A day in the life of the Brandow Group- Remax Hamilton Agents
It has been an incredibly busy year all around, strangely enough, despite quarantine and shut-downs. Part of the busy-ness for a lot of people involved redesigning work spaces and schedules, and figuring out how to be productive from home as busy successful Remax Hamilton Agents…
How have Remax Hamilton agents adapted to COVID 19 Pandemic Procedures?
Realtors have always been mobile – we work from home and from rolling offices, and even coffee shops a lot of the time. For us, that has stayed the same, for the most part. Maybe we spend less time in the coffee shops now. Drive-throughs have been a bit of a lifesaver, though!
One noticeable change to our routine in 2020 is an increased focus on cleanliness and safety. We also spend more time scheduling and conducting showings to avoid crowded spaces these days.
Use of online tools has become crucial, and almost everything can be done virtually now, including showings. There has definitely been at least a bit of a learning curve for some on that front. The current situation has really just pushed realtors to do what we all could have/should have been doing already. Electronic signatures make paperwork less cumbersome for everyone, and clients are sure to get a copy of what they sign instantly. High quality photography, 3D tours, video and virtual showings – all these are excellent for helping buyers to select only the most interesting properties. They are a time saver, especially for out-of-town clients. And sellers can be sure that they are not only getting the best exposure, but that they are attracting the most interested potential buyers. It’s a little more work up front to prepare listings with more images and media, but so worthwhile! We are glad to say that we have been doing most of this for a long time, with the possible exception of virtual tours – but we have added those to our menu of options in 2020.
With the market on fire, and buyers and sellers needing to manage their own incredibly busy lives, we thought we would give you a glimpse into the schedule of a Remax Hamilton agent. We are, above all, a service based business, so it’s important to us that our friends and clients know what we do to ensure that we are providing the best service.
At The Brandow Group – There is No Typical Day as a Real Estate Professional
All three of us agree that the best part of our job is the variety. We all appreciate that every day brings a new challenge and that we get to experience different aspects of the industry with our clients regularly.
Sometimes the days fly by and we feel like we haven’t put a dent in our to-do lists, no matter how many hours we have put in!
Since so much goes on behind the scenes, we thought we would give you a glimpse of the type of things that keep us busy every day.
Barb
Barb has been at this real estate thing for over 30 years. In 2017, she decided to “step back” and work part-time, which would have been a well-deserved semi-retirement. The problem is that real estate is ‘in her blood,’ as the saying goes. Although she has managed to take some time to enjoy sailing and spending days with her husband, Chris, she can’t help but be involved with her treasured past clients when they call. She never says no to a referral, either.
This past season – as weird as it has been for everyone – has kept Barb on her toes. She has managed to take care of her clients, all the while weaving in some personal tasks. When asked to describe a recent “busy week,” this is what Barb said:
“How about the week that started the day I did a CMA [Comparative Market Analysis] in the morning, then set up a search for [a client] to show homes to that evening. In between all that, Chris and I moved some furniture for his [90-something-year-old] mother.
The next day, I was up at 5:00 a.m. to head up north to show houses to [daughter and son-in-law], three hours away. Got home at 10:30 that night, and was back up and at it the next day, showing [a client] lots of homes – one of them twice that day!
Then, back up north for two more days. I researched comparable sales and prepared an offer to compete against seven others. We got it! I came home satisfied and ready to get back to showing houses to my client. There was even time to get my hair done that day.
Friday, I wanted to be with my sister at her cancer check up, then worked on an offer for the client from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30. We got that one, too, and slept soundly that night for sure.
That weekend, we delivered boxes (and celebratory wine!) to the client who got her offer accepted. After that, it was time to get ready for a listing that was coming up the next week. “
For Barb, research, showings, negotiations, and long road trips are energizing. She is well-known for her enthusiasm and for putting in the time to get the work done and finished.
Tyson
Tyson describes what he enjoys about his job this way:
“I enjoy helping people through the exciting, yet challenging process of buying and selling. Sharing knowledge and helping people to make sound decisions is very satisfying. I want to build relationships that last longer than the transaction.”
Responding to a question about the type of tasks that take up his time, Tyson commented that, like most business owners, realtors often ‘wear many hats.’
He described his schedule this way:
“Ideally, my day starts around 6:00 a.m., and is divided into two parts: Appointments with myself in the morning, and appointments with clients & others in the afternoon and evening.
Early morning is quiet, and that allows me to get my day figured out. It’s when I HAVE COFFEE (or 2), create content, study the market, etc.
Around 9:00 am is when I start following up with current and future clients. Real estate offices are open, and I book showings for the day. Most of my clients work 9-5 p.m., so showings often start around that time.
Early morning is the time to do CMA’s (Comparable market analysis) for my seller appointments. Most sellers also work during the day, so we typically schedule appointments for the evening. Each seller appointment takes hours of thorough research beforehand. We never show up without being fully prepared to share valuable insights with our clients.
