 On Wednesday, I was invited to the McGuire offices in San Francisco to participate in their twice-yearly "Boot Camp," which is designed for new licensees and seasoned Realtors alike.
In a series of short seminars over the course of several days, Agents learn everything from best practices, to online marketing, to digitally transforming our CMAs (Comparative Market Analysis) into more current, visual presentations. (That's a smart idea.)
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 "Hey Julie," came the email from my System Paver's rep and new BFF, Beth Froelicher,"Would you like to be my guest at the Bay Area Renovation Awards on Wednesday evening? We have a good shot at winning!"
 I spent last Saturday in the garden working out my frustrations over a transaction that had NOT been going well, despite everyone's best efforts. My front beds, in particular, were too schizophrenic and consequently, what started as a small project quickly grew into a larger one as I began moving plants from one bed to another in order to create a calmer landscape. Some struggling shrubs were eliminated altogether (I can be brutal like that) while others were moved to more fitting locations in hopes that they'll do better in the weeks ahead.
 "Sign here, sign here, sign here and sign here," Sahid said as I initialed each paragraph in the leasing agreement at the Lexus car lot near the Oakland Coliseum. I should preface my story by saying that I hadn't necessarily intended to look at new cars except that the last time I took my Audi in for maintenance, it was no longer under warranty and the "fixes" were $7500, not a few hundred as I'd expected.
 As I sat listening to my chiropractor's pitch on Tuesday at my weekly BNI meeting (Business Networking International), mesmerized by the x-rays of misaligned - and then corrected - vertebra, presented by Dr. Carolyn Finnegan of Core Wellness Chiropractic, I couldn't help but think about how many of us in that room are in the "before and after" business.
 I often joke that Realtors are like therapists (except we practice without a license), which is my way of saying that there's a fair amount of difficult conversations, hand-holding and empathy that go along with this profession (there is), but after a conversation last Saturday with a past client who mentioned that she really appreciated how direct I'd been (brutally blunt sometimes), how organized our process (a little OCD goes a long way), and how we'd managed to keep both her and her husband moving forward without getting sidetracked (that's imperative), I'll need to augment my job description from here on out.
 I'm in a unique situation - I'm presenting a home for sale in Piedmont with limited showings, NO Sunday Opens, and offers next Wednesday. Even by Bay Area standards, that's fast!
Why the rush you ask? The answer is: It works better for the Sellers.  "Hey Julie, let's have you jump on this machine so we can measure your body fat, " Megan cheerfully suggested before our workout session last week.
What you talkin' 'bout Willis? First, I don't think the word, "body" and "fat" should be used in the same sentence. (I'm fluffy, I'm not fat.)  Remember the Grimm's fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel?" The one where the young children are led deep into the forest and can't find their way home? Overhearing their father and stepmother's nefarious plans (why is it always the stepmother?), Hansel very smartly leaves behind a trail of bread crumbs so he and his younger sister can find their way back.
Unfortunately, hungry birds eat the trail of crumbs and alas, Hansel and Gretel are lost in the woods until they come upon an enticing chocolate-shingled, candy house.  Happy Valentine's!
On Tuesday, I met with my weekly BNI lunch group (Business Networking International) and because Valentine's Day is dedicated to "love," most of the 30-second introductions went something like this: "I love my job because. . . ' So by the time my turn came to stand and finally identify myself, I played along and jumped in with "I'm Julie Gardner with McGuire Real Estate and I lovehomes and I love Buyers who love homes, who love ME showing them homes, who love the process of home ownership, who love me guiding them through that process, AND I love Sellers even more . . . |
AuthorJulie Gardner, referred to as, "the pulse of Piedmont," has been writing The Piedmont Perspective for 11 years. 
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McGuire Real Estate 2991 Oakland Avenue Berkeley, CA 94705 office: 510.883.7000 Cell: 510.326.0840 |
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