As a woman in Real Estate I can tell you first hand how rewarding and tough the job is all at the same time. Still being expected to do the majority of household chores and childcare is the biggest hurdle for most women in real estate. Seriously, I need a wife!
More and more women are taking on the sales role in Real Estate it seems. Generally speaking we are hard workers, used to having to multi task but are also able to do our best for clients without being pushy and ensuring we complete the job with empathy.
I am a mother, wife and selling principal of a team of fabulous women so I get to do it all, The Buck Stops Here!
From morning start up of breakfast for Miss 5, school organisation (dressing, hair, homework, library books to remember, is it lunch making day or canteen??? etc etc) I have one child and I can assure you I believe women who have multiple amounts of children deserve a gold medal for their organisational skills. I then need to get myself organised so I can look like a (not crazy) professional woman whilst out and about. My work days are spent going from job to job – back to back, barely having time to stop and eat but somehow we get through the day. We have wonderful highlights during the day, like placing our SOLD stickers on signs, congratulating our sellers and handing the keys to our buyers. Making peoples dreams come true, watching the team individually grow and succeed personally. We also have extremely tough times, for example when the sale wasn’t wanted but forced due to circumstances, we keep a stock of tissues for those moments. As an agent you wear many hats. I’ve been abused more times than I care to remember, usually but not always an apology follows with the explanation that it was all too emotional for them. We try not to dwell on these moments – the ever changing direction of the roller coaster ride goes on.
During the day as a selling principal I am always working on sales, I also do the marketing for the company, have multiple problems thrown at me to solve, questions to answer, decisions to make, compliance to worry about and sort, team members personal problems or worries to overcome…it never stops. It’s all part of the every day in business.
At 3pm all must stop for Miss 5’s pickup from school, and then I have my Property Princess by my side for the rest of the afternoon. Then its off home to start all over again with cooking tea, assisting with homework, bath and bed organisation, clean up etc etc. After everyone has gone to bed I then sit with my computer and work on our marketing, the growth of the company or catch up on some training.
For training and growth purposes I go to conferences where the latest and greatest salesman stands up to speak about how I too can be as successful as him if only I would be so dedicated as to start at the office at 7am and leave at 9pm, just like he does. During these many speeches I am thinking “But who’s looking after your kids, cooking your meals and doing your housework?” Of course I haven’t mentioned Miss 5’s sick days or school holiday times. It is usually a given that it will be me to cancel or juggle appointments as required.
I may have achieved a record sale that afternoon or overcome a major business hurdle but when I get home my husband looks at me like I’ve failed because I forgot to get the milk for his morning cereal. Oh well soldier on, get out the longlife milk stored for such emergencies, and add MILK to the TO DO LIST tomorrow!
It’s lucky us girls have “A Passion For Property”
Denise x
R & R Rural and Residential Property
