This year, my son is a senior and each week he comes home with a different idea as to what he should do with his future. Last week, he thought perhaps being a Realtor would be a good fit for him.
Although I love sharing knowledge about any topic, I am not knowledgeable as to the life a Realtor leads nowadays. Although real estate and selling new construction was a career I dabbled in briefly back in the late ’90s, I certainly do not know a thing about it now.
Not only did Susan Riggott of Edina Realty have insight, she was willing to share.
Riggott has been helping people buy or sell homes for a number of years. Her father was a Realtor, developer and rental property owner; one could say real estate is in her blood. She cherishes the hours spent with him in the car going to closings, showings, listings and appointments. All of this made her grow to love the process of helping people achieve their dreams of buying and selling property.
Helping people achieve dreams sounds glamorous, exciting and compelling all rolled in to one amazing career. Meeting people, getting to know them and helping her clients with the process from the beginning to end is what Riggott likes most. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of property, and her favorite clients are first-time home buyers. The variety that occurs in her day-to-day routine is satisfying and she never knows who will call in need of her services.
Of course, not every day can be perfect.
“I do not like the low inventory and how fast-paced discussions sometimes have to be,” she said. “I wish my clients would have more time to think about offers. “
She also wishes the public had a better idea of what real estate professionals do.
“The perception the public has of Realtors sticking a sign in a yard and making lots of money doing just that is far from correct. The amount of time that goes into a transaction is huge — from the initial meetings, to running comps, marketing, staging, decluttering, showings, inspections, negotiations, writing contracts, closing and title work.”
Prior to being a Realtor, Riggott was the owner of the Bent Wrench Bar and Grill. There are similarities between owning a restaurant and being a Realtor, she said: long hours, meeting new people and the ever-changing market.
For people like my son and others who are exploring real estate as a career, Riggott has some advice.
“Do it for the right reason, and do your job correctly. Real estate is an emotional transaction. People are buying and selling houses for all kinds of reasons, and there are a lot of highs and lows throughout the process. It can be challenging to keep the transaction positive and moving forward,” she said.
As a Realtor, she added, there are expenses that need to be paid to stay active in the housing market so having a financial plan is a must
“You only get paid when you sell a house,” she said. “And, never forget: you are a professional.”
Kristen Asleson is owner of Midwest Virtual Assistants. Send comments and ideas to news@postbulletin.com.
