviously, I am writing a blog at 9pm!) My how the times have changed, I worked hard today, putting more than a few kilometers on my car and sorting through a massive pile of paperwork of offers, counter offers and closing inspection reports for 3 ends! Don't get me wrong I absolutely love my work but it was a BIG DAY!!
Moving on to this evening, I am in my yoga pants, eating homemade soup and snuggling with my ever cuddly dachshund who is like my little shadow at home. I have no desire to stay up late or get foolish this weekend, in fact I am looking forward to sleeping diagonally across my bed with ALL the pillows, perhaps taking my coffee in the hot tub in the morning, and puttering around my house in complete silence! Oh The Joys I Have Come to Appreciate!
In my old age I have become more peaceful with being alone and I don't feel it necessary to fill my days with constant entertainment. In my line of work, I find that I am constantly having to be "ON". I have to have the right answers to never ending questions and queries from my clients and the public. I never know when I might run into a prospective client so even running to the grocery store means making sure I am presentable. My car is fully wrapped with my logo and a larger than life headshot so I can't speed or yell at frustrating people on the road... As a recognizable figure where my face and name is my brand, I must always make sure that I present the right image, and that can be exhausting for a girl that grew up as a tomboy in a barn!
I am finding now that after years as a professional athlete, working in the service industry and having several management positions, I am well suited and enjoy a public sort of life and my personality would never allow me to do otherwise! Perhaps I am mellowing, perhaps I am (gasp) growing up, and perhaps I am just peaceful in my own company... But having my evenings silent, home alone with a fire going, making food and going to bed early sounds pretty darn delightful for this week!
Monday, January 23, 2017
Bonkers for Cat Forts
I have had a Bonkers past week. Bonkers because I negotiated FOUR accepted offers on listings for my seller clients. Bonkers because I have several new listings coming up and buyer clients looking for properties. Bonkers because sometimes my line of work takes me on the most ridiculous of adventures.
Bonkers, but I love it!
It is pretty awesome to have this much business on the go in January. I am thrilled to be able to bring good news to my sellers and so excited that we can get things done in the dead of winter when usually there is very little happening. I have been chatting with other agents and it may be that the weather has been cooperating and it's been hovering around freezing without any "Polar Vortex" weather like in years past.
*It may be that I have turned into a real estate sorcerer and I cannot be stopped. Only time will tell.*
The craziest thing that happened this week though was getting a call from a Buyer that I had shown a property to that was vacant but had a few semi-feral barn cats still hanging out as the owners were not able (through no fault of their own) to take with them when they left. These cats are fat and the neighbours have been supplying them regularly with food & water, they are spayed and vaccinated as well, but just too wild to catch.
The Buyer was losing sleep over the cats, and wanted to go back to the property to fashion some cat forts for them. No problem with me, I do this kind of thing all the time. LOL!
She arrived with a truck full of cardboard boxes, bales of straw, blankets and pet beds!! We lugged the gear up into the hayloft where the cats had been nesting in leftover hay and got to work. A short time later we had fashioned a large cat condo for them to pile into together, it was pretty great I must say! Then we thought that maybe they don't get along so the next project was to construct several smaller, single family homes in various locations around the space so they could have their privacy if need be.
After a while of both of us fluffing blankets, filling beds with straw and finding the ideal location for each abode, we got to laughing about what kind of crazy animal lovers we must be in order to go to such lengths. It was actually a really fun time, and I will for sure be stopping in to see how they are enjoying the cat-forts ASAP.
The buyer though informed me that when I go to check them out - if it looks like the cats have rejected the homes, that I should just tell her the opposite! Felines are fickle as we all know!
There's never a dull day in this line of work! Bring it on!
Bonkers, but I love it!
It is pretty awesome to have this much business on the go in January. I am thrilled to be able to bring good news to my sellers and so excited that we can get things done in the dead of winter when usually there is very little happening. I have been chatting with other agents and it may be that the weather has been cooperating and it's been hovering around freezing without any "Polar Vortex" weather like in years past.
*It may be that I have turned into a real estate sorcerer and I cannot be stopped. Only time will tell.*
The craziest thing that happened this week though was getting a call from a Buyer that I had shown a property to that was vacant but had a few semi-feral barn cats still hanging out as the owners were not able (through no fault of their own) to take with them when they left. These cats are fat and the neighbours have been supplying them regularly with food & water, they are spayed and vaccinated as well, but just too wild to catch.
