New Years Day is a good time for reflection, and so please bare with me. I wanted to take some time to explain why I’m moving on from being an active REALTOR.
When my son Joey was born, my wife was beginning her private practice as a therapist, and we decided that it was my turn to get a job with health benefits. That was five years ago, and I put it off all this time because I love my job, but another aspect of the business is that we tend to get obsessed with work, taking calls at dinner, or text messages at 11:00 at night, taking on our clients’ stress as our own, and wanting to make things better for them. It starts to become an addiction, and we’re rewarded with positive reviews, or stars on Zillow for how responsive we are, even at the expense of our family. This is not to say that it can’t be done. I know a lot of Realtors with happy families as far as I can tell, but it was not something I was able to master.
In addition to work, I was also volunteering at the Greater Fairbanks Board of Realtors on committees, as a director, treasurer and President. I was even voted Realtor of the Year in 2015. The recognition felt really good until in 2016 when I was making the speech announcing the new Realtor of the Year at the annual installation banquet, my wife wasn’t there with me for the first time in 15 years.
So it was time for a change. For the same reason I don’t keep cookies in the house, I have to break myself away from this job I love and do something else; something with more fixed hours where I can really be home when I’m home. I took the past two months or so to work out my remaining transactions and refer my clients to trusted colleagues. I will also remain licensed, and stay involved with the last few transactions where there are still things to do. Now I’m working on taking care of my family, and myself. Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with over these years, I hope we can stay in contact. For clients and friends, if you want to help me out, then let me refer you to a colleague.
I’m looking forward to new challenges and a better 2017 for us all.
You’ve been a great realtor, and I am sure that you will do a great job in your next endeavor.
Best Wishes!
Thanks Dana, I really appreciate it. Still looking. It’s tough out there, and I haven’t been an employee for 14 years.