From Boardrooms to Bathrooms

I love being a Realtor.  There are so many hats I get to wear:  business owner, marketer, administrator, quasi-lawyer, financial analyst, psychologist, strategist, negotiator, interior decorator, community expert, inspector, architect, handyman.  Now our client Agreements say that I'm none of those things, but in real life, to help my clients reach their goals, I need to have some knowledge of all of those roles.

In a training class I took when first launching my career as a Realtor, all of us newbies were intimidated about competing against more experienced agents to find clients.  How do we answer the question, "How long have you been a Realtor?"  The trainer suggested, "It feels like my whole life!"  In many ways, I have been training my whole life in the areas of expertise needed to succeed.

Part of that training is the fact that I've moved 27 times in my life.  I've also bought and lived in 13 homes across the country.  That's a lot of moving trucks, redecorating, and finding new doctors, preschools and my way around town.  When I found Reston, Virginia, I knew I had found my home.  I moved here in 1996 and I've never wanted to live anywhere else since.

Prior to becoming a Realtor, I worked for Mosaic Sales Solutions for 11 years.  During that time, it grew from a $2million boutique field marketing company located on Madison Avenue to a $200million business in Dallas.  I ended my career there as Senior Vice President of Business Development, reporting to the then president, Bill Lee - an amazingly creative and inspiring leader.  During those years I was involved in every aspect of the business from account management, budgeting, hiring, training, reporting, technology implementation and business development. 

I also had the privilege to work for clients that included American Express, AT&T Wireless, Best Buy, Disney, all of the major film studios, Microsoft's Xbox, and many others.  After countless boardroom presentations and a million miles on American Airlines, it was time for a change.

That change began when I married my wonderful husband, Stephen Clark.  Now I had a reason to stay off airplanes and stay home!  While in Reston I had sold a townhome and bought a condo through my Realtor, Claudia Weintraub.  Claudia has been a Realtor in northern Virginia for 32 years.  While working together, we became friends.  Claudia wanted a partner to join her in business so that she could transition to semi-retirement and some day full retirement.  When I was ready to leave the boardrooms, I asked her, "How about me?"  It's been a perfect partnership ever since.

Now for the bathrooms.  During my first week of showing homes, I was standing in a master bathroom with a husband and wife who were discussing the merits of double vanities.  I thought to myself, "Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore!"  I'd moved from writing $20million program proposals and discussing performance metrics with clients to discussing the morning grooming routines of clients.

And I wouldn't go back for the world.  I love the intimacy of really getting to know people and guiding them safely through the process of finding a home that suits their life styles and their budgets. (Our slogan says it perfectly:  Smart Connections Between Hearts and Home)

So, without violating any client-confidentiality, I'll be sharing some of my experiences and insights - both entertaining and informative ones.  I hope you'll learn something helpful for your journey of buying or selling a home.