Profiting Joyfully
So I read this article [Life's short avoid bad clients](https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2022/08/lifes-short-avoid-bad-clients?utm_campaign=8-31-22+Florida+Realtors+News&utm_medium=email&utm_source=iPost "Life's short avoid bad clients") from the Florida Realtors this morning. I receive a daily email with all types of interesting topics for myself and my clients. This one made me chuckle because my motto, given to me by my friend Dawn, is Profiting Joyfully.
Although all our work has components that we don't always enjoy, work should be joyful. Enjoying work for me means enjoying the clients I am helping. I try to put my needs aside and really get in touch with what they are looking for in a home. Most often what my clients end up buying is very different than they originally thought they wanted. Of course there are certain parameters (like budget) that are primary but often when we dream about what we want, we give ourselves the freedom to imagine something different. But we are funny creatures who generally like what feels familiar to us. You might look at a magazine with sleek images but if a modern space makes you feel cold or it feels unwelcoming you will not choose it in the end. Even if you think it looks beautiful, you have a gut feeling it is not for you.
When I meet a new client the conversations about our lives or other topics are often the most helpful to me. Buying a home is more about the life we are trying to create for ourselves, not just how many bedrooms or baths. When I understand the why's of someone's move I can much better help them find their home.
It takes a certain amount of trust and I encourage people to share their dislikes as much as their likes. Sometimes we don't really know what we want so it helps to understand what we don't want. This way the future is open for new possibilities. When you say I only want three bedrooms, you might not look at a home that has two bedrooms even though it has a large office that could be used as a bedroom. Or you say I want only new construction and you might miss out on an older home that has been completely renovated and will have as little maintenance as new construction, but may be in a better more established neighborhood.
I believe our interactions not only with family and friends but also clients and colleagues we benefit most by being are authentic selves. I try to live by that, be myself and ask that my clients let down their guard a bit. I am on their side and the more I get to know them the better I can serve them. Buying a home is stressful but it can also be fun if you let it.
