“My kids come to the office with me pretty often. How about when my daughter used to answer the phone! She was three years old and could actually do a pretty good job of saying ‘Mr. Rogers’ office’. They regularly walk into my office when I’m meeting with clients — for some reason they thing that’s the perfect time to cuddle in daddy’s lap.”
—Timothy Rogers,
Timothy Rogers Law Firm.
“Funny you would ask about stories from pregnant days. I worked up until the day before baby Vance was born, which was Thanksgiving Day. I think I did it out of fearing I’d get bored if I didn’t keep busy, or I might think too much about the impending change in our lives. I had a blast. I felt great and did well. My only problem was that my typically skinny ankles got so swollen it looked like my legs and feet connected without interruption. I remember that I couldn’t wear my shoes, so I went to Jacobson’s teen department. I bought two pairs of shoes, white and black. The white ones were Nike slip-ons for gym. I think they were comfortable because they were elastic around the top. The black ones were simple flats that were wider than my usual size. They made life easier. Everyone was very kind to me during my pregnancy. When my baby was born, Bill Eipper [who now works with Randy Crabtree], who was then one of my associates at Watson Realty, sent around a memo saying that the Berry baby was born on Nov. 27 with a sombrero on his head — a bow to my constant craving for Taco Bell. I found that the only difficulty with being a pregnant REALTOR was gracefully getting in and out of the car. Otherwise, my mind was clear and I enjoyed every day!”
—Clare Berry,
Berry & Co. Real Estate
“I had a real dog of a house that I couldn’t give away. This customer insisted that I meet them at 6:30 p.m. and I explained that I had to pick up my son before 6 p.m. from day care and that his father was out of town. They insisted that it was OK for me to bring him. He was only three at the time and very vocal. I knew that I was in for a humdinger of a showing. I no sooner got there, opened the door and the buyers were there. My son walks in and said in the loudest voice possible, ‘This place is a dump!’ Well, everyone laughed, then agreed and said that they would take it. Yea!”
—Teresa Mercurio,
Re/Max 100 Realty
“I can remember lying in a hospital bed after giving birth to my son. One of my clients came up to the hospital and had floor plans laid out all over my legs on the bed as we discussed changes to the plans and marketing the opening of the new model. Balancing motherhood and a career is a true art form that takes patience and courage.”
—Cynthia Montello,
The Montello Agency
“One time as I was writing a contract for one of our Jacksonville Jaguars when his pregnant wife began to wince. She did it several times. I stopped and asked her if she was going into labor. She smiled and said ‘Yes!’. I told them to go on and we would do the contract later. She said, ‘No way.’ She wanted to be sure she had her new house. So we finished. I hurried and she had a baby boy later that night.”
—Naomi Lumley,
Hines/Palencia
“I started real estate in 1987 and my daughter was six years old. I used to take her with me to walk neighborhoods and hand out flyers. I had a great response to that! People almost always opened their doors and talked with us. It was a great way to meet my neighbors and it certainly helped break the ice. In addition, I believe it helped my daughter learn how to meet people. She’s very outgoing today and is not afraid to be on stage, perform, etc.”
—Linda Pankake,
Re/Max on Park Avenue
“The only children in tow have been those of the client [s] and generally people are wise to keep a close hold on their children. Because, however, finding the ‘perfect’ house can be such an emotional endeavor, parents do get distracted and unfortunate mishaps can occur. Once while showing a home, the client’s very intelligent and grown up four-year-old decided to examine a ‘what not’ that had its own spot of honor on a living room side table. His hands were not quite as agile as his mind when he went to place it back on the table. The homeowners were not in the home at the time, so I phoned the listing agent after the showing to tell her what happened. When I followed up, she said the sellers completely understood and I was relieved. Even though we all advise the seller[s] to remove valuables or sentimental objects, most people really don’t realize [and can’t be expected to] what holds appeal for small children. The same child later explored in another home his parents were considering and found ‘adult’ toys in a guest room trundle bed drawer. After that, I didn’t have to ask his Mom to keep an eye on him anymore.”
—Terri Fitzgerald,
Prudential Network Realty