I thought it would be fun to put together a wish list to give to Santa for real estate agents. Some of us have been naughty and some have been nice. I have been both this year, but not at the same time.
Either way, it’s always alright to make a list for Santa.
There are fewer Realtors in 2012 than there were in 2011. Most of us did not get rich this year, but it was a better year than 2011 for housing markets in most of the country. We saw fewer foreclosure and lower unemployment rates, and that makes it just a little easier to be joyous this holiday season.
What we do every day is work, and working on a 100 percent commission basis isn’t for wimps or whiners. There are no paid holidays and health insurance is so expensive that a person can get sick just thinking about all the things that money could buy. We take risks and face hazards on the job — some of us even die.
Don’t get me wrong — I love what I do. Most days it is worth it, and most anything that is worth doing isn’t easy.
My Christmas wish list for real estate agents everywhere
Here’s wishing that:
- All of your listings appraise.
- All of your sales close.
- All of your phone calls, emails and text messages to other agents are returned promptly and courteously.
- Your sellers are not fond of cooking liver and onions before your open house.
- You always choose the proper footwear for showing unheated houses in below freezing weather.
- Your broker makes sure that you get your commission checks as quickly as possible, and that they are always accurate.
- We’re all able to find each and every one of our receipts at tax time, and may all of our 1099s be accurate and arrive on time.
- All of the real estate agents we deal with in 2013 say "please" and "thank you."
- We get through at least one holiday party or family celebration without having to respond to a real estate emergency.
- The batteries for our various electronic devices last as long and work as hard as we do.
- We always have enough bars to make phone calls and use our smart phones.
- The banks approve our short sales before they foreclose on our clients’ loans.
- None of our friends or family chooses another agent.
- Representatives of the National Association of Realtors treat all dues paying members with respect — even those who have not been appointed to committees.
- Property valuation sites show values that are higher than the price we put on our listings.
- Companies that offer products and services to real estate agents stop calling us on our cell phones while we are on the freeway.
- Office meetings be interesting — or at least have good coffee and pastry.
- All of our buyers be preapproved, and their loans receive prompt final underwriting approval.
- We don’t fall off the fiscal cliff and our elected representative start getting some work done.
- The world doesn’t end on Dec. 21, and that 2013 is a great year to be a real estate agent.
As always, I wish for too much, but will settle for peace on earth.
We all know there is no greater gift than our family and friends, especially if those families are perfect.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
