Real Life real Estate

My first mentor at the brokerage where I started out was David Earl Roloff; a great big bear of a man with a booming laugh and a platitude for pretty much every occasion. 

When our group of trainees graduated from Dave’s Real Estate Boot Camp, to thank him we pitched in for a customized T-Shirt, Size XXL, with a top 10 list of “Dave-isms” that had been handed down during the prior 16 weeks of his showing us the ropes. And at the top of that list was Dave’s recurring mantra, “Real Life Real Estate”.

As with many things that have stuck with me in life, when I first heard him utter the phrase, I dismissed it as a bit jingoistic and cliched, but looking back on over 3 decades of investing, counseling, and representing others in a broad range of real estate endeavors, its relevance has sunk in more with each passing year.

After all, a real estate transaction is generally tied to a significant theme or event for the parties involved. Whether it’s a place where they will live out their day-to-day experiences or it’s an investment to build their prosperity, there are often long-reaching impacts that can lead to vastly different versions of the future. The key is in maintaining the right balance so that every commitment is maintained as new ones are taken on.

To that point, I am on day 3 of a visit to a hotel investment I helped put together out of town for a partnership where we ended up taking the asset back through foreclosure and are working to recover the initial capital and hopefully gain some added profit for our investors. Along the way, my wife and I have learned a lot about the hotel business, and we have forged friendships with the manager and employees whose livelihoods also rely on the success of our joint efforts.

Thanks to technology and our team at Main Street, while we are here addressing things in person, I have been actively overseeing my listings and transactions back home to uphold my duties to my clients and agents, and to help ensure the satisfaction of all parties involved. 

These include vetting and preparations of various businesses and properties we are bringing to market, helping one of my newer agents write and present an offer for a first-time homebuyer, and walking the offers and escrows for other clients through their due diligence and closing processes. And there have been several property management situations that required attention as well. 

Between the calls, texts, and emails we are making good headway at the property we are visiting, while remotely meeting with our team and clients as needed to keep each project on track. And until each one reaches their desired goal, I keep myself engaged with the mantra:

This is Real Life Real Estate.