This is a sponsored article from our partners at U.S. Bank.
In the spirit of member appreciation month, I would like to personally thank you for all you do as a licensed Realtor®. The very definition of appreciation is to recognize the good qualities of someone or something. And you display many qualities that are good, because what you do is both important and it’s noble. The impact you make in the lives of your customers is in many ways immeasurable. You often introduce them to the communities where they raise their children, where they establish their roots, and where they begin to build generational wealth. You negotiate complicated terms with their best interests in mind, many times late at night or on weekends when it’s not always convenient for you. You help them establish relationships with trusted professionals in the trades related to home improvement and home sustainability. You help them make life-changing decisions through encouragement and the presentation of data analytics, data which they couldn’t decipher on their own. And you even welcome them with open arms into your communities and your homes. All these gestures are incredibly impactful to your customers.
Although sometimes your job may feel like a thankless one, it doesn’t go unnoticed by your mortgage lending partners in the business. As lenders, we see the late nights and long weekends you give to our customers, and we see the level of commitment and ethics you display in the process. We also see the smiles at closing when our customers hold the keys to their new home for the first time. We see it all and we thank you because what you do has purpose and meaning. You should be proud being a Realtor® and I encourage you to use this positive affirmation about your chosen profession to fuel the passion to sell through tough times, like we face today. I heard a great quote when I started in the mortgage business in 1992, at that is to basically ignore economic predictions and just go out and sell. According to MAR’s May Local Market Update, the 13-county Twin Cities region closed roughly 45,000 sales, on a rolling 12-months, for an average sales price of $442,885. That means we have about a $20 billion dollar opportunity in front of each of us. So that data tells me it’s not a lack of business that is causing us pain. Rather it’s a mindset of scarcity that might be the contributor holding us back from reaching our potential.
Lastly, use this month of being appreciated by investing in your customers. Call every customer you’ve helped in their real estate journey and appreciate them. Don’t make it a sales call, rather a call to thank them, to appreciate them, and encourage them to preserve and protect what most likely is their greatest asset, their greatest tax shelter, and the place they call home. Continue to be the beacon of hope for your customers and they will repay you with unsolicited referrals. Make a commitment today to be their Realtor® for life, by being there for them at every stage of their real estate lifecycle.
On behalf of U.S. Bank, we wish our very best to your noble profession. And we look forward to seeing you at our next purchase closing, where smiles and good vibes abound as the ink dries and the keys exchange hands.
-Shawn Mingus
Member – MAR Board of Directors
Vice President | North Central Regional Sales Manager – U.S. Bank Home Mortgage