If I don’t wake up early in the morning, the day gets away from me and I never seem to catch up.
Things can get crazy when I have multiple buyer clients wanting to see homes on the same day (and some last minute.)
In this fast-paced market, buyers (and I) need to get in quickly when a new hot property hits the market. If they like it, I research recent sales and determine the home’s value. Right now, with most homes being sold in competition, we need to make our offers as enticing as possible to sellers. This might include doing a pre-inspection before the offer date and having our mortgage broker arrange financing, all with the goal of offering without conditions.
Thankfully, Docusign allows us to get all the paperwork signed electronically. This has proven to be a huge timesaver for us and for our clients.
On offer presentation dates, it can be a long night with much back and forth before we have an accepted offer. I cannot count the number of times I’ve worked till 9, 10, or 11:00 p.m. putting a deal together.
While our buyer clients are making offers, a busy day often includes meeting with homeowners to help them prepare their home for the market. This includes staging consultations, price evaluations, paperwork, etc.
After our clients have signed paperwork, we are at the home during pre-inspections, home staging, and the appointments for photos, video, and Matterport tours to be completed.
It’s easy for a busy Realtor to work from 6am – midnight, juggling different tasks and meeting with different clients.
After a long day, we get a few minutes to sit, have a glass of wine and unwind. The next day is just as busy, but with new people and new adventures. Although our days can be long and hectic, working with great people makes it worth the grind.”
Tyson works in the business as much as on it. He handles all the technical issues, website functionality, social media accounts, and creation of working systems for our personal admin staff. But he also chooses to remain very hands-on with his clients, putting in the long hours to find answers to their questions and solutions to the problems they encounter.
Tanya
Tanya keeps busy while working to maintain a work-life balance, just like most folks. Still, she prides herself on being available whenever her clients need her, no matter what time or day it is.
“This year has been surprisingly fast-moving and upbeat, despite all that has happened in the world around us. A few really happy transactions stand out: I had the pleasure of helping a family move up from their first home straight into their Burlington dream home. I worked with another sweet young family to relocate from Hamilton to the other side of the country. It was also my privilege to sell a home for a real super-woman of a client – she had built the place herself 30 years ago, and this year was able to cash out and take an early retirement.
I think the experience that defines 2020, though, was when some loyal, repeat clients called to say they wanted to move back to Hamilton after a couple of years away. They came to see properties in person, and lost out in competition on a place they liked. Traveling in to view new listings was tough, since they were both still working full-time. When a couple of potential places came up, they decided to go with virtual showings – and they put in a firm offer without ever having seen the place in person. I’m glad to report that, when they did see it, they loved the house!
Another property that we listed was a lovely cottage on the shores of Lake Erie. I worked with this awesome couple to get the place a few years ago, and this year they decided they were ready to sell. We quickly learned that, since travel has been restricted, the demand for lakefront summer homes is off the charts. This worked out for me, since I got to spend a good part of my summer by the Lake – all while “working.” I make sure to stop and enjoy the scenery and the sound of the waves for a few minutes every time we go. You could say that it’s a perk of not being trapped in an office from 9-5.
No matter who my buyers and sellers are, I feel a responsibility to do as much research into the properties involved as I can. When it comes to the lakeside buyers, there are issues that can become very expensive – like break walls – that they need to know about. I know that estimates for this type of maintenance at the shoreline can cause sticker shock and real financial pain, so I always try to have a contractor available to provide estimates before putting in an offer. Legal issues, too – rights-of-way, easements, encroachments, and strange instruments on title sometimes mean a little extra digging to ensure that we know exactly what rights they will be buying or selling.
I think I have talked buyers out of as many properties as I have written offers for. After doing the due diligence, I always point out the negatives of a property as I see them so that there are no surprises.
When we aren’t physically at showings or listings, there is lots of other work to keep the ship afloat. Tyson is right when he says we wear multiple hats. Writing content takes a fair bit of time. Researching the comparables for our clients can take hours. Calls to municipal offices, contractors, lawyers, and other professionals are a necessary part of many transactions, too.
Even studying the market could be a full-time job. Working with Remax Hamilton – particularly Remax Escarpment – we are reminded regularly how important it is for us to know the numbers. Clients need us to have our fingers on the pulse of the market, and it changes so fast that I sometimes struggle to keep up!
I’m grateful for our clients who put their trust in all of us to take care of them and help them navigate the crazy world of real estate. It can be a wild ride, but there’s nothing I’d rather be doing!”
In Conclusion
Working in the Real Estate industry brings joys and challenges, especially in our rapidly changing world. We can, however, say one thing with certainty: We, at the Brandow Group, love helping people through one of the largest milestones in their life. We appreciate all our clients, past and present, who trust us with their transactions, and who reach out with questions any time in between.
Our goal every day is to make buying and selling as easy as 1,2,3. We’d love to help you too! Call us today to get started 😊
