Here’s a fun fact about me.
Prior to beginning my real estate career I was not a people person. What kind of non people person wakes up and decides ‘I should go into sales.. better yet, I’ll sell whole ass houses to people.’
Read on below to find out how I prepared myself to for success in a social career as an anti-social human...
I had anxiety calling to book a dentist appointment, I hated having to interact with strangers and most people in general.
Friends and family would say I was pretty outgoing, but it was generally only around people I knew well. I actually hated social interaction with anyone outside of my circle. Meeting new people was absolutely terrifying.
I did however love homes. Loved interior design, architecture, snatched up any real estate related magazine I could find and spent an absurd amount of my free time browsing realtor.ca.
When I began studying for my real estate license I had a bit of panic attack when it dawned on me that a big part of my new career was going to be talking to strangers 😂 I actually considered dropping the course briefly. At the time I was working in a factory, my job was primarily working independently and I didn’t have to be overly social if I didn’t want to.
About a week after my brief panic attack there was a job posting for a team leader at my workplace. I said f*ck it and applied. I didn’t think I would get it but why not see what happens. I’d have to talk to people, like everyday. Even ones I didn’t know well at all. If I did get it, it would force me to face my fears and toughen hell up in social situations, maybe that would prepare me for a career in real estate.
Fast forward a bit and BAM, got the promotion. First thing I had to do after training was a lineside meeting where I had to talk to a whole team of people that I didn’t know. I’d have to do that everyday. And every week I would have to sit in a production meeting and tell a whole bunch of other people I didn’t know very well how my team was doing. I’d have to meet new associates and show them what they’d be doing, train them how to do their jobs.
It was absolutely terrifying, and challenging, and I felt like I had no idea what I was doing and thought ‘these people probably think I look like a complete idiot’.
Turns out I didn’t die.
My confidence talking to people I didn’t know grew, and I came to actually enjoy it.
So maybe real estate wouldn’t be as scary as I thought.
It wasn’t.
Fast forward many years later to present day. And I love it. Talking to new people is one of my favourite parts of my career in real estate. Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely things I avoid in this line of work such as cold calling and door knocking, because that still gives me anxiety. I’ve found other ways to make new connections that work for me and my social comfort level. I have no regrets, this career is so incredibly rewarding. Having the opportunity to be a part of people's biggest purchases, milestone moments and guide my clients through the process of buying and selling. Fostering great client relationships that last well beyond closing day. I'm so happy I went through with it and found a way to push those boundaries to get there.
The moral of the story here is, if you want to do something that terrifies you, something out of your comfort zone. Do it. Chances are you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised with the outcome!
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