This Blog post is coming at you straight from Nassau Bahamas. Yes I am in Paradise (that's actually the name of the place I am staying!!) and I am in my room writing a blog!! Why? Because last night was the closing ceremonies of the Exit Realty 20th Anniversary Convention & Awards, and I am so inspired by the experience I have had here!
WOW! This week has been amazing and I have gained so much from being surrounded by the top producers in my industry! When I used be a professional equestrian, my coach David O'Connor used to always say that the best way to become a champion, is to surround yourself with champions. There's no glory in being a big fish in a small pond. One of the best things about Exit is that a new agent can walk up to a seasoned pro and ask questions anytime.
"If you are at the bottom reach up, if you are at the top reach down." That's an excellent philosophy.
We are all unique individuals and we should strive to use our differences to better ourselves in the way that best suits our personalities, strengths & weaknesses. Every time I met another agent, bar none, I felt like we were part of an extended family and I felt a mutual respect and camaraderie instantly. We were told many times to foster our differences and embrace them smiling. What makes us different, makes us good. It never mattered what pond we were from.
The biggest fish in North America were honored this week, and I am more than proud to say that I walked across the huge stage and got a hug, a handshake and an award from the founder of Exit himself. It was quite exciting to be recognized for my efforts. Seeing the size of the pond that Exit has created was eye opening and has inspired me to keep swimming upstream to get to the bigger ponds, with the bigger fish. I am not here to be mediocre.
A big shout out goes to my broker Val, her husband Kim and all the gang of colleagues and their spouse from Nova Scotia that traveled here. Also a high five to the new friends I have met while here!
Dallas TX 2017 - Here we come!!
As a professional in any industry there are inevitably those phrases and questions that come up from the general public/people not in your profession. Here are a few of my favourite ones that I have heard over the years!
1) "It must be great working whenever you want to!"
While this is indeed true, that I CAN work whenever I want to, real estate as a career attracts the type of people that don't have the 'clock in/clock out' mentality about working. There are times I work all day long for days, and there are times that I have more free time than I want!
2) "I love those HGTV shows, I know all about the real estate world!"
Those shows are fun to watch (I watch them too!) but they are a dramatization of real life, I doubt that anyone would tune in for a show featuring me combing through listings on my laptop, or trimming excess tree branches at an open house. There are un-glamorous times too. It's not all stilettos and lunch meetings.
3) "I'd like you to show me these houses tonight, I'm not interested in buying, I just want to know what they look like inside"
Woah, woah, woah... That's completely unfair to the seller (who thinks a qualified buyer is coming to look and invests in getting their house ready). It's also unfair to me, I only get paid when a sale is completed so my time needs to be spent working towards sales!
4) "Is that the sellers in these photos on the wall?"
Why does it matter? The people don't come with the house. Actually the seller are hideous monsters and they picked up a couple frames at WalMart & left the pictures of the models in them just for show!
5) Why are they selling?
Interesting question, as a listing agent the sellers motivation may not be the best thing to divulge to a potential buyer. Maybe the sellers have already bought another home and it closes in a month, telling a buyer this may give them an advantage in negotiations. Maybe the sellers are going through a breakup and want to cut ties ASAP... In any case it can be a touchy subject and is it really going to be the tipping point between you offering on the property or not as a buyer?
Having been in the profession for a few years now I have heard some very offhanded comments and odd questions, that being said I always encourage my clients to ask any questions that they ever think of freely! These are simply a few that tend to come up more often, next blog will be stupid things REALTORS® say to people ;)
To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing in regards to
the clear cutting and devastation of forests going on throughout the
province of Nova Scotia. This practice has not followed the mandates set
out for the province in 2011, and it is not going to be tolerated.
I
have seen first hand how the clear cutting of Nova Scotian forests has
affected the wildlife and ecosystems in this province, and it is haunting. I am a REALTOR® and I travel extensively throughout rural
areas of the province. I am completely appalled at the
devastation of this provinces natural resources, furthermore at the lack
of regard for this provinces inhabitants both human and animal. The
trickle down effect of this is profound.
I am writing this
letter to voice my total abhorrence of this practice and the practices
that are set to ruin the beauty and majesty of this area. In this day
and age there is absolutely no excuse or reasoning to justify the
complete disregard of the best interests of this province and it's
future. How dare you turn a blind eye, or worse, knowingly allow such a
short sighted and environmentally dangerous thing to happen? This
destruction must cease!
