High gear

by Mark Broady on Friday, July 17, 2020
Episode 29

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a week off to spend with my wife and kids at a cottage on a lake.
 
 I wrote about it in Episode 26: "The Staycation". The part I didn't write about was the fact that while I was away, the rest of my team covered for me and looked after all my business while I was catching trophy-sized fish and jumping in the lake everyday.

It's a good thing I got to enjoy that week off, because this week... it's been my turn to cover for Catherine.
 
She's enjoying the week off at a different cottage that Libby rents every summer up at Bark Lake near the town of Arundel. She's there with her husband Nick, her son Harrison, Libby of course, and my wife and three kids are up there as well. I'm missing all the fun!

But the real estate business doesn't stop for anyone, so somebody needs to be here to hold down the fort.
 
Fortunately I'm not alone. I still have Desiree here to help cover most of our buyer clients, and our team coordinator Sherry has been an absolute lifesaver. If it weren't for Sherry, I'd probably have missed three client appointments by now and failed to prepare any of my listing presentations on time. But luckily she's been there to send me constant reminders, and to help keep the overwhelming amount of paperwork in order.

When things get this busy, I tend to get a little messy. I have countless files and contracts strewn across my desk and all over the conference room table. I've got receipts that need filing, promotional flyers that need mailing, market reports that need finishing, and I can't forget to wear my mask anytime I visit a home or meet with a client. 
 
Sherry and I must be working on at least two dozen different files right now. Each file represents a client who's in the process of either buying or selling a home, and in some cases doing both at the same time. We simply can't afford to drop the ball on any of them, because the stakes are far too high. Could you imagine losing out on your dream home because your realtor got too busy and forgot about you?  We can't. So we take every measure to ensure that each client is receiving the same level of service regardless of who's here and who's away. It's a delicate balancing act sometimes, but one that we've learned to master.
 
Catherine and I have been working very hard over the past several months to secure a new housing development in Pointe-Claire. We finally signed the contracts with Mondev for their Walton Project, and launched the new listings yesterday! There are TWELVE new houses going up on the corner of Hastings and Walton. These are going to be gorgeous 4 bedroom homes that will be available for occupancy in July 2021. 

Sherry helped us draft all twelve listing contracts and prepare all twelve listing files in record time. We'll be sending out a special newsletter with more details about this project next week. Needless to say, it's kept us very busy, and we're very excited for the launch.

As we near the end of the week, I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. I've been working 14 hour days, going non-stop since Monday, and tomorrow's going to be another action-packed day. I think my hair is starting to turn grey. In this business, sometimes things are calm and laid back... and other times it's like riding a rollercoaster at LaRonde. You've just got to shift into high gear, buckle your seatbelt, and hang on for the ride. Wish me luck!

 

Signing off...

 

Capt'n Mark