February 2023

Given February is a month in which we celebrate Valentine’s Day, my thoughts move to relationships. 

From the time I was a child, relationships have always been important to me. I was a shy loner who below the surface wanted to be the opposite. Connecting with others was something I had to figure out. Some kids daydream about their future as a fireman or astronaut. At 9 or 10, I may have spent some daydream reserves imagining what it’d be like to have a girlfriend or wife, to be surrounded by friends and family. Why I eventually decided to purposely wait till I was in my mid-thirties to get married was based on my “logical” thinking, and that turned out not to work so well, lol.

But it was my lifelong desire to make connections that led me to becoming a Realtor – I see that. Selling real estate is all about establishing relationships, not a product “numbers game”. A home is an emotional investment, not based on future dollars returned, though there’s certainly an aspect of that in the buying decision.

I connect less with people who consider home just a place to sleep and park their belongings. I think a home is a reflection of who a person is, and finding that out is part of the challenge and fun. 

When I consider what we look for in an ideal client relationship, it’s easy to draw comparisons to what we look for in a significant other. Instead of forcing issues and trying to piece together puzzles that don’t fit, we prefer to let opportunities develop, in their own time, in their own way. One of the reasons relationships are so valuable is because they can be an incredible source of stillness. “The market will speak.” “We’ve done what we can…it’ll happen when it happens.” Folks wonder how it is we’re able to remain calm and patient when we go to bat a dozen times for a buyer and lose to competition before securing the perfect home on the thirteenth try; or when working with a listing that doesn’t sell within a week (When I started my career, 6 month listings were the norm, not the 90 days they are, now.).

Relationships are also something you draw energy from. When it works, it works, and Natalie, Mo and those of you reading this know what I’m talking about. Relationships are a place to check thoughts against, to check frustrations against. To get another’s perspective of yourself and how things are going. It’s a lot of work. It will be painful and tough at times. Doesn’t that sound like a marriage?

In recent weeks I’ve been blessed to connect and work with clients I’ve had relationships with for 25, 30+ years. Young couples I met without children who now not only have grown children, but even grandchildren. We’ve been honored to work on multiple transactions with a number of our oldest, dearest clients, and it warms the heart each time we reconnect. Trust has been earned.

I decided long ago that with the limits of time in this life, it’s important to establish relationships with those who will add to our lives in the most positive ways. Some advice I’ve read: “Choose someone whose way of life as well as words, and whose very face as mirroring the character that lies behind it, have won your approval. Be always pointing him/her out to yourself either as your guardian or as your model. There is a need, in my view, for someone as a standard against which our characters can measure themselves. Without a ruler to do it against you won’t make crooked straight.”  Do I take this advice and apply it to each potential relationship, working or personal? I Do.

Till next month, stay safe and healthy, 

Derek & Natalie, Mo, and Arwin

Multi-family still has solid activity. The traditional office sector will be tough. The economy has been remarkably resilient, but as the Fed raises rates, completed real estate projects may see large construction job losses as new building pauses. (CNBC)

* The more someone gets to know you, the more they will trust you and believe in your talents and skills. This leads to better opportunities, speedier decision-making, and higher margins. So invest time and resources into making and maintaining the right connections.  (CNBC)