Just like that. A decade in real estate! Time flies. Here are 10 lessons that have stuck with me along the way:
1. Trust is earned.
When I first started real estate, I was a baby-faced 22 year old kid. The only time I would get asked “how old are you?” or “how long have you been in the business?” was when I came unprepared or couldn’t answer a question. The lesson?
Trust is earned. Know your stuff, show up prepared and give people a reason to respect you.
2. People over properties.
95% of our biz is referrals. I learned quickly that relationships are worth far more than the short-term gain of slam-dunking a deal. Play the long game & go the extra mile.
3. “Just get into the market” is bad advice.
Can you afford it? Is it cheaper than renting? Will you actually like living there? Will there be a buyer when you resell? Speculating and investing are not the same.
4. Get good at moving on.
An inspection doesn’t go as planned. A deal falls apart in the 11th hour. Months of work go nowhere. It sucks. But so does sitting around feeling sorry for yourself.
Deal with it. Learn from it. And move on…FAST.
5. Everything you want has a price.
I’m still learning this one. More money, a new house, a bigger business… it all sounds great! But “more” has a cost: time, freedom, energy or stress.
Don’t just ask what you want. Ask what you’re willing to trade for it… a good tip for buyers!
6. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
DJ and I have a rule: “We don’t talk about a sale until the deal is done and the money is paid.”
Things go wrong. In an online world that is obsessed with posting wins, we’ve seen plenty of victory laps end with egg on someone’s face.
Work hard. Let the results do the talking.
7. Know your lane.
You can’t know everything and you definitely can’t do everything. I’ve learned there’s more value in saying “I don’t know, but I know who does” than pretending to have the answer or trying to figure everything out myself.
Know your strengths. Know your limits. Rely on good people.
8. Ask more.
Ask questions. People want to feel heard. Ask good questions and actually listen. You’ll form a connection and learn far more about what someone really wants than by telling them what you think they want to hear.
9. Say less.
One of the first things I learned negotiating real estate is that people talk too much. It’s wild. They over-explain, fill silence and sometimes negotiate against themselves. Information is powerful. The more you talk, the more you give away. Try it out.
10. Don’t chase someone else’s definition of success.
I’ve seen happy families in condos and unhappy people in million-dollar homes. I’ve also seen the opposite. Home is not just what you buy but how you fill it. If you can afford the bigger house and want it, heck yes! Go for it! Just don’t buy it because someone else’s life made yours feel small.
There you have it. A few key takeaways from the many lessons learned over the years. Thank you to everyone for making these 10 years so amazing!
– Jaxon Jurome
250-300-0375