Ever wondered what it would be like to be a top-producing REALTOR® who specializes in luxury real estate and waterfront properties?
With over 25 years in real estate, Kim Diamond knows all too well what goes into a typical day as a successful realtor. We sat down with her to get the inside scoop.
How would you describe what you do?
Real estate agents are licensed to sell and buy properties and their primary job is to assist clients (buyers and sellers) through a real estate transaction. Being self-employed, strong organizational skills are needed to manage our business and our schedules.
There is a perception that all realtors do is show homes and list homes but in reality, it requires many more skills than most people realize.
What’s a typical day on the job like?
A typical day starts with exercise and then coffee. I’m in the office by 8:30 am, answering emails. I call new prospects that have come to us through our advertising, then follow up the phone calls with an email. There’s also the juggling of contracts to be looked over, negotiating prices with other realtors, and following up on inquiries.
In the afternoon I tend to do property visits of the local inventory; I like to see what other places have listed. We inspect most homes on the market in our area to understand the competition, as well as to gather the most knowledge we can for our clients.
I work with existing clients, getting their home sold for them, and follow up with clients and buyer agent showings to gather feedback on listings. I also support clients with closings. That might include being present for inspections, sending contract documentation to lawyers, and addressing any concerns that may arise as a result of the closing.
I usually use the evenings to stay on top of all our marketing, whether that’s social media, newspapers, or all of the platforms online.
How do you measure a successful day?
It’s always unique and exciting, and no two days are ever the same. You expect the unexpected. A great agent knows the potential pitfalls of a transaction and can look around the corner and fend off most issues before they arise. Ensuring our clients’ absolute satisfaction is key for us! Juggling the day in the most effective way is key to our success.
I absolutely love it and thrive on the madness most days. For the most part it’s pretty great: we have amazing clients. I love seeing people get their first place—that’s so exciting! Or helping older people: sometimes they’ve lost their partner, or they can’t maintain their home any longer.
In order to handle your workload, you must need help. Do you have a team, how many of you are there and what role does each member play?
To help keep up with all the work, I brought on Chassity Cook, a soon-to-be newly licensed REALTOR®. She has assisted in managing the many duties required throughout the day. If I don’t have the answer to a question, Chassity will do the research and get the information for our clients as fast as possible.
So far, it’s just Chassity and myself. However, we see that changing as we are getting super busy and are looking now to add a few more stellar agents to our team.
Does your job require you to work 7 days a week?
To be successful, realtors need to be disciplined. The reality is that most realtors work long hours and that also means working evenings and weekends. For the most part, that means being available to service our clients 24/7.
The day doesn’t end at 4 or 5 pm like it does in an office. While most days we take the time to enjoy our family meal, it’s generally back into the office for a few hours afterward. Chassity and I can easily be up until 11 pm closing deals and answering client calls.
What is your view on staging?
We do what we call a ‘soft stage’ with our inventory of staging furniture and accessories making the home stand out from the rest. If a home needs a few things moved around or just spruced up, we’ll spend a good half-day to get it all staged and have the property looking as minimalist, modern and inviting to a vast array of purchasers as possible. It puts a fresh spin on the property!
Depersonalization and staging a home make it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. The Georgian Realty Team provides this service complimentary to their clients.
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For more information, visit the Georgian Realty Team. REALTOR® Kimberlee Diamond’s areas of specialty include luxury real estate and waterfront property in Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Stayner and the Blue Mountains.