I like to tell people that not only was I born into real estate, but I was born into RE/MAX.
Although technically my mother didn't become a real estate agent until I was 6, all of the years I can really remember were spent with RE/MAX as a huge part of my life. I grew up in a town of 3500 people- Didsbury, AB- which is pretty much halfway between Red Deer and Calgary. My mom got into real estate in order to support me when she became a single mom. She quickly became one of the top RE/MAX Realtors in Canada and just as quickly I became a real estate assistant of sorts. I folded flyers for a cent a piece. I answered the phone on evenings and weekends and for every message I delivered to my mom, I got a quarter. I helped my mom measure houses and "got to" tag along on many appointments when I was grounded. My mom worked so hard and so diligently for her "people". When it seemed like there was no solution, she always came up with something. Many people saw her as a "superhero". I have some big shoes to fill and I am always striving to reach that ultimate level.
I didn't imagine that I was going to be a realtor. I love learning and take great pride in calling myself a life long learner. I have education in Early Childhood Development, Business, Education, Fitness Theory, Management, and Psychology... and now Real Estate, of course. The hobbies and topics I have enjoyed learning are extensive, but I especially have a love of photography, languages, music, math, and science. My past careers have included owning and teaching in an early literacy preschool, owning and managing a book store, and being a social media manager. What I didn't realize was how much doing all of these things would prepare me for that future real estate career, but wow has it ever! There is not ever a real estate deal that is the same old thing you've seen before time and time again. Every deal has so many factors, different situations, new people involved, and every single one has something new pop up that you haven't seen before. Good Realtors have to expect the unexpected, think outside the box, be flexible, be willing to go above and beyond, and work long and weird hours. It can also be very emotional and very stressful- it's a big responsibility to be taking care of the largest purchase a person will make in their life, and sometimes, depending on one's situation, you are not just taking care of a large financial asset, but because of how personally invested people often are in their homes (whether buying or selling), a home is often a large asset of the heart as well, as corny as that may sound. I don't feel like I could do this job as well without all that life experience behind me, nor could I completely understand the value of how challenging, and rewarding, this career actually is.
