Selling Homer

It's been a full month since Alaska gave me the privilege to help people buy and sell houses. One month in and I'm really enjoying this.

One of my most favourite things about this job is getting to meet other Alaskans outside of my circle. There are some quietly fascinating people in this town and it's exciting to me to get to meet them. Like the home builder who's constructing gorgeous Alaskan homes that are heated with unique passive solar systemw that will save home buyers many thousands of dollars in heating costs. It's smart for the planet, it's smart for the homeowner and it's savvy of the builder. As a Real Estate Agent with an interest in alternative energy, this is great stuff!

I have a deep admiration for people who take the road less traveled. I can say that my life really began when I stepped off the beaten path. Working in Real Estate in Homer, I now meet people every week who have either left the path long ago or are taking their first tentative steps in a new direction. I mentally high five a lot of people who come and go from this office.

Being in this business is not all sunshine and roses. Even a month in, I can see where it can get tough. There are a lot of things you need to know as a licensed Realtor and I find myself often misquoting Donald Rumsfeld when I tell the broker I'm working with, "I don't know what I don't know. Educate me, please." The learning curve is steep and there are a great many pitfalls but the more I work through them, the more I see what value a great Realtor can bring.

Being an RCMP brat does really help. I've watched many a Realtor in action in my life and I've heard many often hilarious stories of what not to do. Families go through a lot to relocate to a new city or town, especially in Alaska. Understanding where they're coming from helps.

Lucky for me, I get to work with a couple of exceptional people who are generous with their time and knowledge and really good at what they do. I'm a lucky person, I'll say that for sure.

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