Do you have any heartwarming stories of lasting relationships you’ve developed while practicing real estate? How did they start and do you still keep in touch?
“The holidays are often difficult for military families. I had a young Navy couple who were coming back to the states after being overseas. They house hunted the week before Thanksgiving and were flying back on Thanksgiving Day. I put the turkey in the oven and met them at the airport to take their application and sign paperwork. They were due to close on Dec. 23. As it turned out, there was a delay on closing and they had no family or a place for the kids for Christmas Eve so they spent it with our family and the builder actually let them move in on Christmas Day. What a fun time we had helping them move! The Realtor provided them with a full Christmas dinner and Santa was there for the kids. They are great friends of ours and we stay in touch, especially at Christmas.”
—Carolyn A. McMoran, National City Mortgage, a division of National City Bank
“I received a call from a prospective buyer from Miami as a result of my advertisement in one of the publications. This was over six years ago. I took this lady out and showed her property and eventually she went under contract in a brand new complex that was yet to be built. She was thrilled. Time went by and by. The complex was not to be built, ever. She had sold her house and rented in Palm Coast until her unit was complete. Two years later, she believed me when I said, ‘It’s not going to happen’. All the while, she was here without any friends and feared getting somewhat of a social life as her husband had his own interests. I’m quite a homebody, but I felt I needed to introduce her to people I knew. Not only did I get out, but she found her niche with many of the people I love, but don’t see much. As a result, she is to this day, one of my closest friends and I get to see the other Realtors and friends I would normally not see. She has enriched my life more than she’ll ever know.”
—Carol C. Tunis, Premier Properties Realty Group, Inc.
“It was July 1998 and through my Realtor cold calling efforts I came across a Realtor in Atlanta, Joan Gray. (By the way, Atlanta is where my mortgage banking career started in 1997.) Joan was a top producer with Re/Max Greater Atlanta and she represented the seller as a listing agent on a property that my customer was purchasing. I kept Joan in the loop during the loan process and finally met her at the closing. A week later, Joan and I met at a Starbucks to discuss future business. It was a hot, muggy morning in August and I remember I had my banker’s best suit and tie on with the hopes of making a professional appearance and earning her future business. I recall Joan had a bag of fresh tomatoes that she plucked from her garden for me. I remember not only was I profusely perspiring in my pinstripes, but also watering at the mouth with the thought of those tomatoes. Needless to say, Joan and I developed a relationship that day and she helped foster my career as a mortgage banker. That was almost 10 years ago and to this day, even though we are in different markets, we fondly stay in touch. I believe that it was her endorsement of me in the Atlanta market that enabled me to succeed. Since then, Joan has beaten cancer twice and remains in corporate training with Re/Max. Joan is a special woman to me and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to meet her. She is a lifelong friend who I will always love.”
—Mark E. Carlson, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
“I have a couple of short stories. First, I had a couple come in two years ago and they were actually visiting the Home and Garden Television home in Georgia. So they came by just to see what homes in this area are like. They are from Sharon, Mass. I showed them homes from Yulee to the beaches but they ended up having a home built in my subdivision and we always get together when they come down here to get warm. This is a retirement home for them and they are thrilled. The second story is of a customer from West Virginia. I showed him homes in the area and he liked it so much that he had his mom come and look in this area. I sold them each a home and have resold his mom’s home. We talk to each other often and I even took care of their very old dog while they were moving.”
—Judi Seay, Century 21 John T. Ferreira & Son.
“About six years ago, I had a floor call from a customer who told me that she ‘hated Realtors.’ I asked her to please just give me a chance to disprove her feelings. I found her a home that worked perfectly for her and her family. Fast forward six years and my customer who hated Realtors, Cathy Hart, is now my very good friend and my very good assistant who is going to get her real estate license.”
—Debby Duenow, Watson Realty Corp., REALTORS
“Yes, I do have several stories but this story is the best of all. This happened about eight years ago, and since we do caravans here in Orange Park, we get to network with other Realtors from other companies. One day, one of the Realtors called me and asked me if I spoke Spanish because he just met a wonderful couple and she had to communicate with them through her 10-year-old daughter who spoke English. She felt she wouldn’t give them the service they would deserve because she could not communicate with them very well and she thought about me and asked me if I would take the referral. My answer was ‘Yes, I would.’ So I called her clients and came out to find out that these wonderful people were from my hometown, Lima, Peru, and they were so thrilled to find out that I was there and that we could speak our own language. Since then, I became very good friends and we still see each other. The children are all grown and we always share our good memories since we first met. Now, I am helping her daughters to look for a home, since they just got married, and every time she knows of someone looking for a home to buy or sell, she always thinks about me. I am very thankful to this Realtor that referred me this couple not only because she gave me the business but because I have created a very warm and close relationship with this family. If this Realtor is reading this story she will know who I am talking about. Thank you, Kathy!”
—Zully Hidalgo, Vanguard Realty/GMAC.
“I enjoyed so many of the clients I have worked with that I wanted to continue to have a relationship to build friendships on. Five years ago I started a girls night out once a month for those clients who relocated to Jacksonville and were interested in meeting people that were in the same situation. I also invited everyone I closed with that year and we have a great core group of all age groups and price range homes. Many have been in the group since the beginning and we have added new people as I invited new clients. As lives get busy some have had to drop out.
“We meet at area restaurants monthly and I get a chance to call everyone and remind them of our outing on the third Tuesday of each month. The only thing these women have in common is that I sold them all homes and it is heart warming to see how they have bonded and care about each other. I look forward to hugging them all every month and it is so great to have so many friendships to share.
—Julie Thompson, Vanguard Realty GMAC
“I am an affiliate but have enjoyed close, personal relationships with many Realtors with whom I’ve worked over the years. You have business lunches with them, successfully meet their real estate needs, attend meetings with them and soon we’re sharing ‘war stories’ and family matters and having lunch with them as friends. They are no longer casual business acquaintances but friends with whom we laugh and cry.”
—Carolyn Minor, Homes and Land-Northeast Florida
“In May of 1998 before I actually got my real estate license, I worked for Chuck Hall at Referral Network Realty as a real estate assistant. One late Monday afternoon, one of our Realtors asked me if I could stay late to meet with a customer who needed to sign some disclosure documents.
Reluctantly I agreed. At around 5:30 p.m. our customer strolls in and I hurriedly explained the documents we needed his signature on. He sat for what seemed like an eternity reading and re-reading the documents and then asked several questions about the Notice of Non-Representation. I remember thinking ‘This guy is not that bright if he can’t understand this concept!’
Long story short, we went on our first date that same June. We were engaged on the 4th of July and now, eight years later we are happily married and live in the very house that brought my husband into the realty office in the first place. Now that we’re married I realize what a genius he really is!”
—Carrie Barker-Tutt, Watermark Realty Referral Services