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Having faith makes it possible to work in this demanding and challenging career without breaking. Trust in the Lord and listen to Him; He will guide your career if you let Him. His hand has guided me and protected me for many years.
My architecture degree from the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning combined with experience working for the university’s Architecture and Engineering Department for 8 years and designing home additions provide a unique perspective on construction, homes, and the real estate market.
My entry into the real estate industry was later in life and atypical. After 15 wonderful years homeschooling my four kids, I re-entered the paid workforce in 2011, shortly after the housing market had crashed and while the economy was in recession. Nobody was building anything, so nobody was designing anything. Re-investing in an architecture career didn’t seem prudent, so I looked for other options that would involve my love of houses and my love of people. For as long as I can remember I have loved houses, even as a little girl building, electrifying, and furnishing my own dollhouse. After two years working in an unrelated department at UM, in 2013 I hired in as Executive Assistant to one of the top real estate agents in Ann Arbor. Learning beside him was a huge benefit for my career. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a year later and did not survive. During his 18-month illness, my learning curve was almost vertical, as I did my job and as much of his as I could, at times literally running through the office to save time handling so many tasks.
This provided tremendous opportunity to learn new facets of the business, communicate with other top agents in town, and have them get to know me, particularly as he became more ill and needed me to cover calls for him. When he passed away, I went from having a paycheck one day, to being 100% commission-based as a single-income household the next. I had no choice but to work hard. I have worked diligently in many areas throughout my life, but never harder than I’ve worked as a real estate agent.
Aside from tenacity, part of my success has come from being teachable and also listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He wants to help us in our careers, as in every area of life, and it’s our job to say, “Yes.” It’s also important to remain humble enough to ask for advice when needed, even from colleagues. Beyond my initial real estate licensing, I studied the 90-hour Graduate REALTOR® Institute course and passed the State of Michigan Broker's Licensing Exam. Being a lifelong learner and increasing my credentials serves my clients and keeps my career interesting.
