As we enter into April, I can't help but think of how the roller coaster of real estate and weather has leveled out and things just seem so much easier to understand. The approaching eclipse has no one freaking out and the kids all home on Spring Break this week are eager to put away their devices and clean their rooms.

APRIL FOOLS!!!!

I actually asked my son's biology teacher to call him this morning and tell him he had to come into school this week for SOL studying. I was so proud of myself. He was so mad :). What kind of mother would I be if I didn't totally prank these kids on April Fool's Day??

Not sure if you had a chance to read my social media post last week on the recent news of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Settlement agreement but I wanted to piggyback off of that and expound a bit. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Your perception is your reality?" I'm not sure if I just made that up or not, but I know for certain it is true.

You see, sometimes it’s fun to be on TV and in the news…like when I was in middle school and my travel soccer team won a big tournament and I made the local paper.  And then sometimes it’s NOT…like when major TV news programs are giving false information to the public about your profession and the world starts wondering if real estate agents will become a thing of the past. 

It’s been fascinating listening to all the tidbits and rumblings from clients, from other agents, from brokerages, and the public. Even listening to my own inner monologue. Some are "doom and gloom", and others are “business as usual.” Depending on the day I can shift between the two. Same information, same articles, same rumors, same truths, but two totally different perspectives and I believe the two different perspectives will have a direct influence on the outcome for those individuals, and myself.

Listen, I believe wholeheartedly in what my teammates and I do. I can promise you I would NOT be spending my days, weeks, and years doing this if I did not believe in the value of it. In fact, when I went into real estate, I went into it with a mission of debunking the theory that all real estate agents do are go to lunch and open doors. My goal on every transaction is to not just meet, but to exceed my client's expectation of the value I provide. 

Here’s what I know. I know that I don’t know. I don’t know what’s to come. I feel confident that I understand the changes being proposed in the most recent NAR Settlement Agreement, but I do not know how they will play out in one year or five years.  Yet, I know that if I find my happiness and live out of hope rather than fear before I know the impact of this Settlement on my career, then I am FAR MORE LIKELY to keep thriving in my career. I think this works as such because if I truly just believed that real estate agents would no longer be perceived as valuable in the next 1-5 years, well then, what’s the point? What’s the point of adding value now? What’s the point of setting goals for 2024? What’s the point of training my teammates and continuing to learn and grow to better serve our clients and continuing to grow my business.  When we enter a situation expecting the worst, then we are far LESS likely to get the best results because the effort to get there would be perceived as futile.

For YOU, what this means is if you're in the market now or planning to be in the foreseeable future, let's go get coffee. If the only thing you hear and know is, "Oh yay, this means I won't have to pay a buyer's agent anymore," then I would argue you probably do not understand the nature of the Settlement Agreement. I am NOT suggesting that you will or will not, but did you know that even before this Settlement, as a seller you were only required to pay a buyer's broker $1.00 (one dollar)? I'm going to assume you didn't because that is a big reason these lawsuits are happening now. Perception vs. Reality. I'd love nothing more than for you to have the facts and together we can make the best decision for YOU to maximize your home's potential in the current market conditions.

Believe there is good out there for you. Believe in the best possible outcome. Believe in the future of your business. Believe you will close the deal. Believe you will find the right relationship. Believe you will feel happy with your physical and emotional state. Believe your kids will be okay. Believe the news is going to be good news. Believe in the promotion.

Living in light of these things happening will facilitate the drive, motivation, and steps needed to actually make them happen and then your perception can BECOME your reality. And if it doesn't? Well, then that's when we adjust. But if we always live in the "it won't" then we will always wonder if "it could have." In the words of Ted Lasso, “I think it's the lack of hope that comes and gets you. See, I believe in hope. I believe in belief.”

In the meantime, read this article from the National Association of Realtors to help differentiate the truths from the myths and after you read it, call me and let's discuss!