As a Nova Scotian, a young professional, a Canadian and a human being I demand that this be stopped immediately.
Sincerely and adamantly,
Megan White
Berwick NS
* If you would like to send a similar letter please do, the following email addresses will be of use.
premier@gov.ns.ca
minister.environment@novascotia.ca
mindnr@novascotia.ca
Spoiler Alert * This has nothing to do with Real Estate!
I grew up listening to the Tragically Hip. My first big concert was at the Metro Centre in Halifax in the mid 90s, a bunch of high school friends got tickets and hired a limo to transport us to & from the show. It was the first of many Hip experiences, and this past Saturday night was the last time I will ever see them perform a live show again. Gord Downies voice sang the soundtrack of my youth.
There is something fiercely Canadian about this band. They never broke into the American market and never seemed to really want to which increased their canuck appeal. Hailing from Kingston Ontario, they wrote about Canadian topics and political issues, they toured for 30 years and they remained wholesome and true to their roots. Perhaps we didn't want to share them, perhaps we didn't care. The truth is it never mattered if the rest of the world 'got it' because the subject matter was so truly Canadian that it was uniquely ours and ours alone.
Most people my age can tell stories about seeing this band, chance encounters, countless memories are related to specific songs or albums. I know more about Canadian history, folklore and geography from listening to their songs than I ever learned in school. I once interviewed for a job in Kingston ON, upon arrival at the airport I was immediately escorted on a tour of the town to see where each one of the band members had grown up before even talking about the job I had been brought for! The only time I ever camped out for concert tickets was for this band in Halifax, bundled up in blankets on the sidewalk in downtown Halifax overnight. I happened across them performing at a small bar in Denver, by chance noticing the name on the marquee outside and wandered in. To my amazement it was a small bar with very few patrons. I threw a Canadian flag on stage and Gord Downie wore it as a cape for part of the performance. The Hip fans of Canada are like a massive extended family and got that way because this band embraced and appreciated us. What's more Canadian than a warm welcome and open arms?
Gord Downie has always seemed an upstanding Canadian that has influenced history and how we perceive it for over 30 years. I have heard him called the unofficial Poet Laureate and the modern Shakespeare of Canada. He has created a sense of Canadian pride and unity that even the Olympics can't rival. I have always been a proud Canadian and a proud Hip fan, seeing this show has made me feel that pride run even deeper. So I want to thank The Tragically Hip for having a part in making and maintaining a little bit of what it means to be Canadian for many people, including myself. This is truly a spectacular place to live.
When I tell people what I do, more often than not the response is positive. "Ohhhhh, I always though I would enjoy that as a career!" or "Wow! That must be great only working when you want to."
FACT; it's not that easy. It doesn't require a decade of post secondary education either, but it does have it's specific challenges.
As with any serious career, work ethic is of utmost importance when choosing to become a REALTOR®. There are long hours, weekends, late nights & early mornings. You end up having to work around other peoples schedules and because of tight deadlines, overtime is sometimes the norm.
Speaking of ethics, we mush adhere to a strict Code of Ethics for this profession that is enforced and disciplinary action/fines can be levied should someone stray from the comprehensive rules that are set by the governing body.
You must be financially savvy and stable enough to sustain the reality of working very hard and not getting paid for weeks or months. There are significant fees, memberships and continuing education requirements that can add up. There certainly is opportunity for great financial gain as well, but it can sometimes be a roller coaster of feast & famine. You must be able to budget and be very organized with your bank accounts.
Multi tasking is a must, multiple clients with different needs and schedules, deadlines and necessary paperwork due dates, juggling different tasks constantly is the daily fare.
The ability to read people and adjust yourself to best meet their expectations is key. After a few years in this business I have an ability to tell weather someone is interested in a property within moments of them walking through the doors, without any verbal indication! An offshoot of this is being able to deal effectively with personalities that you do not get along with. As a salesperson you must read & communicate with buyers, sellers, service providers, lenders, appraisers, inspectors, family members of clients/customers... all of which are under pressure during your dealings, as well as feeling the stress yourself. And to top it all off, you must always be cool, collected and knowledgeable with a smile on your face.