The Buyer was losing sleep over the cats, and wanted to go back to the property to fashion some cat forts for them. No problem with me, I do this kind of thing all the time. LOL!
She arrived with a truck full of cardboard boxes, bales of straw, blankets and pet beds!! We lugged the gear up into the hayloft where the cats had been nesting in leftover hay and got to work. A short time later we had fashioned a large cat condo for them to pile into together, it was pretty great I must say! Then we thought that maybe they don't get along so the next project was to construct several smaller, single family homes in various locations around the space so they could have their privacy if need be.
After a while of both of us fluffing blankets, filling beds with straw and finding the ideal location for each abode, we got to laughing about what kind of crazy animal lovers we must be in order to go to such lengths. It was actually a really fun time, and I will for sure be stopping in to see how they are enjoying the cat-forts ASAP.
The buyer though informed me that when I go to check them out - if it looks like the cats have rejected the homes, that I should just tell her the opposite! Felines are fickle as we all know!
There's never a dull day in this line of work! Bring it on!
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
2016 Most Memorable Homents
Welcome to 2017! While many people are bidding 'good riddance' to 2016, I have put together a little list of the years most memorable HOMEnts in real estate!
A bit of a VIP and 'failed it' compilation for your entertainment!
First up I want to shout out to all my clients, buyers and sellers - you guys are the reason I do this job! I love working with people and I appreciate you choosing me!
A stellar moment for me was wrapping up my 25th sale of the year with a first time buyer who chose a home in Coldbrook - I hope you are staying cozy with your woodstove and it's not too long before it's pool season again, she was so much fun to work with and we had a ball finding her the perfect property! 25 sales in a year marks a major milestone and means I achieved the Exit Realty International Bronze Designation!
On that Bronze subject, I got to travel to Nassau Bahamas for the Exit International Convention and Awards. What a stunning part of the world - even though I was there immediately following Hurricane Matthew ripped through the region, the beauty was undeniable! And I could not have been more proud to receive my award and celebrate with my peers and colleagues!
One particular Seller client stands out to me, I was contacted to list a home that had a lot of sentimental value to a family. The Seller, recently widowed, had purchased the home as a newlywed many many years before, raised her family there and was now retired. After much discussion & deliberation I was brought in for a consultation. It was an emotional journey for everyone involved, and I ended up spending considerable time with her going over documents carefully and visiting often (and eating her delicious treats that she would have prepared!) Her home sold almost immediately to a newly engaged couple, although bittersweet - she was able to downsize to a perfect place and I even went to go visit her there and indulge in some wonderful sweets and coffee after she was settled!
As for very special buyers, I had been working with a young couple for a while that had had a very emotional lead up to purchasing their first home. We had seen a place that was absolutely perfect for them, as fate would have it the process was drawn out with much negotiation but finally came together. These buyers were forced to wait and get very creative in structuring the offer. Patience and level headed deliberations won out in the end, only to have a last minute hiccup just as it looked like it was time to celebrate! These buyers were amazingly stoic and it paid off, they now live in their perfect property with their family and animals and have recently gotten engaged! Congratulations to you guys! I am thrilled to have been part of this time in your lives!
Now on the the embarassing parts - my real estate 'failed it!' moments. While attending an Agent Caravan Tour where we visit our offices newly listed properties as a group -the crowd was touring the main level of a property, I headed downstairs. Thinking the property was vacant, I showed myself around and accidentally opened the door to a bedroom with a poor soul just getting out of bed!
On another occasion I was listing a cottage lot and sat down on a picnic table to fill out documents, I immediately heard a loud buzzing to find that there was a GIANT wasps nest under the table that I had disturbed! We all bolted inside and slammed the door and had to wait out the angry swarm huddled inside a camper!
Having made an appearance in my very first blog "Stilettos & Garbage" longtime clients of mine that have seen me at my best & worst had booked an appointment to see a property. I also coach equestrians and my student had taken a spill from her horse during a lesson, I lost track of time making sure she was ok, and relaying appropriate information to her parents and I ended up being almost an hour late to the showing. Luckily these particular clients were amazingly easy going, but what a hideous impression to make, I was frantically apologizing the entire time we looked at the home!
I am looking forward to 2017 with enthusiasm and a desire to be better than I was last year, I strive to provide my clients with professional, ethical and supportive direction in their real estate needs and I would love to help you make the next step in your journey!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)