What is really involved in the day-to-day life of a Realtor?

One of the funniest misconceptions of real estate is that we just run out, show a few homes and collect a big check. Even I miscalculated the amount of work that would be required.

Most of us treat your home as our own and we want to get it sold. If a house stays on the market too long, it may be perceived as stale and then you lose sleep, I lose sleep and we’re both angst ridden.

The first thing we do is to calculate the most accurate listing price based on the ever-changing market conditions, and then is the toughest part: telling you what the market says. We all wish values were higher, you’d walk with more money; we’d walk with more money and everyone is happy.

Real estate is like the stock market — if you paid $30/share for GE in May of 2000, today it’s worth less than $14/share. No one is going to give you the 2000 price of $30/share in 2018. Market conditions set the value of your home, not the agent.

Marketing is the next step. Since more than 92 percent of home buyers begin their search online, photos are critical. Online promotion, a website for the property, a video, a floor plan, an open house and a broker’s open house follow thereafter.

Scheduling showings and following up with agents to answer questions, confirm they can access the house, emailing promotions to agents, connecting with agents who might have clients in your price range are all tasks that facilitate the sales process. I still remember my daughter complaining when I’d have to take a work call, “But Mommy, one call leads to two more!”

All of the marketing costs fall on the agents, and we’re happy to work diligently to find the right buyer for your home. We all have the same goal in mind: Sellers want to move to their next place; Buyers want their new dream home and Realtors want to coordinate a transaction that goes as seamlessly as possible. Yes, we get paid at the end, but the reward of matching a buyer with their new home and helping a seller move on to their next phase in life is equally rewarding.

Personally speaking, I often miss the frequent interaction with my clients during the sales process. It’s like we’re on the same team, working together to achieve a goal. OK, time to go lie down and wait for the next check to roll in — not!

Betsy Anderson, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, (203) 641-3233,

banderson@wpsir.com