Now on to the upsides! You do in a sense work for yourself so you can take time off whenever you want to, and make your daily schedule as you see fit. There are somedays that I work from home in yoga pants and my dog snuggles on my lap while I work on the computer. It's all about being able to judge your personal balance.
There is certainly the ability to make a great income, if you are diligent and self motivated. The sky is the limit on this one!
You have the opportunity to meet new people all the time and your daily routine is anything but. It's a fast paced, exciting career and you will never get bored if you work hard! The dreaded "daily grind" non existent!
I love what I do and I love talking to people about real estate, whether it be sales, strategy, or the job itself! If you have ever thought about getting into this industry, call me! I would be thrilled to show you what I do, bring you to meet the amazing Exit team and talk about how to get started.
In Anglo-Saxon the meaning of the name Megan is:
Strong and capable. I also fall under the astrological sign of the Taurus which is categorized as stubborn and strong willed. Although I don't normally take these things as 100% truth, they are interesting, fun and entertaining. And they ring true for my personality, somehow.
I have always been the type of person that thinks outside of the 'normal' parameters. My family would tell you I was an outspoken child from day one, and often went against what I was told. There are countless stories of me being a strong willed, opinionated girl that my family loves to tell when we get together, most of them quite hilarious even to this day after hearing them over and over. Moving on to my adult life I am still outspoken and I definitely have an original style, I do not like to blend in to the crowd, and I do not like being told to conform.
When I entered this profession, my intent was not necessarily to replace the current type of REALTOR® in the marketplace, but to (in some sense) reinvent the wheel as it pertained to me. I run my business differently, I don't adhere to the same-old ways of the past. I advertise in areas and markets often overlooked or brushed aside that are gaining huge momentum and purchasing power. We recently had a presentation on how to market to millennials (now, now, don't immediately brush this population off... reread the previous sentence please). It was a fascinating learning experience that solidified my ideas on where my business is going and how to gain even more success in the future.
For the purpose of this blog let's say millennials are a very comprehensive grouping of anyone 18-35. This is a huge amount of soon-to-be and young professionals that are going to have monstrous purchasing power and clout in comparison to any other grouping very soon. This trend is going to continue for years to come, and these people will be starting & taking over businesses, buying real estate, consuming good & services, and generally in charge the marketplace very soon! Millennials absorb advertising differently than other groups, and in order to stay relevant to this consumer group there are very different criteria for making goods & services appealing & showing value.
Trends also show that there is a shift happening between the sexes, where women are consistently rising as a group that is purchasing more homes year over year compared to statistics from years past. Being aware of changing demographics is absolutely essential to maintaining a broad client base, and being able to work with anyone & everyone equally has never been more important. I vehemently support equality and fairness in my personal and professional dealings Every Single Day.
So let's suffice it to say that I am not your average Joanna, and I don't always stay inside the box. I enjoy a challenge and I love working with clients that are looking for someone with energy, creativity, and above average results! If you are going to be buying or selling in the future please feel free to contact me to discuss your individual needs!
902-680-2736
I am a big believer in celebrating Birthdays! I like to believe that we each have a birthday "season", and I strongly believe mine spans 6 months before and after May 12.
It's fun to get special messages from people that you might not hear from as much as you would like, and it's fun to treat yourself to a special treat too! I will admit that I am in the office today as it is busy season in real estate and I just can't take an entire day off right now. And when I say busy, I mean BUSY! It has been an outstanding spring so far! There are the usual flurry of listings of course as is the norm for spring, but I am seeing a jump in the number of buyers this year. The more I talk to other REALTORs®, the more this is confirmed! Properties are selling after being on the market less than a week! I have properties that are getting multiple offers from different buyers!
In order to keep up with all this activity and not get burnt out, I am finding there is a balance between working really hard, and taking some time for yourself. So today on my birthday I treated myself to a pedicure this morning in between appointments and did some quick shopping for something sparkly and shiny (I am a bit of a crow in that I can't walk past anything glistening)!
If you are thinking of buying or selling this spring, don't worry, you haven't missed the boat yet so give me a call to discuss your needs. Let me help you make your next move, I am always here for you, no matter what day it is!
This Blog post is coming at you straight from Nassau Bahamas. Yes I am in Paradise (that's actually the name of the place I am staying!!) and I am in my room writing a blog!! Why? Because last night was the closing ceremonies of the Exit Realty 20th Anniversary Convention & Awards, and I am so inspired by the experience I have had here!