Without Further Ado . . .

​For perhaps only the second or third time in more than a decade of writing The Perspective, I've literally had NO time this week to come up with a clever vignette, let alone write. So here I sit, deep into the night, pulling together a last-minute attempt. In fact, I'll probably plagiarize myself. (That's allowed, right?)

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I've got a good excuse; the kind all Realtors wish they had, which is that I put three houses into contract during the last ten days (two Sellers and one Buyer), staged a garden for an upcoming listing (previewing on Thursday, see below), sent a listing agreement to an overseas Seller, and maintained the homes we are currently representing with frequent visits for watering, sweeping and whatever else needs doing. (Yes, we do that.)

On my desk, sit four new listing presentations, scheduled for next week, which involve a marketing plan, calendars, sample brochures and postcards, and detailed letters outlining the costs to sell, along with a market analysis. Jill and I also met with photographers, spent a morning at the nursery, delivered a tree to a friend, created new marketing copy for our upcoming listings, went on Brokers' Tour, visited the San Francisco Show House, and met with stagers, window washers, inspectors and the assorted group of talented vendors that contribute to every successful sale along the way. AND that's just the tip of the iceberg! 

To top it off, I've had crews of workmen at my house all week, installing air conditioning (yes, I've finally succumbed now that global warming has made its way to the Bay Area), and my unbelievably gifted handyman, Luis, not only identified the source of the leak in my mother-in-law's apartment down below, but sent his crew over to correct the pitch and to rebuild an entire section of my deck that had been torn off. (It looks great BTW. You'd never know. )

Today, Jill and I are flying to Los Angeles to see Jill's youngest daughter, Jessie, graduate from LMU. (Woo-hoo!) Is it okay to say that I'm looking forward to a weekend away; that I could use some time off? (Just a brief respite will do.)

So with deep gratitude for an abundant workload (and for Jill, who sweats the details), here are the top 10 reasons, as presented to the kids at Piedmont High during Career Day, why, in spite of sleepless nights, I still love what I do!

1. My day is never the same day twice.
2. My clients are endlessly fascinating and unique, as is each transaction.
3. I create my own marketing and narrative.
4. Selling homes is an incredibly creative and satisfying undertaking.
5. Helping Buyers and Sellers achieve their goals makes me a "dream catcher."
6. I set my own hours. (Admittedly, they are long.)
7. I am my own boss. (That reminds me, I should put in for more vacation time.)
8. I choose whom to work with (and whom not to).
9. My pay is commiserate with my productivity.
10. I get better at my craft with each passing year, which in turn, brings my clients greater value. (There's great satisfaction in helping others.)

​So without further ado (because I've still got to pack . . .)
how can I help you?