I didn’t set out to become a Realtor. In fact, if you’d told me years ago that I’d end up in real estate, I would’ve laughed you out of the room. But life, as it often does, had other plans.
After moving to the East Coast for a nonprofit job, I thought I’d found my career groove. That was until my boss—who made Attila the Hun look like Mother Teresa—fired me. And not just fired me, but waited until the end of the day to do it, right after I’d come back from vacation. I was stunned, blindsided, and furious at the audacity.
Still, I wasn’t worried. I’d never had trouble finding a job before. But weeks turned into months, and my confidence evaporated with every ignored application. Bills, on the other hand, didn’t ignore me. Finally, my honey bunch at the time suggested I try real estate. I scoffed. Me? A salesperson? Absolutely not. But desperation is a persuasive little devil.
I signed up for a grueling one-week real estate course, passed the exam, and decided to give it a go “until a real job came along.” Little did I know, real estate was about to teach me some serious lessons in humility—and self-discovery.
On my first day, I was on desk duty, a rite of passage for newbies. A man walked in and announced that he wanted to buy a house he’d seen. Buy. A. House. On my first day! I couldn’t believe it. I led him to a conference room, offered him coffee, and then promptly ran out of the room to have a full-blown meltdown.
I called my mentor, who informed me he couldn’t come to the office until 3 p.m. and told me to stall. But here’s the thing: I was so new and so scared that when I returned to the conference room, I just blurted out the truth. I admitted that I was brand new, had no idea what I was doing, and that my mentor wouldn’t be available until later. I expected him to roll his eyes, walk out, and tell everyone never to trust a rookie Realtor.
Instead, he surprised me. He took my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, “I’ll be back at 3 p.m.” And he was.
It wasn’t smooth sailing from there—I didn’t even know how to access a lockbox or set up a showing—but with my mentor’s help, I managed to write up that offer. When the deal closed, and I saw my paycheck, I knew I’d found something special.
Here’s the kicker: that man—my very first client—is still my client 23 years later. Through the ups and downs of life, markets, and everything in between, he’s been a constant reminder of how I got my start.
In real estate, I discovered more than just a career. I found freedom, connection, and a path I never saw coming. And that’s how, almost by accident, I became a Realtor—and fell in love with the job I never knew I needed.